SAP Assessments & U-Values

SAP Assessments (OCDEA's)

For new builds, Extensions & Conversions

Why choose ITD Fire & Water to carry out your SAP assessments?

We offer you an efficient and reliable service at competitive prices. Our goal is to provide you with a compliant SAP test that can be signed off and handed to building control.

We will give you consultation on any issues that may arise if your design fails to meet compliance, and we will endeavour to work with you to find cost effective solutions, these may be regarding the following: Insulation, heating system, building fabric, glazing and more, some issues may require some material alternatives to make U Values achieve the targeted values as stated within building regulations.

We can calculate U Values and generate the reports for them without the need for a full SAP assessment depending on your needs and the type of project you need them for.

SAP = Standard Assessment Procedure

What we offer

We can also provide you with U Values without the need of a SAP assessment on various projects, they may be required to apply for a government grant or to help extensions meet compliance.

Stages

Design and As Built stage assessments, and a Design stage with improvements if applicable.

Free consultation

We will give you free advise and consultation regarding any improvements that may need to be made to make the design pass compliance. SAP tests are pass or fail assessments.

U Values

We will create bespoke U-Values for your project and make adjustments where necessary to help them meet compliance.

Reports

Full reports at all stages of the project including U Value reports and BREL compliance reports.

What we need from you.

1

Floor plans

Showing the layout of the property and its different elements such as external walls, party walls and internal walls.

2

Elevations

Front, rear and side elevations with the various opening types such as windows and doors, and the properties orientation.

3

Specifications

Detailed specifications containing as much information as possible including but not limited to wall, floor and roof constructions, opening types and materials, renewable technologies if applicable and details of the heating system.

4

Any extra information

Any other from of document or information that my be important or required to achieve an accurate assessment, such as specific building materials or bespoke Psi values for thermal bridges.

SAP is the standard procedure for the energy assessment of dwellings, as set by government. A SAP Assessment measures CO2 emissions, energy costs and thermal performance of building elements. If you are creating new dwellings you will be asked to provide a SAP assessment with your building regulations application.

To demonstrate compliance of new homes with Part L of the Building Regulations.

To generate Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for all homes, which advise occupants, prospective buyers, landlords, and renters of the energy performance of a property.

SAP was developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) for the former Department of the Environment and was based on the BRE Domestic Energy Model (BREDEM). SAP was first published in 1993 and has since been updated periodically, in 1998, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2012, and most recently in 2022.

In 1994, SAP was first cited in the Building Regulations as the means of assessing the energy performance of dwellings. In 2007 it was adopted as the methodology behind Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

Reduced data SAP (RdSAP) was introduced in 2005 as a simpler and lower cost method for assessing existing dwellings. An RdSAP assessment will use a set of assumptions about the dwelling, reducing the volume of data an energy assessor must collect.

Following recommendations by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and a scoping study commissioned by the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the government is developing a new methodology to increase its accuracy, robustness, and ensure it is fit net zero.

In December 2023, we published a consultation on this new methodology – the Home Energy Model (closing on 6 March 2024) – so that industry can participate in the ongoing development process.

The Home Energy Model is still under development and its first version will be implemented alongside the Future Homes Standard in 2025.