BRE, RIAS Launch Design Certification Schemes for the Energy Performance of Buildings in Scotland

September 9, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

The Approved Certification of Design Scheme (ACOD) was designed to deliver benefits for building designers, clients and developers and will recognise and publicise competency in energy efficient design and provide clients with an assurance that designs comply with building regulations.

Two schemes are now in operation for Section 6 Energy of the Scottish Building Regulations, one covering domestic buildings and one for non-domestic (commercial, offices, schools and hospitals, etc). BRE and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) worked together to develop the schemes.

"Both of these certification schemes for energy will enhance the Building Standards System in Scotland. They will be subject to the same robust auditing by the Scottish Building Standards Agency that is already in place for the existing structural design and electrical installation schemes," Stevenson said.

The benefits of the schemes include:

• Reduction on warrant fees of 10%.
• Verifiers (building control departments) must accept certificates and no further compliance checking is required.
• Increased efficiency and reduced delays in the building control process.

Designers interested in registering for either scheme can do so on the BRE web site at http://www.bre.co.uk/scotland or by following these links to the domestic and non-domestic scheme registration pages.

Source: BRE.