What is SAP?

What is SAP and what are SAP calculations?

SAP 2005 (Standard Assessment Procedure for The Energy Rating of Dwellings) is the approved tool for the calculation of the energy performance of buildings.

SAP is the Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings. SAP 2005 is adopted by government as part of the UK national methodology for calculation of the energy performance of buildings. It is used to demonstrate compliance with building regulations for dwellings – Part L (England and Wales), Section 6 (Scotland) and Part F (Northern Ireland) – and to provide energy ratings for dwellings.

from http://projects.bre.co.uk/sap2005/

It is important to note the link to Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) of building regulations. The SAP rating of a building is an indication of its compliance with building reg’s & its performance in relation to conserving fuel and power. You’ll require a SAP rating as a one of the inputs to the Energy Performance Certificate that you’ll need as a part of the completion sign-off of your building before you can sell or let the property.

A SAP rating is a number between 1 to 100 and the higher the score, the more energy efficient the property. The rating gives an indication of the likely running costs for space and water heating and the environmental impact of the property. The rating is adjusted by the size of the property to allow comparison of buildings with dissimilar floor areas.

Formulation of the rating is based on assessment of relevant criteria such as insulation, heating systems, ventilation, solar gain and the fuel used for space and water heating.