Building Energy Performance Reporting Now Mandatory in South Africa

• The South African Department of Energy and Mineral Resources has gazetted into law the mandatory display of energy performance for non-residential buildings.
• Building owners must now declare/display their energy performance at the entrance of their building.
• Certified copies of the certificate must also be submitted to the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), who will maintain a national building performance register.
• The new law applies to both private and public sector buildings and mandatory within two years.

On the 8^th December 2020, the South African government gazetted new regulations that will put the squeeze on building owners in the country to become more energy efficient. They will be required to display their energy performance certificate at the entrance to their building. The certificate must be issued by an accredited body.

The energy performance refers to the net energy consumed in kilowatt hours per square meter per year – including for heating, hot water heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. An energy performance certificate must also be submitted to the South African National Energy Development Institute. The certificates are valid for five years.

The new rules apply to all offices and other private non-residential buildings (schools, malls and theatres etc.) that are bigger than 2,000 square metres. Government buildings larger than 1,000 square metres must also comply with the new regulations.

Failure to publically display the energy performance certificate in terms of these Regulations is an offence in contravention of the Act and punishable by law.

Read the full National Energy Act (34/1998): Regulations for the mandatory display and submission of Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings HERE

Author: Bryan Groenendaal