April 2018

MEES Focus
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING MEES
MATTER FOR THE MARKET
By Mark Harris, Divisional Building Technology Director, Kingspan Insulated Panels.
The 1st April may not seem like the best date
to introduce a major piece of legislation, but
for landlords the new Minimum Energy
Efficiency Standards (MEES) are no laughing
matter. Put simply, MEES are designed to stop
landlords in England and Wales from leasing
substandard buildings. With the standard set to
affect thousands of properties over the next few
years, there’s a clear opportunity for contractors
to step-forward and provide retrofit solutions.
What are the requirements?
MEES are contained within the catchily named
‘Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)
(England and Wales) Regulations 2015’. The key
points are:
•That landlords of private properties in England
and Wales will be prevented from granting or
renewing tenancies if a building’s Energy
Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is lower than
an E.
Below: Kingspan says its QuadCore insulated core is the
first closed cell insulation to be certified to FM4882
“In many cases the
original cladding for
these buildings will
feature little, if any,
insulation”
•This will become compulsory for all privately
rented properties from 2023.
Fines for non-compliance on non-domestic
buildings can rise as high as £150,000, so this is
an issue that landlords cannot afford to ignore.
It’s also important to be aware of how this fits
into the bigger legislative picture. Near the end of
last year, the government released its Clean
Growth Strategy which included a commitment to
consult “on raising minimum standards of energy
efficiency for rented commercial buildings”.
In the same document, the government made
clear that it aims to raise ‘as many homes as
possible’ to an EPC of C by 2035. To properly
futureproof their buildings against the need for
further work and disruption, it makes sense for
landlords of all buildings to target this level of
performance where possible.
Whilst there are a variety of ways to go about
improving the EPC of a building, the best place to
start is usually by taking a good look at the
building envelope. This is particularly true for
warehousing and distribution centres. In many
cases the original cladding for these buildings will
feature little, if any, insulation meaning it takes
huge amounts of energy to keep them warm. For
these buildings, the best solution is often to strip
back the original cladding and fit an entirely new
system such as a metal faced insulated panel
system.
A new start
Over the past couple of decades, installers have
become well acquainted with the benefits these
insulated panel systems can bring to both new
62 TC APRIL 2018