Accreditation Schemes for qualified assessors and inspectors
To protect consumers, all reports, whether they be home condition reports, energy performance certificates or display energy certificates must only be produced by individuals with an approved qualification or competence. In addition the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) requires all Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to be produced by independent qualified and/or accredited assessors.
Accredited assessors or inspectors (assessors) must be suitably qualified or competent. 'Suitably qualified' refers to an individual having either a qualification or approved prior experience and learning equivalent to the National Occupational Standard requirements relevant to the specific occupation for which the individual seeks accreditation.
All reports are to be produced using the relevant Methodology. This applies for all reports and EPCs whether on construction, sale or rent, or for public display.
An Assessor will need to have both appropriate qualifications or competence and accreditation:
Assessor Qualification
Assessors should hold a current qualification relevant to their area of activity and meeting the requirements of the relevant National Occupational Standard (www.energy-assessors.org.uk). It will demonstrate that they have the required technical competence which is approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency. Qualification bodies will develop assessment procedures that that align with the National Occupational Standard.
Assessor Accreditation
Accreditation is the management arrangement that provides reassurance that someone who has the relevant technical experience is permitted to produce a report on an ongoing basis. Different accreditation schemes will be in place for each sector requiring certificates. To be an Assessor an individual must be a member of an Accreditation scheme. Membership of such a scheme will only last as long as an individual satisfies the accreditation requirements.