Display Energy Certificate Assessor Training
Elmhurst's ABBE and APEL qualification courses provide a great opportunity for those new or familiar with the Non-Domestic sector, to become fully qualified as a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) Assessor.
Public buildings which have a total floor area over 250 square metres and which are frequently visited by the public are required to have a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) prominantly displayed and clearly visible to the public. As a trained DEC Assessor you will have the relevant knowledge to assess the energy use of buildings within the public sector (hospitals, doctors, libraries, council buildings etc), using approved Operational Rating (OR) software, to produce the required energy certificate and advisory report.
DEC Training Options
Elmhurst provides two different training routes for those interested in becoming a DEC Assessor, one for new entrants and one for experienced practitioners in the non-domestic sector. Both courses will provide training delegates with the relevant skills and knowledge to deliver full DEC Assessments for public buildings.

ABBE Display Energy Certificate
Suitable for: New Entrants
Course Length: 2 DAYS
No previous experience or qualifications are required to complete this training course. Successful completion of this course and assessments will award the ABBE Level 3 Diploma in Operational Ratings.

APEL Display Energy Certificate
Suitable for: Individuals who have been working within the Non-Domestic sector and who have at least two of the last five years relevant experience and knowledge.
Course Length: 1 DAY
The Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) route is available to highly experienced practitioners who can demonstrate that they already have the skills and knowledge required to become a competent DEC Assessor.
Why choose Elmhurst for DEC Training?
Training delivered since 1993 Elmhurst has been operating for over 25 years, and during this time we have delivered training courses to thousands of individuals. As the UK’s largest accreditation scheme for DEC Assessors, we have the expertise and the knowledge to help you thrive and grow within your energy assessment career.
Our role as one of the UK’s approved DEC accreditation schemes means that we are able to provide continued support to those who join our accreditation scheme (free of charge), long after the training has finished. This is something which independent training providers are unable to offer.
Elmhurst’s DEC courses have been developed to provide information at a pace that suits all of our trainees, regardless of their experience. We aim to ensure that everyone understands the content and are able to confidently put what they’ve learned into practice.

Why become a DEC Assessor?
DEC assessments require work to be undertaken on site and with data entry completed back at home or in the office. Assessors will collect observations about the building’s heating, lighting and ventilation systems and will use documents provided by the building owner to determine how the building is used. With this they can use OR Calc software to produce the Display Energy Certificate and Advisory Report.
The training options provided by Elmhurst make it easy for both new entrants and experienced practitioners to become qualified DEC Assessors.
Individuals who are seeking a new or additional income stream, and who have an interest in the energy performance of buildings will really enjoy the work of a DEC Assessor. They can also choose to work for themselves or seek employment with an energy consultancy (or related) business.
In addition to this, those already involved with non-domestic energy assessment can easily expand their existing service offering to DEC assessments, and will find it particularly useful if they are looking to do energy management services as the DEC assessment includes an occupancy assessment.

The total useful floor area of the building will determine the validity period of the DEC and accompanying advisory report. Should a building have a total useful floor area between 250m2 and 999m2 then both documents are valid for 10 years. However, should you assess a building with a larger total useful floor area (1000m2+) the DEC will be valid for just 12 months (advisory report would be 7 years), which is much lower than your average domestic/non-domestic EPC.
Get involved with ESOSA valid DEC can be used towards compliance with Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)which operates on a four yearly cycle and is required by businesses of a significant size. This highlights even more opportunity for qualified DEC Assessors.
DEC Accreditation with Elmhurst
Once qualified as a DEC Assessor, you will be eligible to join Elmhurst’s industry leading accreditation scheme, free of charge. If you are looking for a scheme which offers competitive lodgement fees, access to professional technical support, opportunities to enhance your skills, as well as the tools to build a competitive business, then Elmhurst Energy is the accreditation scheme for you.
- Unrivalled technical support
- Access to the latest technical guidance and updates
- FREE Professional Indemnity (PI) and Public Liability (PL) Insurance (cover up to £5m)
- Marketing material available to help sell your services
- Discounted and free CPD available for members
