Commercial energy assessor Job Information | National Careers Service

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Commercial energy assessor

Hours

Variable
Starting salary

Variable

In this job you would test the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. You would also produce Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). Making the most of our energy resources is increasingly important. This job makes clients more aware of the need for improved efficiency.

To do this job you should have the ability to create good working relationships. You should have good observational skills. You should also have good time management skills.

The work

As a commercial energy assessor (CEA) or non-domestic energy assessor (NDEA), you would test the energy efficiency of non-domestic buildings and produce Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

EPCs are reports showing energy efficiency and carbon dioxide ratings, and recommendations on how these could be improved.

You would carry out detailed inspections of properties including:

collecting information on their age, number of storeys and building type
measuring each room
identifying details of heating systems
collecting details of windows
entering the information into a computer software programme, which will produce an energy efficiency rating and an EPC.

The CEA role was created by the requirement for an EPC on the construction, sale or rent of all non-domestic buildings from 1 October 2008.

Hours

You could choose to work full-time or part-time. You may need to carry out inspections in the evenings or at weekends to suit your clients. As a self-employed CEA you would be able to arrange your working hours according to your workload.

Income

As this is a new role, there are no available figures for salaries.

Charges for EPCs will depend on the size and complexity of the property.

Entry requirements

To work as a CEA you must belong to an approved accreditation scheme. These schemes control the quality of energy assessments and reports by making sure assessors have appropriate skills.

You can gain accreditation in two ways:

by qualification (if you are new to the commercial building sector)
by APEL (accreditation of prior experiential learning) if you already have commercial building experience.

Qualification route

If you are new to this type of work you would need the Level 3 or Level 4 Diploma in Non Domestic Energy Assessment. This involves completing at least five assessed EPCs and taking a multiple choice exam.

At present the Diploma in Non Domestic Energy Assessment is provided by the Awarding Body for the Built Environment (ABBE) and City & Guilds (C & G). They can advise you on finding suitable training to complete the Diploma.

Once you have gained the Diploma, you will be able to apply for accreditation to work as a Level 3 CEA, qualified to carry out assessments on smaller, naturally ventilated non-domestic buildings. You will not be qualified to assess new buildings. See the Further Training section below for details of developing your skills.

Level 3 and 4 Diplomas in Air Conditioning Energy Assessment are also available.

APEL route

You may be able to become accredited through the APEL route if you:

are already an experienced practitioner, such as a building services engineer, surveyor or energy rating specialist
have experience of producing reports using SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) software
can show that you meet the National Occupational Standards for CEAs.

Depending on your experience, you could be accredited as a CEA at Level 3 (assessing simple buildings) or Level 4 (carrying out assessments on new buildings and on more complex larger buildings with substantial air-conditioning systems).

If you have substantial experience and already use DSM (Dynamic Simulation Modelling) software, you may be accredited at Level 5, (carrying out EPCs for very complex buildings, including those with large amounts of glass).

You should check with the accreditation schemes (see below) for advice. Contact Asset Skills for details of approved certification schemes.

Asset Skills

As a CEA you would normally need a driving licence, as your work would involve travelling to different locations to carry out inspections.

Training and development

As an accredited CEA, you will be expected to keep your skills and knowledge up to date by doing a set minimum number of hours of learning.

As a level 3 CEA you could take further training to gain the Level 4 Diploma in Non Domestic Energy Assessment and become a level 4 CEA, able to carry out assessments on more complex larger buildings with substantial air-conditioning systems. See the ABBE and C & G websites for details.

Another option would be to train to produce EPCs for other types of property.

Skills and knowledge

To become a commercial energy assessor, you should have:

an understanding of the laws surrounding the role
IT skills for using computer software to produce the EPC
the ability to explain the contents of the EPC clearly to clients
the ability to develop good working relationships with a wide range of people
good observational skills
the ability to take accurate measurements
good time management skills
a thorough, methodical and consistent approach
the ability to keep legible, complete and accurate records
a knowledge of construction methods, construction materials and heating systems.

More information

Awarding Body for the Built Environment (ABBE) (Opens new window)
Birmingham City University
Perry Barr
Birmingham
B42 2SU
Tel: 0121 331 5174
www.abbeqa.co.uk

Asset Skills (Opens new window)
2 The Courtyard
48 New North Road
Exeter
Devon
EX4 4EP
Tel: 01392 423399
Careers Advice: careers@assetskills.org
www.assetskills.org

Asset Skills Energy Assessors (Opens new window)
www.energy-assessors.org.uk

City & Guilds (Opens new window)
1 Giltspur Street
London
EC1A 9DD
Tel: 0844 543 0000
www.cityandguilds.com

Opportunities

EPCs have been required for all non-domestic buildings on construction, sale or rent since October 2008.

It is important that you assess the business opportunities in your area before making any commitment to a career in this field.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The property and planning industry is part of the facilities management, housing, cleaning and support services, and parking sector, represented by Asset Skills Sector Skills Council. The sector workforce, which has continued to grow since 1998, represents 3% of the total UK workforce.

The property and planning industry covers both the private and public sectors and includes: acquiring, planning, surveying and valuing of commercial and residential property; plus valuing, selling, letting and managing of commercial and residential property.

Key facts:

The property and planning industry includes key areas of commercial and residential sales and lettings and property management.
There are 155,300 people working in the property industry in 37,200 companies.
There are significantly more full‐time than part‐time employees in the industry.
96% of all housing and property organisations have 10 or less employees.

Jobs in the industry include: estate agent; letting agent; surveyor; town planner; auctioneer; residential property or block manager; domestic energy assessor; and emerging jobs such as commercial energy assessor, housing energy adviser and community energy adviser.

National and regional data

The following provides a breakdown of the number of property sector employees in each of the Nations and English regions.

Region	Number of employees	Regional key characteristics
East Midlands	9,400	Nearly half (46%) of the property sector workforce in the East Midlands is aged over 50. A higher than average proportion is employed on a part‐time basis (43%)
East Of England	13,100	A significant proportion of the property sector workforce in the East of England is male (53%) and employed on a full‐ time basis (85%)
London	29,500	London is the largest employer of the property sector in England (19%). A significant proportion of employment is full‐time (81%), and a large proportion of the workforce is black and ethnic minorities (17%)
North East	6,300	The North East employs the smallest proportion of the property sector workforce across the English regions (4%)
North West	14,400	The North West employs 9% of the property sector workforce in England. A significant proportion of the workforce is female (61%)
South East	26,500	After London, the South East region is the second highest employer of the property sector (17%)
South West	15,200	The South West employs a significantly higher proportion of males (51%) compared to the workforce across England. 98% of the workforce is white
West Midlands	15,100	The West Midlands accounts for 10% of the property sector workforce in England.
Yorkshire & The Humber	11,000	Compared with other English regions, a significant proportion of the workforce is female (64%) and the majority is white (98%)
Northern Ireland	*	A significant proportion of the property sector workforce in Northern Ireland is female (66%) and the majority (58%) of the workforce is aged between 20‐29 years
Scotland	9,400	Scotland employs 6% of the total UK property sector workforce. Women make up 60% of employees, 98% of the workforce is white, with the majority employed on a full‐time basis (81%)
Wales	4,600	Wales employs 3% of the total UK property sector workforce. The majority, (60%) of the workforce is female and 99% of the workforce is white. Compared to the UK, high proportions are employed on a part‐time basis (36%)

Source: Annual Population Survey, Housing and Property Labour Market Intelligence Update, Asset Skills, 2008
* Due to a low sample base this figure is excluded.