Compliance failure shocks industry leaders

Building owners are breaking the law by failing to have their air conditioning systems inspected. The HVCA provides some much-needed advice for facilities managers and commercial building owners.

12 August 2010 – Over 50,000 building owners are breaking the law by failing to have their air conditioning systems inspected and many thousands more will fall into the same trap next year. Most large cooling systems for commercial buildings have been in breach of the law for almost 18 months. Apart from the potential legal penalties, building owners, property managers and facility managers (FMs) are almost certainly paying higher energy bills by failing to have their systems inspected by experts who can advise on efficiency improvements. The Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) have joined forces to remind building owners and managers of their responsibilities while also urging government agencies and local authorities to enforce legislation that was created to help the country meet its environmental targets. “Non-compliance has real costs; it costs the environment, it will cost the UK any chance of meeting its emissions targets and it costs non-complying companies who are missing out on a real opportunity to increase their profits” said HVCA immediate past president Graham Manly. Under the regulations all air conditioning systems in buildings with a cooling capacity over 12kW must be inspected. All systems put in place on or after 1st January 2008 are to be inspected within 5 years of installation, while all other air conditioning systems over 250kW output should have been inspected by 4th January 2009. Any air conditioning systems above 12kW must be inspected by 4th January 2011. An air conditioning report (ACR) is produced as a result of the inspection and includes recommendations on how the systems could be run more efficiently. By implementing these recommendations, businesses can save money and cut their carbon emissions – in line with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals. “This is not just a tick box exercise,” continues Mr Manly. “The whole point is to give owners and managers useful information about how their systems are running and how they could be improved both to reduce harmful carbon emissions and save them money on their energy bills.” The ‘Non-compliance Costs’ campaign started by CIBSE and now supported by the HVCA aims to bring together the many voices of frustration and concern to form one united call for action. The campaign is running until September and participants can sign up to support the ‘Compliance Charter’. The charter spells out the costs of non-compliance and sets out three simple steps, which must be taken if air conditioning inspection compliance rates are to improve, including a call for the Government to place enforcement in the hands of a new body. Supporters can also download letters to send to MPs and local media. To join the Non-compliance Costs campaign please visit www.cibse.org/noncompliancecosts or for further information visit www.hvca.org.uk. Ends