by bs090308 d3 — September 5, 2008—Following two successful years of the “100 Days of Carbon Clean Up Campaign” in the UK, The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) is rolling out a new initiative aimed at enabling companies to prepare themselves for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs).
This year the initiative will be challenging UK organizations to pledge 100 hours of staff time to commit to carbon reduction activities. Participants have until the end of November to reach the 100 hours target, with activities and progress logged on a personalized Time Card via the 100 hours Web site.
In return, CIBSE will provide free guidance on preparing for EPCs and DECs, and the tools to encourage monitoring energy use in order to measure and manage it. Learning activities, themed events, and eco-freebies will all help to keep participants motivated.
Last year’s campaign saw 700 organizations sign up to cut carbon emissions from their buildings, including the Bolton Wanderers Football Club, The Natural History Museum, BBC Wales, and Transport for London.
Commercial and public buildings in the UK account for 25% of UK’s total carbon emissions, according to CIBSE, while increasing energy prices are encouraging a renewed interest in energy savings. New legislation makes it mandatory for commercial building owners to produce certificates (EPCs and DECs) that rate their buildings’ energy performance, before they can be built, sold or rented, or for public display. It is believed that over 100,000 buildings will require EPCs each year from April 2008 onwards.
