CIBSE has been developing the new Register of Low Carbon Consultants as a group of professionals capable of delivering low carbon buildings that perform consistently better than the minimum required by Part L of the Building Regulations. Entry to the register is through an examination and there will be two sections, one covering the design of new buildings and the other covering performance of existing buildings (building management). This register is essentially a register for individuals.

To enable people to distinguish between the two registers, the existing Register of Consultants is to be renamed the Directory of Practices and Firms. We have also taken this opportunity to establish a voluntary link between the two. This is how it will work.

Individual low carbon consultants will have a field for their company on the searchable web database. If that company has a listing in the Directory of Practices and Firms, there will be a ‘live’ link that will take the client to that listing (giving access to information on the other areas of work covered by that company).

Any practice or firm listed in the Directory employing low carbon consultants can have the following statement on their listing: “we employ low carbon consultants”. Clicking on this will give a list of those consultants.

Thus, whether the client enters the LCC Register or the Directory first, they will be encouraged to use low carbon consultants – and clients looking for low carbon consultants will immediately be made aware of the existence of the Directory of Practices and Firms. This link will add value by further refining the individuals and businesses offering the type of work the client is looking for.

This would work for self-employed individuals because they could register as a practice or firm as sole practitioners (we have a cheaper rate for small practices).

There will be no obligation for any practice employing low carbon consultants to join the Directory, but we do hope that the new database linking will be of value. We will be embarking on an extensive marketing programme for the Register and Directory for 2007.

Source

Building Sustainable Design