SAP calculation STROMA alternatives on MAC OS

[Jeremy Harris]

I'm definitely not trying to "suck you in" or anyone else.  We're all free to read, or not read, anything, just as we are free to contribute, or not contribute, as we wish.

 

I had genuinely forgotten about the issue Terry had, but it seems there was a resolution a day or two later:

 

where both I and @PeterW gave the details for the assessors we used to try and help Terry out.  It doesn't seem to have been a glitch in the software, just a local difficulty caused by assessors in his area being very busy at that time.

 

I did call around two or three assessors, but that had nothing whatsoever to me having done the design stage assessment.  I'm pretty sure that never came up with any of them; if it did then I don't remember it, and I'm certain I'd have commented on it as a possible issue, back in 2014 when I had our as-built SAP assessment done.

 

When I rang around to get our as built assessment I'd done what everyone needs to do (or have done by someone on their behalf) I'd prepared a pack that contained all of the data that needed to be inputted into a SAP worksheet (could have been any product at that stage), together with supporting evidence (things like the air test chit, window and door specs from the supplier, etc).  What happened was that, whilst on the 'phone to the assessor, when talking about the supporting information that I could email to him, I mentioned that I also had a Stroma file, and that if he also used FSAP, would that help make things easier for him.  It was the assessor who said it would, and asked me to send him that initially, and he'd take a look at it and come back to me if he had any questions.  I then just repeated my experience, nothing more, nothing less.

 

As our US friends are fond of saying, YMMMV.  Perhaps we should make it compulsory that every one giving any information here should always caveat it with YMMV.  I've just taken it as read that there is so much regional variation with just about everything associated with self-build, from the way planners work, through to the ways local trades work, and even the way the utilities behave, that it would be very common knowledge that there is a great deal of regional variation in this lark.

 

 

 

 

[Patrick]

Before this argument goes on, about wether or not it is difficult or easy to do the calcs yourself and wether or not that brings back problems later on , out of interest and without having read anything available just yet,  what  exactly stopped you from doing the later "as is" calculations yourself @JSHarris? 

Why is it that you need to engage with a conultant at a later stage?

Probably a sign off is needed?

 

[Bitpipe]

When the PV FIT axe was about to fall (Jan 2016) I was in a mad rush to try and get our install certified and needed a lodged EPC, but as we just a watertight shell at that point with no services, struggled to get any local surveyors interested.

 

@HerbJ recommended an EPC assessor he'd found and he did the job for around £200+VAT  - wasn't particularly interested in the Stroma work I'd done and built it from scratch from the detailed design drawings and window, heating specs etc.

 

We then revised the SAP calc when the build was complete, that only cost an additional £25

 

 

[Bitpipe]

4 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Before this argument goes on, about wether or not it is difficult or easy to do the calcs yourself and wether or not that brings back problems later on , out of interest and without having read anything available just yet,  what  exactly stopped you from doing the later "as is" calculations yourself @JSHarris? 

Why is it that you need to engage with a conultant at a later stage?

Probably a sign off is needed?

 

 

My understanding is that when you need to formally submit the SAP calc and get a registered EPC cert that you can share with your FIT provider etc. then you need to be a formal assessor.

[LA3222]

3 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Why is it that you need to engage with a conultant at a later stage?

Probably a sign off is needed?

 

And therin lies the crux of my original point.  I feel like we have gone full circle here.

 

In a word Patrick - yes.  You can not lodge the as built EPC your self, hence my comment about potential future issues.

 

You can do the work easy enough on Stroma - anyone can, but you need an EPC assessor to 'lodge' it.

 

So at some point you will have to engage with an EPC assessor, the issue Terry had (which I was highlighting) is potentially finding an assessor willing to do the as-built if they haven't done the design assessment.

 

Circle complete.

[Jeremy Harris]

8 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Before this argument goes on, about wether or not it is difficult or easy to do the calcs yourself and wether or not that brings back problems later on , out of interest and without having read anything available just yet,  what  exactly stopped you from doing the later "as is" calculations yourself @JSHarris? 

Why is it that you need to engage with a conultant at a later stage?

Probably a sign off is needed?

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but to be clear, although you can do the as-built SAP assessment yourself, the assessors have a "closed shop" where they, and they alone, are the only ones that are able to access the database and lodge the final EPC, using their unique assessor reference number.  Without this, there is no way for anyone else to lodge the completed assessment and so get it recognised by BC, or anyone else.

 

It's very like the Part P cartel controlling electrical work in England and Wales.  As someone who used to teach apprentice electricians, and was a qualified electrician for a time, I'm perfectly competent to carry out an electrical installation that is compliant with the regs and Part P, but I cannot do this, as unless I was a member of one of the cartels that control access to the Part P database I would not be able to lodge the IEC.  The cartels will no longer allow anyone that is retired from being a member, so even if I was prepared to pay their membership fee they still would not allow me in.

 

Worth noting that Terry quickly found an assessor and was sorted within 24 hours of his post on this topic, with two offers of assessors that would do the job for him.

[Patrick]

 

 

Thanks @JSHarris. Simply worded and understandable.

 

 

[LA3222]

21 minutes ago, Patrick said:

 

 

Thanks @JSHarris. Simply worded and understandable.

 

 

Not quite sure how what I wrote wasn't simply worded and understandable?

[ZacP]

Ok so this might be a bad idea resurrecting this, but did anyone ever find a version of FSAP that works on iOS? It'd be good to get it so I can provide SAP calculations to Ecology.

 

Thanks, please don't hate me if this thread brings back memories of old war wounds!