Energy efficiency in non-domestic buildings

There are approximately 230,000 non-domestic buildings in Scotland, and these vary widely in terms of construction, size, and in particular their use, whether it's as shops, offices, factories, warehouses, or hotels.

Energy efficiency standards in the non-domestic sector

All non-domestic buildings are required to produce an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) on sale or rental to a new tenant. Since 2016 regulations have required non-domestic buildings over 1000 square metres to produce an Energy Action Plan at the point of sale or rental.

The Scottish Government plans to introduce regulations in 2025 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heat in non-domestic buildings in line with the legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Scotland’s non-domestic buildings are hugely diverse and we know that they include many buildings which are already using zero direct-emission heating systems as well as a large number of heavy users of energy. We consulted on the evidence for effective regulation of non-domestic buildings in 2021-22 and we published the feedback from this consultation in May 2022. We worked with an independently co-chaired short-life working group from August 2021 to March 2022 to develop options for the regulation of Scotland’s existing non-domestic buildings.

Advice and support

Our proposals will focus on our advice and support services, as well as Resource Efficient Scotland, Local Energy Scotland, and the public-sector NDEE Project Support Unit, who together provide advice and project support to small to medium enterprises (SMEs), communities, and public sector organisations.

We have produced a user guide on improving energy efficiency within small and medium enterprises.

Alignment with industrial energy

We are also committing to work with industry on the energy efficiency of non-domestic buildings. We will align our offers of advice and support to consider energy use in its entirety, recognising that reducing the energy used for manufacturing can be as important as ensuring the energy efficiency of the building.

Read more about our proposals for industrial energy efficiency.

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