COMPANIES are being advised that they must prepare now for the European Union (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) that comes into force in January 2006.

It will require all commercial and residential property owners to produce an energy certificate when a building is purchased, sold, refurbished or entered into a new lease, and failure to comply could result in non-completion of the transaction.

The advice comes from independent multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy Peter Brett Associates (PBA).

To help ease concerns over this directive and other related issues, the firm has launched a new sustainable energy advisory service, designed to provide advice to property owners, occupiers and developers on the impact of changing energy use legislation when planning, constructing and managing buildings.

The EPBD Directive will also enforce minimum standards for new buildings and refurbishment work, requiring businesses to consider renewable sources of electricity and improvements in energy efficiency during refurbishment.

The objective of the directive is to promote the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within EU member states, taking into account outdoor climatic and local conditions, as well as indoor climate requirements and cost-effectiveness.

PBA has appointed a new associate, sustainable energy expert Danny Clark, to head its new advisory service.

Mr Clark was formerly responsible for energy management at Prudential Property Investment Managers and has been personally involved in the development of the new energy performance directive in Brussels as a former member of the European Property Federations Energy Committee.

More recently, he has taken part in various Government working groups considering the modification of the Building Regulations – Part L, the new version of which comes into effect at the end of the year.

Mr Clark, who is based in PBA’s West Malling office, said: "Sustainable energy consultancy is a very dynamic market and many companies need strategic and practical help to navigate the changing legislation.

"We can help property owners to prepare for the January 4 next year and will roll out PBA’s specialist service to ensure compliance for institutions and large property portfolio managers as the new rules come into force."