Each Member State is applying different qualification criteria.
Article 10 of the EPBD suggests that practitioners must be "qualified and/or accredited experts". This implies that no specific formal qualification is required if the Independent Expert is "accredited".
Since the accreditation requirements are not defined in the EPBD, each Member State is likely to establish different criteria for the accreditation of Independent Experts. This may, or may not, include proof of competence by examination and/or the development of new nationally recognised qualifications.
If proof of competence to become an "accredited expert" is to be based on a qualification/examination, up to seven separate qualifications may be required, including:-
1. Certification of new domestic buildings.
2. Certification and drafting accompanying report for existing domestic buildings.
3. Certification of new non-domestic buildings.
4. Certification and drafting accompanying report for existing non-domestic buildings.
5. Certification and drafting of report for public buildings for display purposes.
6. Boiler plant inspection and reporting.
7. Air conditioning plant inspection and reporting.
Author: David STRONG (BRE)
Date: 22/03/06
Provided Member States establish regulated competent person schemes which "accredit" experts on the basis of objective criteria with formal quality assurance checks and procedures (ISO 17024 and ISO 9001) the risks and liabilities associated with undertaking building certification and plant inspection should be low, (since obtaining Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance should be cost-effective).
However, if Member States do not introduce formal qualification and/or accreditation requirements it is likely that building certification and plant inspection will be undertaken by unqualified practitioners operating outside any formal quality assurance framework. In this instance, PI insurance may be difficult (or impossible) to obtain at a realistic cost. This will result in major (potentially uninsurable) liabilities for building certifier and/or plant inspectors.
Author: David STRONG (BRE)
Date: 22/03/06
If the EPBD is to achieve its objectives, it is of considerable important that prospective building purchasers or tenants are able to have confidence in energy performance certificates, plant inspection and the accompanying reports and recommendations.
Major investment decisions and property transactions will be based upon recommendations made by the EPBD Independent Experts. There are important issues of consumer protection and a major risk of fraud if the requirements of Articles 7, 8 and 9 are not undertaken in an independent manner.
Furthermore, Section 10 of the Recitals to the EPBD states that calculating the energy performance of buildings must be "carried out by qualified and/or accredited experts, whose independence is to be guaranteed on the basis of objective criteria". Recital 10 also states that "This will contribute to a level playing field as regards efforts made in Member States to energy saving in the buildings sector and will introduce transparency for prospective owners or users with regard to energy performance in the community property market".
Author: David STRONG (BRE)
Date: 22/03/06
Different Member States are interpreting the definition of "in an independent manner" in various ways.
Some Member States are defining this requirement as requiring building certification and/or plant inspection to be undertaken by a person who is entirely independent of the building owner or occupier.
An alternative approach being adopted in some Member States allows "self-certification" by an accredited expert directly employed by the building owner or occupant.
In most cases self-certification is being linked to a government endorsed quality assurance accreditation framework so as to ensure that self-certification is only undertaken by suitably qualified "competent persons".
Author: David STRONG (BRE)
Date: 22/03/06
Article 10 of the EPBD states that "Member States shall ensure that the certification of buildings, the drafting of the accompanying recommendations and the inspection of boilers and air conditioning systems are carried out in an independent manner by qualified and/or accredited experts, whether operating as sole traders or employed by public or private enterprise bodies".
The minimum requirement for Independent Experts is to be "accredited" by a Member State as competent and to operate in a manner which guarantees independence, based upon objective criteria.
Author: David STRONG (BRE)
Date: 22/03/06