Welcome - Stroma Courses

DATE: 23/06/2014 v1.2
CONTENTS
Common Reasons for Audit
Failure:
 Secondary Heating
 Calculations
 Missing Photographs
 Boiler Identification
 Wall Thickness
 Date Stamped Evidence
 Mechanical Ventilation
FAQs:
 Regular Boilers with No
Cylinder
 Room in Roof and
Insulation
Common Errors that
Prevent Lodgement:
 LEL vs Total Lighting
 Decimal Place Errors in
the Dimensions Section
 Selecting ‘Room in the
Roof is Connected’
Welcome
to the RSAP+ Technical Bulletin – June 2014
In this technical bulletin, we cover the most common errors we encounter
during our random and targeted audits. Our next bulletin will continue to
focus on this area but will cover some other scenarios, such as audit
failures for ECO EPC surveys, U-value issues and the RHI.
As usual, the bulletin also includes scheme news and answers to some
common queries raised through technical support.
This technical bulletin has been written for all Stroma Certification
members who use our RSAP+ software package, including Domestic
Energy Assessors (DEAs) and Green Deal Advisors (GDAs).
Key
Sections titled in orange are relevant to both DEA and GDA activity
Sections titled in green are relevant to GDA activity only
Sections titled in grey are relevant to DEA activity only
Addenda and When to Add
Them to your Report
News:
 Easier Access to
Technical Support
 Software updates for
Desktop and iPad
Coming Soon
 Revised Green Deal
Code of Practice and
GDAO Specification
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
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Common Reasons for Audit Failure
Secondary Heating
Secondary heating is the most common cause of errors identified at the audit stage that we have
encountered in Q1 and Q2 of this year. Secondary heating errors almost always result in the audit failing.
84% of secondary heating errors flagged at audit have been major errors, meaning the audit has surpassed
the SAP point limit, or the error has resulted in a change of statement on the EPC.
The errors with secondary heating are a result of:

Secondary heating evidenced, but not entered into the software; or

Secondary heating not evidenced, but entered into the software.
The most common circumstance in which the secondary heating is evidenced, but not entered into the
software occurs where a back boiler has been entered as primary heating, but the fire which the back boiler
sits behind has not been entered. If the back boiler provides space heating, and the heating fuel is not solid
fuel or oil, then you should enter the back boiler as main heating, and the gas fire as secondary heating.
This is because separate efficiencies apply to the boiler and the room heater; hence they should be entered
separately. If the back boiler provides space heating, and the heating fuel is oil or solid fuel, then the boiler
and the room heater should be defined as the main heating system. This is because the efficiency is an
overall value, so there is no need to split the systems into main and secondary heating.
Identifying a back boiler is fairly simple. You will see water pipes coming from the appliance, and radiators
and a water tank will be present in the property, but no boiler will be present any in the usual places where
you would expect it to find one. You will then be able to identify the presence of a back boiler by removing
the plate at the bottom of the gas fire to see the boiler thermostat, and usually the boiler ID plate. You will
often find the programmer located close to the back boiler, often on the chimney breast.
An example of a common gas fire with a back boiler.
This should be entered into the software as:
Primary heating: Back boiler to radiators
Secondary heating: Gas fire (in this instance a pre-1980 gas
fire)
Another common error in which the secondary heating is evidenced, but not entered into the software is
where the secondary heating tab has been completely missed out on the software. The secondary heating
section is on a different tab within the heating system section, so it is important to ensure that you have
filled out the section fully and properly, as it is easy to fill in the main heating system details and move on
without realising that the secondary heating system has been missed out. The software prefills the
secondary heating as ‘none present’ and this does allow the EPC to be lodged. It is extremely important
that the heating system page is filled in correctly and checked to ensure the accuracy of the entry.
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
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Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Secondary Heating [Continued]
Evidence of secondary heating is a mandatory requirement, so if it is entered into the software and then
not backed up with evidence, this will result in a failed audit.
Calculations
Calculations are a very common cause of errors flagged at audit and in Q1 and Q2 of this year, 55% have
resulted in failure of the audit. The errors with calculation usually relate to:

Errors on floor plan; or

Errors with area calculations and heat loss perimeter.
Floor Plan
The most common issue with calculations is the floor plan submitted as part of the evidence. If a floor plan
is incorrect, this has implications when the data is entered onto the software.
A plan should be produced for every level in the property, complete with measurements and the areas and
heat loss perimeter should be clearly shown. If the property has any extensions, then these should be
clearly identified and labelled.
Some assessors are not paying adequate attention to this during the inspection or not taking enough care
to produce an accurate and clear plan, and this leads to errors. It’s also worth considering that if the data is
entered into the software a few days later, the property will not be at the forefront of the assessor’s mind,
meaning that any errors on the floor plan are unlikely to be noticed during data entry.
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Calculations [Continued]
Measurements
Internal dimensions are usually the best method of getting the most accurate measurements, but external
dimensions can be sometimes more convenient (in the case of detached houses and bungalows). Please
ensure that if you do use external measurements, and if the dwelling is attached to another, that you
measure to the mid-point of the party wall.
Please note that rooms in the roof and mid/top floor flats should always be measured internally. Also, you
should never mix external and internal measurements as this will create errors in the data.
Room height should always be measured internally within the room.
All measurements should always be taken to 2 decimal places.
Bay windows should always be measured, and included in the area and heat loss perimeter calculations.
For the heat loss perimeter, you should include:

Wall between the dwelling and an unheated garage;

Wall between the dwelling and a separated conservatory; and

Wall between the dwelling and an unheated corridor (if flat or maisonette).
Missing Photographs
Missing photographs are the next most common error identified at audit. 75% of missing photographs
identified as an error result in a failed audit.
We clarified the minimum evidence requirements in the last technical bulletin, which you can find here:
https://stromamembers.net/files/rdsap/bulletins/RSAPplus_TechnicalBulletinApril2014v1-1.pdf
You should always ensure that all minimum evidence requirements are met for every audit. There is no
such thing as too much evidence!
A photo should always be provided for any decision made or for any area of contention. If access is not
possible to a particular area of the property (e.g. loft or rear of property), a note and an appropriate photo
to evidence the lack of access should be provided (e.g. a locked loft hatch or a locked rear gate).
The new conventions document that is coming out in line with RdSAP 9.92 in October (Conventions
Document v7 – in draft format at present) covers minimum evidence requirements:
https://stromamembers.net/files/rdsap/documents/RdSAP-Conventions-v7.0-DRAFT.pdf
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Boiler Identification
Boiler identification is the next most common error we encounter at audit, and results in audit failure 43%
of the time. These types of errors include:

Discrepancy between the type of boiler entered in RSAP+ and the evidence provided; or

Insufficient evidence of the boiler ID plate (i.e. blurred photographs or none at all), meaning that
the auditor is unable to verify the make and model of the boiler.
It is important to select the correct boiler from the PCDF database. If you cannot find the exact boiler, it is
not acceptable to substitute it for a similar boiler: you must use the SAP tables. (For example, if you have a
Vaillant Ecotec Plus 613 but you can only find Vaillant Ecotec Plus 612 in the PCDF, you should not select
the 612.) Selecting the wrong option from the list can mean that the boiler type changes, e.g. from a
regular to a combi boiler, meaning that the audit will fail.
It is a requirement to evidence the main heating system when it has been entered, and it is good practice to
get evidence of the boiler ID plate, or anything on the boiler which specifies the make, model, and qualifier
(rather than just taking a picture of the system from a distance). This helps enormously with the auditing
process.
An example of a Boiler ID. Collecting evidence such as
this will help enormously – entry of the boiler will be
much easier to do, using the PCDF. Also, evidence like
this will make verification of the boiler much easier at
the auditing stage.
Here is a quick recap of how to identify the different types of boiler:

Regular boiler : A simple boiler design, with very few controls present on the boiler; there are
usually only three pipes present on the boiler and a hot water tank is also usually present.

Combination boiler : There will be more controls on the front of the boiler, and a pressure gauge is
often present. A lot more pipes will be evident: usually between 5 and 7. Usually (except in rare
cases) no hot water cylinder will be present.

Condensing boiler – regular and combination boilers can both be condensing. The giveaway is an
extra pipe (a plastic condensate pipe) coming from the boiler. Also, the flue will be a fan-assisted
one, usually made of plastic.
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Boiler Identification [Continued]
Regular
Combination
Condensing (combination)
If you ever have any doubts over boilers you should not just choose the closest match. If you need a second
opinion or guidance, the Technical Support team will be happy to help you.
Wall Thickness
Evidence of wall thickness is a minimum requirement for audit purposes. When you undertake an
inspection of a property, you must measure the wall thickness (in mm) of each external wall (and
alternative wall) at door or window reveals; you must also provide evidence that you have done this.
Evidence of wall thickness measurements is very important, as it helps with determining the wall
construction and wall insulation. A wall thickness measurement must be provided for every survey.
An example of the required
evidence for proving the thickness
of the wall.
In addition, wall thickness has an impact on U-value for stone walls. The thicker the wall is, the lower the Uvalue will be in the assumed (default) data.
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Date Stamped Evidence
DCLG requires all photographic evidence to be dated within the image, to prove that it relates to the
property being assessed, on the date of assessment. If this is not possible, electronic files (e.g. JPG) are
acceptable, as long as we can securely ascertain the date from the file.
Photographs embedded in files (e.g. Word or PDF) must be dated within the image, with the master images
being retained by you, so that if we or DCLG want to inspect these, we can. We cannot accept photographs
which are part of a Word/PDF file without date stamps.
Similarly, we cannot accept individual image files (e.g. JPG) if there is no date stamp and no way of
electronically ascertaining the date stamp through interrogation of the file metadata.
An example of acceptable
evidence - electronically
dated.
An example of acceptable evidence - date
stamped within the image.
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Date Stamped Evidence [Continued]
An example of unacceptable evidence - no date stamp
within image, and images imbedded in a document so we
cannot ascertain the electronic date stamp (metadata).
An example of
unacceptable
evidence - no
electronic date
stamp and no date
in the image
metadata:
Photos must be date stamped or the date on which they were taken must be included in the metadata.
They must agree with the date of inspection on the EPC. Please note that all non-photographic evidence
(e.g. proof of insulation) must also follow a logical sequence – in that it must be dated before the inspection
date.
The only exception to this rule is U-value calculations, which should be dated after inspection but before
the certificate date: this is because an onsite inspection is needed to inform the U-value assessor of the
make-up of the wall/floor/roof etc.
You need to be able to prove the features of the property and the data collected on the day of survey.
Please review the U-value specific guidance note issued earlier this month (available on the members’ area
news feed).
www.stromamembers.net
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Reasons for Audit Failure [Continued]
Mechanical Ventilation
For RdSAP purposes “mechanical ventilation” is a whole house ventilation system only. The mechanical
ventilation tickbox should never be selected for anything less than a whole house system.
Extractor fans which run intermittently, commonly found in bathrooms (wall or ceiling mounted) and
kitchens (e.g. hob extractor or retrofitted window-mounted fan), should not be entered as mechanical
ventilation.
An example of a
whole house
mechanical
ventilation system.
Examples of room
only, intermittent
fan and hob
extractor.
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
FAQs
The Domestic Technical Support team record all queries received via phone and email. We have provided
guidance below on a number of common queries we have recently received.
Regular Boilers with No Cylinder
If you assess a property with a regular boiler (a boiler that provides space heating only), the water heating
should be provided by the main system, even if the tank has an immersion heater. This is assumed to heat
the water in summer and should not be selected.
A regular boiler can be described and identified as below:




The boiler heats the water that flows around the heating and hot
water systems.
The water used for heating is fed from a header or feed tank,
usually found in the loft.
As the water flows around the heating system, it expands. An
expansion pipe is fitted to the heating system to discharge any
build up in pressure in the system, to the header tank.
More modern sealed systems do not require the feed/expansion
tank as they have expansion vessels instead.
Key ways to quickly identify a regular boiler:
 Usually only 3 pipes are present (gas supply, flow and return).
 A hot water tank is usually present.
 Simple boiler design – few controls on boiler.
As mentioned above, you would typically find this type of boiler in conjunction with a hot water cylinder.
From time to time, you may find that you cannot locate the cylinder. In this case, please enter the following
in RSAP+:


Water Heating type – From Main Heating System
Cylinder Size – No Access
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FAQs [continued]
Regular Boilers with No Cylinder [continued]
You must provide evidence to back this up (i.e. a relevant note and/or photo showing the expected
location).
If you can be sure that the cylinder has been removed, you should enter the following:

Water Heating Type – No Water Heating Present
You will need to document this adequately in your site notes (i.e. provide an annotated photo showing the
space where cylinder should be, with disconnected pipework).
Room in Roof and Insulation
A room in roof (RIR) is defined as follows:


Access must be via a permanent fixed staircase that one is able to walk up and down facing
forwards. This does not include fixed loft ladders.
The height of the common wall must be less than 1.8m for at least 50% of the storey. Please note
this does not include stud walls, gable ends or party walls.
Room in Roofs can vary in type, but the most common types are:



Loft conversion
Dorma Bungalow / chalet bungalow
Original storey with common wall less than 1.8m
More recently, due to a need for extra space, they can increasingly be found:


Above an unheated garage
Above another room in roof
These two types need to be entered slightly differently because of their unique locations.
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
FAQs [continued]
Room in Roof and Insulation [continued]
A room in roof in roof above an unheated garage should be entered as an extension above an unheated
space. The construction will generally always be timber frame as it is built into the roof construction of the
garage.
A room in roof above another room in roof should be entered as a vertical extension (lower RIR) with a
room in roof. The vertical extension will again be a timber frame construction.
It is also very important to remember that if a flat is built into a roof space, it is not a room in roof. It would
need to be entered as another level, again of timber frame construction.
Room in roofs are extensively covered in the RdSAP Methodology Manual. It covers identifying insulation
and location, identifying the common wall and other key information about room in roofs. Please
familiarise yourself with this section.
https://stromamembers.net/files/rdsap/documents/RdSAP%20Manual.pdf
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Common Errors that Prevent Lodgement
In this section, we detail some common errors that lead to the non-calculation of the EPC rating, and
therefore prevent lodgement.
LEL vs Total Lighting
Please ensure that lighting totals are inputted into the software in the correct order. If, for example, a
smaller figure is entered for “Total lights” than for “Low energy lights”, it will not be possible to lodge.
Decimal Place Errors in the Dimensions Section
We have seen a few instances of dimensions being entered to an incorrect number of decimal places. For
example, a HLP of 34.53m could be entered by accident as 345.3m or 3.453m. In most circumstances, this
will prevent the EPC from being lodged. However, it is possible to lodge an EPC with a very small HLP (e.g. a
small enclosed mid terrace back-to-back flat), so our members must be especially careful to double-check
this data and the EER before lodging.
Selecting ‘Room in the Roof is Connected’
The Technical Support team have noticed an increased number of calls on occasions where ticking the
‘Room in roof is connected’ box has resulted in a calculation error. This option should only be selected
where the room in roof is connected to another part of the same dwelling.
For example, a room in the roof over a garage would be considered to be connected to the main, or a room
in the roof may be connected to another room in the roof within the same dwelling.
Example of room in roof over a
garage, connected to the main
This option should not be selected where a room in the roof is adjacent to the adjacent property or room in
the roof.
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Addenda and When to Add Them to your Report
It has become apparent from speaking to members of our scheme, and from our audit process, that
guidance needs to be provided on when to use the Addenda section, and what the addenda relate to.
Please note that you MUST tick the appropriate addenda yourself to highlight when you have used a
common workaround or convention.
Below, we clarify the circumstances in which the various addenda should be used.
Addendum 1 - Circumstances

Wall type does not correspond to options available in RdSAP

The dwelling has a type of wall that is not included in the available options. The nearest equivalent
type was used for the assessment
Addendum 4 - Circumstances

Dwelling has a swimming pool

The energy assessment for the dwelling does not include energy used to heat the swimming pool.
Addendum 5 – Circumstances

Dwelling has micro-CHP not found in database

The performance characteristics of the micro-CHP system in this dwelling are not known and
default values were used for the assessment
Addendum 6 - Circumstances

Storage heater or dual immersion, and single electric meter

A dual rate appliance(s) is present with a single-rate supply. A single-rate appliance has been used
for the assessment. Changing the electricity tariff to an off-peak (dual rate) supply is likely to
reduce fuel costs and improve the energy rating
Addendum 8 – Circumstances

PVs or wind turbine present on the property (England, Wales or Scotland)

The assessment does not include any feed-in tariffs that may be applicable to this property.
Addendum 9 - Circumstances

Two main heating systems and heating system upgrade is recommended

As there is more than one heating system, you should seek professional advice on the most costeffective option for upgrading the systems
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
Addenda and When to Add Them to your Report
Addendum 10 – Circumstances

Dual electricity meter selected but there is also an electricity meter for standard tariff

The assessment has been done on the basis of an off-peak electricity tariff. However some heating
or hot water appliances may be on the standard domestic tariff
Addendum 11 – Circumstances

Single electricity meter selected but there is also an electricity meter for an off-peak tariff

The assessment has been done on the basis of the standard domestic electricity tariff. However
some heating or hot water appliances may be on an off-peak tariff
Addendum 13 – Circumstances

This dwelling is a Park Home

This Addendum, when selected, places “This dwelling is a Park Home” at the end of the EPC and is
the means by which the register can classify it as a park home.
N.B. This is a temporary addendum and will be removed in October when the methodology updates to
RdSAP 9.92
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
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News
Easier Access to Technical Support
In response to feedback from members, we have extended our operational hours for domestic (DEA and
GDA) technical support to:


Monday to Thursday: 08:30 to 18:00
Friday: 08:30 to 17:00
This forms part of our ongoing commitment to continually improving our support levels. Our priority is to
ensure that all members have ready access to dependable advice from industry professionals.
Also, to keep costs down for members who contact us from mobile phones, we are now trying to make our
geographic phone number more widely available. To contact our switchboard, call one of the following
numbers:


0845 621 11 11: This is a non-geographic number, charged at a local rate from any landline.
However, most mobile phone providers do not count 0845 numbers within any inclusive minutes
and will charge extra for these calls.
01977 665420: This is a geographic number, which may be more expensive to call from non-local
landlines, but will usually be covered under inclusive minutes in mobile phone call plans (check with
your provider).
You should then enter the extension for the team you require. Please be aware of these two essential
extension numbers:


DEA Technical Support: 614
Audit Admin team: 617
Software updates for Desktop and iPad Coming Soon
Stroma is constantly improving their software for its scheme members. We have recently implemented an
update to both the iPad and Desktop apps, with more to follow to give you even greater functionality and
better validation of data. Stroma will advise its members as and when software has been updated, along
with a list of features and fixes.
Next Technical Bulletin – and Special Bulletin on RdSAP 9.92
Our next bulletin in July will continue to focus on auditing but will focus on some specific scenarios – for
example audit failures for ECO EPC surveys, U-value issues and RHI.
We also aim to release a special Technical Bulletin in the next few weeks to begin the process of
introducing our members to RdSAP 9.92, which will come into place in October of this year. This will be the
first in a series of bulletins on this subject, which will culminate in CPD that can be completed on the
changes in RdSAP and the audit process.
For those interested, please feel free to download the draft version of the conventions (version 7) which
will give you some insight into the likely content of 9.92:
https://stromamembers.net/files/rdsap/documents/RdSAP-Conventions-v7.0-DRAFT.pdf
Please note that at this stage, the specification for the update to RdSAP may change. This is why we will be
introducing it and expanding upon it over the coming months.
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
News
Revised Green Deal Code of Practice and GDAO Specification
Today, revised versions of the Green Deal Code of Practice and Specification for Organisations Providing the
Green Deal Advice Service came into effect. Your Green Deal Assessor Organisation will inform you if you
need to take any specific actions as a result of this; however we do not expect there to be any major
implications for GDAs. For those interested, you can find the latest versions of the documents at:
http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/code-of-practice
http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/assessors/assessor-specifications
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification
E: [email protected]
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T: 0845 621 11 11 or 01977 665420, ext 614
W: www.stroma.com/certification