SBEM and BRUKL information

We provide Energy Certificates for every type of building!

Who needs SBEM calcs and BRUKL reports?

SBEM stands for Simplified Building Energy Model and is the government approved way to check the energy performance of a commercial property. An SBEM assessment is required at the beginning and end of a construction project and is used to produce a building regulations compliance report and an On Construction Energy Performance Certificate (OC EPC).

Before the build starts a Design Stage SBEM Calculation should be carried out and given to Building Control or the approved inspector at the same time as the Building Control Application is submitted.

Once the build is complete an As Built SBEM Calculation needs to be carried out and a ‘pass’ certificate must be produced and given to your inspector to demonstrate compliance with the relevant Building Regulations.

Following this, an up-to-date On Construction Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) can be produced.

In England the calculations have been required by building control since 2006 for all commercial new builds and may also be needed for conversions or extensions. The Building Regulations United Kingdom part L (BRUKL) report that is produced by carrying out SBEM calculations is used to demonstrate a new building is compliant with Part L2a of the UK building regulations, or Part L2b if it is a conversion or extension of an existing building.

In Northern Ireland SBEM Calculations are required for all commercial new builds over 50m2 and may also be needed for conversions or extensions. The Building Regulations United Kingdom part L (BRUKL) report that is produced by carrying out SBEM calculations is used to demonstrate a new building is compliant with Part F2 of the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland), which closely mirrors the UK Building Regulations Part L2a for new builds and L2b for conversions and extensions.

In Scotland SBEM Calculations are required for all commercial new builds over 50m2 and may also be needed for conversions or extensions, and are used to demonstrate compliance with Section 6 of the Scottish Building Standards. SBEM calculations must be provided at the design stage and after construction (as built). The Building Emission Rate (BER) must not exceed the Target Emission Rate (TER) in order for the property to comply. Properties that are unheated, temporary or places of worship may be exempt.

Is My Building Exempt?

Most new build commercial buildings, conversions and large extensions require SBEM Calculations, however there are a small number of exemptions, including:

Places of worship
Temporary buildings
Unheated units
In Northern Ireland and Scotland, buildings under 50m2 total floor area.
in England buildings under 50m2 total floor area that are entirely detached (no part of the building touching another building)

What does the SBEM calculation process involve?

SBEM Calculations for new build commercial buildings are more in depth than their counterparts that are used to produce EPCs for existing buildings. and generally involve making a 3d model of the building in specialist software. The assessor carrying out the survey must have a Non Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA) qualification at level 4 or 5, depending on what is appropriate for the type of building.

During the survey the assessor will use the architectural drawings to make a 3d computer model of the building in specialist software such as Design Builder or IES. This model is then loaded with additional data about the construction and services and the buildings energy performance and carbon emission ratings are calculated and compared to target figures defined by the relevant Building Regulations.

The calculation itself follows the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) methodology. The assessor does not make any subjective judgements about the energy performance of the building, but rather collects data which is fed into the software that calculates the result.

SBEM Calculations for new build commercial buildings are extremely detailed, and require very precise information about the fabric of the building and all its services. If any of this information is not available then default values need to be used, but this means the compliance report is unlikely to show a pass. For this reason the more information you have available about your building the better. We are happy to work with your architectural or engineering team to ensure all the data required is properly collated.

What do I get?

Once we have all the information required to carry out your SBEM calculations it will take us approximately 5 working days to produce the compliance report and EPC. If the compliance report shows a pass, and the build is complete, then you will receive a copy of the report and the EPC. For design stage calculations we provide an "As Designed" compliance report and a draft EPC. If the building is failing to meet its targets then we will work with you to find different ways you can improve the rating, with the aim of establishing the most practical and cost effective way of doing so. We will provide 3 different scenarios for no extra cost. Further scenarios can be quoted for and provided as needed.

Who will carry out the calculations?

Easy EPC have a highly skilled team of NDEA Level 4 assessors. All our Level 4 assessors are fully accredited and insured to complete SBEM calculations, BRUKL reports and Commercial On Construction EPC.

We have the ability to carry out surveys on any type of building, from the smallest corner shop to large shopping centres and skyscraper office blocks. Our highly experienced office based technical team can carry out the modelling and calculations for every type of project, from simple industrial units to highly complex buildings such as shopping centres and skyscrapers. We are able to produce your Commercial EPCs quickly and accurately, working to the very highest standard.

What is required to complete the calculations?

HVAC info – location/heat recovery, make/model
Lighting loads (w/m2 @ 100 LUX, or, lumens/watts either per zone or average for building)
Hot water systems (storage tank make/model/size)
U-Values – walls, floors, roofs, glazing, doors
Plans and elevations – including measurements (not Autocad files please)
Overview of mechanical ventilation – location, heat recovery, make/model etc.
External elevations / conceptual drawings
Air test Certificate if >500m2 (or if <500m2 and permeability is being declared as less than 15)
Information on any renewable technology

Optional but helpful:

Photographs of the project - during construction and upon completion

How do I book?

To get a quote for SBEM Calcs for your property simply give us a call on 0800 170 1201, or alternatively fill in our contact form The basic information we need to be able to provide you with a price for the survey is:

The full address of the property including postcode
What the buildings is used for
Approximate floor area
Number of floors
Floor plans

Once we have provided you with a quote, if you wish to go ahead and book we will also need invoicing details and contact details for whoever will be providing further data. We don't charge up-front, but will invoice you for the work on completion, and release the BRUKL report and the Commercial On Construction EPC you upon receipt of payment. Our pricing includes the lodgement of the EPC on the government register, so the price we quote you is the total price you will pay. If you are in design stage and expect some changes to be made, we can provide an additional quote to take into account a number of iterations.

After you have booked with us we will contact you or if you prefer an alternative point of contact to discuss the data and survey process. Once we have all the information required, we will start working on the SBEM calculations and BRUKL report. This is completed at the desk and usually take 5 working days.

The BRUKL report will either show a pass or fail for the Building Emissions Rate (BER), it is up to the building control office to determine if they will accept a fail. We can lodge the Commercial On Construction EPC regardless of if the BRUKL passes of fails. We will need a signed declaration stating the property has been built to the specification provided for the SBEM calcs, along with photographic evidence.

Our prices start from £199 + VAT, dependant on size and location of the property. Use this online booking tool to quickly get a quote for your BRUKL report.