New regulations on energy efficiency in existing non-domestic buildings

A reminder to owners of larger non-domestic buildings and to property and legal professionals who work with building owners.New regulations come into effect on 1 September 2016.
The Assessment of Energy Performance of Non-domestic Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2016, made in response to Section 63 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, form part of the Scottish Ministers' action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions arising from building use.
These regulations apply to the sale or rental (to a new tenant) of most buildings over 1,000 square metres in size.  Owners of qualifying buildings are required to assess their building and make an 'Action Plan' available in support of the sale or rental process.
The owner must then either undertake improvement work to meet the energy performance and emissions targets identified in the Action Plan or, alternatively, may defer such work by reporting annual operational energy use.
Full details of the new regulations and their application can be found online at www.gov.scot/section63. This includes a guide for building owners and a 'frequently asked questions' document.