The Institute of Energy Professionals Africa (IEPA), in collaboration with the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE), the Southern African Energy Efficiency Confederation (EASA), PAS Automation, and industry partners, today hosted a national online information session on the implementation and enforcement of South Africa's Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Regulations.

The webinar, titled "Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs): Compliance & Industry Implementation," brought together government representatives, legal experts, EPC Registered Professionals, property owners, facilities managers, municipalities and energy practitioners to discuss the next steps following the expiry of the national EPC compliance deadline.

The session focused on practical implementation, regulatory enforcement, legal obligations, and new digital tools that will support improved compliance across South Africa's qualifying commercial and public building sector.

From Compliance Deadline to Implementation

Opening the webinar, IEPA welcomed delegates and reaffirmed the importance of the EPC Regulations as South Africa's first mandatory legislation requiring qualifying buildings to publicly disclose their operational energy performance.

The EPC Regulations apply to qualifying non-residential buildings, including:

• Publicly owned, occupied or operated buildings with a net floor area of 1,000 m² or larger
• Privately owned qualifying buildings with a net floor area of 2,000 m² or larger

The regulations require qualifying buildings to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate from a registered EPC Professional, display the certificate publicly at the main entrance, and submit a certified copy to SANEDI for inclusion in the National Building Energy Performance Register (NBEPR).

DEE Outlines National Compliance Framework

Mr Xolile Mabusela from the Department of Electricity and Energy presented the Department's progress in establishing an EPC Compliance Monitoring, Verification and Enforcement Framework that aims to support building owners while progressively strengthening regulatory enforcement.

The proposed framework follows a graduated approach over a twelve-month implementation period, beginning with non-compliance notices, acknowledgement by building owners, compulsory EPC compliance plans, municipal partnerships for inspections and monitoring, followed by public listing of persistent non-compliance and, where necessary, prosecution under the National Energy Act.

The Department further highlighted that municipalities are expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting compliance monitoring and verification, while ongoing skills development initiatives will help expand national EPC implementation capacity.

Legal Perspective on Responsibilities

Providing the legal perspective, Ashmini Singh, Partner at Stroebel Singh Theunissen Attorneys, explained that while the National Energy Act provides for penalties of up to R5 million, imprisonment of up to five years, or both for offences, the legislation currently provides limited procedural guidance regarding compliance inspections and enforcement mechanisms.

The presentation highlighted that failure to comply with the EPC Regulations may expose organisations and their office bearers to significant legal, governance and reputational risks, particularly where directors, trustees or accounting officers knowingly fail to comply with statutory obligations.

Delegates were encouraged to view voluntary compliance as the preferred pathway, with formal complaints and criminal proceedings reserved as measures of last resort for deliberate and persistent non-compliance.

Technology Supporting Compliance

Mr Nirmal Narotam of PAS Automation demonstrated the easyEPC compliance reporting platform, designed to support the identification and reporting of potentially non-compliant buildings.

The platform enables members of the public, EPC Registered Professionals and other stakeholders to submit reports on qualifying buildings. Submitted information undergoes validation before building ownership, registration status and compliance levels are assessed using available data sources. The platform is designed to support future compliance monitoring and case management processes.

A Collaborative Industry Effort

The webinar demonstrated the strong collaboration developing between government, industry, legal practitioners, technology providers and the EPC professional community to support implementation of South Africa's building energy performance legislation.

While significant work remains to increase national compliance levels, particularly across large building portfolios, the discussions reflected a shared commitment to improving regulatory certainty, strengthening enforcement mechanisms and accelerating the country's transition towards more energy-efficient buildings.

Looking Ahead

As South Africa advances its National Energy Efficiency Strategy, Energy Performance Certificates are expected to play an increasingly important role in improving building performance, supporting informed investment decisions, reducing operational energy consumption and strengthening accountability across both the public and private sectors.

Building owners, accounting officers, facilities managers and property professionals are encouraged to familiarise themselves with their obligations under the EPC Regulations and begin engaging with registered EPC Professionals where compliance has not yet been achieved.