With just five months remaining until the December 7, 2025, deadline, South African building owners are scrambling to comply with new regulations mandating Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for non-residential properties. Failure to secure the certification could result in hefty fines, imprisonment, or both, as the nation pushes for greater energy efficiency.
The 2020 regulations, enacted under the National Energy Act 34 of 2008, require government and public buildings exceeding 1,000 square meters, along with privately-owned non-residential properties larger than 2,000 square meters, to display an EPC. The mandate covers a broad spectrum of building types, including offices, entertainment venues, public assembly halls, theaters, indoor sports facilities, and educational institutions.
While the initial deadline was set for December 2022, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy extended it, providing a crucial reprieve. Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré, recently reiterated the urgency, noting that over 7,000 public and private buildings have already registered. Since the program’s inception in December 2020, 7,113 government buildings have registered, with 3,884 EPCs issued.
These certificates, a joint initiative between the government and the South African Energy Development Institute (Sanedi), grade a building’s energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Valid for five years, EPCs necessitate re-assessment by an accredited body, a process the department emphasizes as vital for driving continuous improvement in energy efficiency and curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Graham-Maré, collaborating with Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean McPherson, aims for 60,000 registrations by the deadline. She urged all building owners to prioritize compliance and explore innovative energy-saving methods to avoid the severe penalties for non-compliance, which include fines up to R5 million, five years in prison, or both. The push underscores South Africa’s commitment to transforming its built environment into a more sustainable and energy-efficient one.