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  Our services


SDS provides a range of services which span a variety of industry sectors.



  CIBSE Low Carbon Consultancy

As fully qualified CIBSE Low Carbon Consultants we believe the best way to achieve low carbon energy efficient buildings is by taking full control and responsibility for energy conservation from inception to completion of the building including post occupancy review and monitoring.

Through this early involvement we can offer early stage low carbon design tools including BRE Design Quality Method (DQM), thermal modelling and BREEAM pre-estimate to enable the optimum integration of building form, orientation, fabric and services.

Once detailed design has commenced we can facilitate Energy Conservation Workshops for the Design Team and Client, to ensure the key objectives are being met, and energy conservation aspirations are being maintained. Through this formal process we can offer our professional advice and experience in low carbon design and energy funding advice. This ensures the optimum low carbon energy efficient solution is realised.

This principle carries through the construction stage of the project and enables clear leadership and responsibility for energy conservation to be carried out by SDS Energy with safeguards built in to protect energy conservation aspirations especially if value engineering is initiated. SDS Energy through their experience in consulting and contracting can provide a pragmatic solution to value engineering while maintaining the environmental ethos of the building.

We also offer a post occupancy monitoring service in order to ensure Client or End User is familiar with the engineering services and their function. We also ensure systems operate as designed and monitor energy performance to that claimed at design stage. By demonstrating this commitment to energy conservation the Client enhances their corporate social responsibility, as well as realising lower running and maintenance costs.

SDS Energy carries out energy surveys of existing buildings to ascertain energy performance and provides recommendations and costs to improve and provide tangible savings for end users. Surveys are carried out to CIBSE Guide F and TM22 standards and as well as including condition and energy performance details life cycle costs and energy efficiency implementation programmes. The basis of most commissions is to reduce base energy consumption thus reducing running costs. Some simple measures including checking electricity tariffs can achieve tangible running cost results.



  Energy Performance Certificates & Display Energy Certificates

From 6 April 2008 energy performance certificates will be needed when commercial buildings are built, sold or rented. Public buildings throughout England and Wales will need to display an energy certificate (DECs) from October 2008 (date to be confirmed in Northern Ireland). These certificates must be produced by an accredited energy assessor. There are two types of energy certificate:

Energy Performance certificates (EPC's) are on their way to Northern Ireland. The Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland (DFPNI) have confirmed the dates for the roll out of this new legislation as follows (see here for more details):



  What are Energy performance certificates?

Energy Performance Certificates tell you how energy efficient a building is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient buildings - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A. The Certificate tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact the building has on the environment. Better-rated buildings should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. By rating buildings in this manner it is hoped that building owners and landlords will strive to have better buildings as they will be more attractive to potential buyers or tenants.

All buildings will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before they can be marketed for sale or rent.  This means that every property brochure must either carry all five pages of the certificate, or reproduce the colour graphs showing the energy assessment and Carbon Dioxide (Co2) impact.

As qualified Energy assessors and low carbon consultants, SDS Energy are able to offer energy performance certificates. We are able to make realistic recommendations that can improve the performance of buildings.

For basic quotation for an EPC send us information of the building type, location, floor area and number of room/zones.



  Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)

BREEAM is the world's longest established and most widely used environmental assessment for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable development and demonstrates a level of achievement. It is a tired and tested system both in terms of its robust technical standards and its commercial delivery especially the independence of its licensing, quality assurance and certification process. BRE has developed the following assessment methods:


BREEAM Bespoke is a tool which can be used when a non domestic building falls outside the types of buildings listed above. Bepsoke can be used for the following buildings including leisure complexes, laboratories, higher & further education buildings and hotels at the design stage and post construction. Projects are assessed using a system of credits. The credits are grouped within the following categories:


The assessment process results in a report covering the issues assessed together with a formal certification giving a rating on a scale of PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD and EXCELLENT.


  Independent Analysis and Advice on Renewable Energy Systems

With the ever expanding list of renewable energy systems coming onto the market SDS Energy are well placed and experienced to provide independent analysis on the emerging technologies and individual manufacturers and equipment. With the new Building Regulations actively promoting renewable energy systems and extensive grant aid available for their installation we can offer advice on which system best suits your project. We can provide independent life cycle and payback cost analysis for each system. We have detailed experience in the following technologies:

Our overriding design principle is that sustainable design is not a bolt-on system fitted to a building after the main design decisions have been made, but rather requires an integrated design approach involving Architects, Engineers and Client from an early conceptual design stage. This approach should examine basic criteria such as building form, orientation, passive solar design, thermal mass and integrity / efficiency of the thermal envelope. Only then will Renewable Energy Systems (RES) enhance an already energy efficient building.

Energy grants and loans are available for energy conservation measures and Renewable Energy Systems (RES) from various sources. These include government bodies such as the Energy Savings Trust, The Carbon Trust and The Central Energy Fund. We can offer advice on the best grants to apply for, and also complete application forms for these grants. We also have extensive experience in providing presentations, reports and interviews for grant qualification.

We can also offer advice on Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme aimed at providing tax allowances on qualifying technologies from the Energy Technology List. In addition we can give advice on Carbon Trading and Climate Change Levy.



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