Air Conditioning

Air conditioning can be a major source of energy use at business premises. As part of its efforts to improve the energy performance of buildings, the government has introduced measures to improve the efficiency of air conditioning systems. If your business uses air conditioning at its premises, you will need to make sure that it is serviced regularly. Choosing, using and maintaining air conditioning systems effectively can benefit your business by cutting your costs and improving your image to customers, investors and employees.

With the UK's 25 million buildings accounting for almost half of the national energy use and carbon emissions, energy efficiency is vital at a national level. To help improve efficiency, the government is introducing new requirements on businesses to have their air conditioning systems inspected.

Air conditioning can account for a third of annual electricity costs for an individual business. Improving the efficiency of your air conditioning can therefore lead to significantly lower energy bills. Other benefits of efficient air conditioning systems include improved staff comfort and productivity, and general benefits of reducing your environmental impact, such as a better image for your business among customers, investors and employees. Improving your air conditioning can improve the efficiency rating that your building receives when an Energy Performance Certificate is required.

Older air conditioning units may contain refrigerants that have restrictions on whether they can be replaced. This may be another incentive to improve or replace older systems with more modern units.

Air conditioning systems in buildings must now be inspected regularly as part of the UK's effort to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and meet carbon emission reduction targets.

Air conditioning inspections give building owners and their tenants information and advice on how to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity use, operating costs and carbon emissions.

Your system must be inspected by an accredited air conditioning assessor.

Air conditioning inspection deadlines

All air conditioning systems with a rated cooling output over 250 kilowatts must have had their first inspection by 4 January 2009. Systems between 12 and 250 kilowatts must have had their first inspection by 4 January 2011.

After the first inspection, your air conditioning must be inspected every five years. If your system was installed on or after 1 January 2008, the first inspection must take place within five years of installation.

Generally, a 12-kilowatt cooling capacity air conditioning unit is used in the following types of premises:

  • general office spaces up to approximately 200 square metres,
  • offices with high levels of IT and electrical equipment up to 100 square metres,
  • retail spaces with average levels of display lighting up to 250 square metres, or
  • retail spaces with high levels of display lighting and illuminated cabinets up to 150 square metres.

An office building of 2,000 square metres is likely to need air conditioning with a 250-kilowatt output.