Purpose of This Tool
The EPC Calculator helps building owners, registered users, inspectors and administrators prepare, organise and calculate indicative Energy Performance Certificate information for buildings in South Africa. The workflow follows the SANEDI Energy Performance Certificate Guideline, Version 3 (September 2024) and the calculation approach used by SANS 1544:2014 and SANS 10400-XA:2021.
When an EPC Is Required
The SANEDI guideline explains that EPCs apply to qualifying existing buildings in South Africa. The current mandatory scope focuses on the following occupancy classes and size thresholds.
| Requirement | Guideline Summary |
|---|---|
| Occupancy classes | A1 Entertainment and public assembly, A2 Theatrical and indoor sport, A3 Places of instruction, and G1 Offices. |
| Size threshold | Private buildings with net floor area ≥ 2,000 m²; government owned, occupied or operated buildings with net floor area ≥ 1,000 m². |
| Operational period | The building should generally have been in operation for at least two years for the relevant use. |
| Major renovations | If major renovations occurred within the relevant period, the EPC process may need to wait until a suitable operational period is available. |
| Compliance date and display | Qualifying buildings must display an EPC at the entrance where it can be easily viewed. The guideline refers to the compliance deadline of 7 December 2025. |
Recommended EPC Workflow in This App
1. Register and Sign In
Create an account or sign in. If you own or manage buildings, select the building owner option during registration or request building owner access from the Projects modal.
2. Create or Open a Project
Use Projects to create a building project. Capture the project name, building name, street address, ERF number, municipality, city, province and optional map coordinates.
3. Check Ownership Conflicts
When creating a project, the app checks normalised ERF and address details against existing projects. If another project appears to represent the same building, submit an ownership review instead of creating a duplicate.
4. Capture EPC Inputs
Work through the calculator tabs: building information, energy consumed, net floor area, exclusions, occupancy and results. Save the project as you go.
5. Compute and Review
Use Compute EPC to calculate measured performance, reference performance, measured/reference multiple and the indicative A-to-G grade.
6. Generate Supporting Reports
Reports generated by the app are working documents for review and evidence preparation. They are not a replacement for the official EPC issued through the regulated process.
Data You Should Prepare
The SANEDI guideline emphasises that the EPC process moves faster when the building owner or accounting officer gathers the necessary information before assessment. Prepare the following:
- Building address, ERF number, municipality, city, province and energy zone.
- Occupancy class or classes, such as A1, A2, A3 or G1.
- Net floor area, excluding garages, car parks and storerooms.
- Unoccupied floor area and the period for which each area was unoccupied.
- At least 12 consecutive months of utility or metered energy records where available.
- All energy carriers used by the building, including electricity, diesel, LPG, renewables and other fuels.
- Energy exported from the building, where applicable.
- Energy consumed by exclusions such as garages, car parks, storage areas and outdoor services.
- Building plans, floor plans, occupancy certificates, fire certificates or municipal approval documents where available.
How the Calculator Relates to the EPC Method
South African EPCs are based on measured operational energy performance. The guideline describes this as measured annual net energy consumption divided by occupied net floor area.
The app compares measured performance to the reference energy performance (Er) for the selected occupancy class and energy zone. The reference values come from SANS 10400-XA:2021. The ratio between measured performance and Er determines the indicative grade.
| App Area | What It Represents |
|---|---|
| Building Info | Project identity, address, owner, ERF number, occupancy type and energy zone. |
| Energy Consumed | Measured energy carriers such as electricity, diesel, LPG, solar and other fuels. |
| Net Floor Area | Net floor area by occupancy class. For multi-occupancy buildings, the app prorates the reference performance. |
| Exclusions | Energy used by excluded areas or outdoor services, such as parking, storage, landscape lighting and security lighting. |
| Occupancy | Normalisation for unoccupied floor area and partial-year occupancy. |
| EPC Results | Total energy, measured performance, Er, measured/Er multiple and indicative grade. |
Project Access and Roles
The app separates system access from building ownership so that the EPC workflow can involve multiple people without losing control of the building record.
| Role | What the Role Can Do |
|---|---|
| Building owner | Create projects, manage project access and submit ownership review requests when a building appears to be duplicated. |
| General user | Use projects they have been granted access to, depending on the assigned project permissions. |
| Inspector | Can be granted project access for assessment work. Inspectors may not be assigned to buildings they own. |
| Administrator | Manage users, projects, inspector applications and ownership review workflow. |
To share a project, open Projects, click Access on an owned project, enter the registered user's email address and choose the access level.
Ownership Review and Admin Workflow
The app's admin workflow is for resolving building ownership conflicts, not for approving ordinary building owner registration. Building owner access can be requested directly by a user. Ownership review is used when a new project conflicts with an existing ERF or address.
- A building owner creates a project or checks for conflicts during project creation.
- If an ERF/address conflict is found, the user can submit an ownership review with justification and evidence.
- An administrator opens the Admin modal and uses the Workflow tab to review pending requests.
- The administrator approves or rejects the request and may transfer project ownership when appropriate.
Official EPC Process Outside the App
The SANEDI guideline describes the formal compliance path as follows:
- Determine whether the building falls within the required occupancy classes and size thresholds.
- Register qualifying buildings on the NBEPR at epc.sanedi.org.za.
- Appoint a registered EPC professional to conduct the energy performance assessment according to SANS 1544:2014.
- The registered professional submits collected data to the NBEPR.
- SANEDI issues a unique EPC number through the NBEPR process.
- The registered professional issues the EPC to the building owner or accounting officer.
- The building owner or accounting officer submits a certified EPC copy to SANEDI within three months from date of issue.
- The EPC is displayed at the building entrance and renewed after five years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this app issue the official EPC?
No. It supports data capture, calculation and workflow preparation. Official EPCs follow the SANEDI/NBEPR process and must be issued through the regulated professional process.
What if the building is not A1, A2, A3 or G1?
The current mandatory EPC scope described in the guideline focuses on A1, A2, A3 and G1 buildings that meet the size and operational criteria. Keep records for other building types, but confirm formal applicability with the latest regulations and a registered professional.
What if I do not have an occupancy certificate?
The guideline suggests alternative supporting documents such as a fire certificate or municipal approval documentation. A registered professional can advise what evidence is sufficient.
Can I calculate energy consumption from appliance wattages only?
For formal EPC assessment, the guideline points to utility bills, metered data or traceable measurement records for the 12-month assessment period. Appliance wattage methods may be useful for estimating some excluded energy, but they are not a replacement for required energy records.
What happens after major renovations?
Major renovations can materially change net floor area and energy performance. The guideline notes that a new EPC may be required after a suitable post-renovation operational period.
How long is an EPC valid?
An EPC is valid for five years. The guideline notes renewal reminders after the third and fourth years, and recommends planning renewal before expiry.
Support
For official regulatory guidance, use SANEDI's EPC resources and the NBEPR. For application issues, record what you were doing, the project name and any error message shown in the browser or backend log.