If you're the owner or manager of a commercial, industrial or public building and you use air conditioning systems within your premises, you must comply with the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations by having your air conditioning systems assessed in accordance with the guidance document TM44. The assessor who carries our your system inspection and provides your survey report must be accredited to undertake inspections and should do so in line with the guidance provided in TM44.
Air Conditioning Systems and TM44
TM44 is the official benchmark for compliant air conditioning inspections, giving assessors a consistent model for advising building owners on the efficiency, maintenance and management of their air conditioning systems and, in effect, helping them to be aware of, and reduce, their carbon footprint. It is advisable for any property owners and managers to familiarise themselves with the introduction and explanatory sections of TM44, which can be purchased from the CIBSE website.
By preparing themselves ahead of inspections by reading these sections of TM44, those responsible for thesystems in buildings can help to minimise system inspection costs. By providing air conditioning assessors with as much information as possible, the time taken to carry out such inspections will be reduced, often resulting in cost savings.
The need for air conditioning system inspections have a time critical element - the final deadline for inspection passed in early 2011, so if you haven't yet had your systems inspected, you are at risk of having to pay a fine. If you are one of the many building owners or managers who missed this deadline, it is advisable to find a accredited system assessor as soon as possible, before your local authority comes calling to check if you are complying with the laws of the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.
Choosing An Accredited Air Conditioning System Assessor
If you have not yet had your systems inspected, you need to find an accredited assessor immediately. There are plenty of companies offering this service, so there really is no excuse for non-compliance. When researching assessors, make sure that they are using TM44 as their guidance document for inspections and reporting. TM44 was created as a result of an official industry working group, combining their in-depth knowledge of systems. All assessors should hold a current accreditation certificate and adhere to the information provided in the TM44 document. If you don't want to purchase your own copy of TM44 ahead of inspection, you can request information from the relevant sections, mentioned above, from your assessor to enable you to collate the necessary details in readiness for their visit to your site.
The law is very clear - you must have a professional inspection and report carried out and this must be repeated after 5 years, without fail. As a building owner or manager, you are fully responsible for complying with regulations regarding your systems - find an assessor who works to TM44 today, before you get caught out.
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