In-Use Recertification After a Partial Refit
A 1990s distribution warehouse (18,500 m²) holds a BREEAM In-Use certificate at Very Good for both Asset Performance and Building Management. Eighteen months into the three-year cycle, the owner replaces the roof-mounted gas heaters with air-source heat pumps, installs a 250 kWp rooftop PV array, and re-commissions the BMS. The original energy model and EPC are now out of date. The owner wants to re-certify early to capture the improvements and asks the assessor whether the existing Asset Performance rating can simply be 'topped up' with the new measures. The building is multi-let, with two tenants controlling their own internal lighting and small power. The current EPC is band D and the owner believes the heat pumps alone will lift it to band B.
1. Can the existing Asset Performance rating be amended in place, or is a new assessment required?
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BREEAM In-Use ratings are time-bound and evidence-based; they are not amended incrementally. Because the works materially change the building's energy performance and services, the assessor should treat this as a new assessment (early recertification), not a top-up.
Steps:
- Re-baseline the Asset Performance part with a current, valid EPC and updated energy information reflecting the heat pumps and PV.
- Re-collect evidence for the Building Management part, since BMS re-commissioning and metering changes affect several management credits.
- Confirm the assessment period and evidence dates are current (In-Use requires recent performance data).
The old certificate remains valid until expiry, but the new rating must stand on its own evidence. 'Topping up' is not a recognised BREEAM In-Use process.
2. The owner asserts the heat pumps will move the EPC from D to B. How should the assessor treat this claim?
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The assessor must not accept the assertion without evidence. The EPC is produced by an accredited energy assessor using the approved methodology; the BREEAM In-Use energy credits key off the actual EPC rating (and, where applicable, operational energy data).
- Request the new EPC once issued; the rating is whatever the EPC methodology produces, not an estimate.
- Note that heat pumps can improve the EPC, but the outcome depends on the full model (fabric, controls, assumed tariffs, PV treatment). A D-to-B jump is plausible but not guaranteed.
- For multi-let premises, clarify how tenant-controlled loads are represented and whether landlord and tenant energy are separately metered and reported.
If the new EPC is not yet available at assessment, the assessor should record the current verified rating and flag the pending item for review, not pre-award credits on expectation.