Month: August 2026

At the world’s largest washing machine factory, Whirlpool Corp. showcases the start of its $300 million Ohio investment and the licensed skilled trades professionals building the next generation of American-made appliances

Whirlpool Corp. highlighted its nearly 70-year-old apprenticeship program Monday during a visit from Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to its Clyde facility, the largest washing machine factory in the world. Joined by state and local leaders, Sonderling took a firsthand look at how the only remaining major American-owned appliance manufacturer builds and maintains its skilled workforce.

The Clyde plant, in operation since 1952, employs approximately 2,600 people and has run a formal apprenticeship program since 1958. Sonderling met with current apprentices and journeymen in the plant’s tool room, walked a section of the facility being modernized through the company’s recent $300 million investment in its U.S. laundry operations and reviewed the training academy for new production employees.

The visit came the same day Sonderling convened a workforce roundtable with U.S. Senator Jon Husted and northwest Ohio business leaders at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, where Whirlpool was among the participating employers.

“Our apprenticeship and training programs run in partnership with career technology centers, high schools and community colleges drawing on homegrown talent, including second and third-generation employees, to build what comes next.” 

“Whirlpool believes in the future of U.S. manufacturing because we see what our people can do when we invest in them,” said Kristin Day, Whirlpool Corporation vice president of U.S. manufacturing. “Our apprenticeship and training programs run in partnership with career technology centers, high schools and community colleges drawing on homegrown talent, including second and third-generation employees, to build what comes next. We thank Acting Secretary Sonderling for visiting and the Administration’s focus on the skilled trades and creating a level playing field for domestic producers that helps American manufacturers keep investing and building here.”

“Whirlpool is a leader not just in American manufacturing but also in workforce development,” said Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. “Touring their facility, speaking with apprentices, and learning about the decades of experience the company has in training new hires and preparing them for long-term careers gave me invaluable insights. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Labor is committed to fostering industry-driven innovation to bridge America’s skills gap.”

“For more than 70 years, generations of Clyde families have built careers inside the Whirlpool plant,” said Doug McCauley, Clyde Mayor. “Whirlpool’s apprenticeship and workforce programs are how the next generation gets the same shot of learning a trade, earning a paycheck and a future in Clyde. We’re grateful Secretary Sonderling came to see where American manufacturing is headed and the people taking it there.”

 

Whirlpool is investing $300 million in its Clyde and Marion laundry operations — work that includes new and modernized lines and a new generation of front-load washers and dryers launching later this year. In Perrysburg, construction is underway for the company’s newest manufacturing facility that will house a new parts and sub-assembly plant and employ up to 150 people.

 

Whirlpool is the only remaining major kitchen and laundry appliance company still based in America, building 80% of what it sells in the U.S., three times the industry average. Whirlpool has approximately 20,000 U.S. employees, including 14,000 manufacturing workers. Ninety-six percent of its steel is sourced from the U.S., and the vast majority of materials and components for its U.S. factories are produced in-house or sourced from domestic suppliers.

A skilled trades pipeline that begins in high school

Whirlpool is focused on attracting strong talent, creating defined career pathways and constantly focusing on how to make Whirlpool the best place to work. Whirlpool has expanded its apprenticeship and certification programs with some of the largest classes in its history, recognizing the growing need for skilled trades.

The Clyde apprenticeship at Whirlpool is a four-year, state-certified program that pairs classroom instruction with on-the-job training alongside working journeymen. Apprentices maintain and rebuild the dies, tools, molds and automated equipment that keep the plant running, and graduate into a variety of roles. The result is a debt-free alternative to a four-year degree for students who want to earn and build a career in Sandusky County.

The apprenticeship sits alongside other Whirlpool workforce pathways: 

• An on-site training academy where new production employees learn and certify on plant processes
• Expanded certification programs, with some of the largest classes in the company’s history
• Tuition reimbursement that allows hourly employees to earn degrees and move into engineering and plant leadership roles

The next class of apprentices starts this fall. Four years from now, they will be the journeymen showing the next class around.

Whirlpool Foundation
Since 1952, the Whirlpool Foundation has been making real, positive differences in local communities where Whirlpool Corporation families live and work. This is accomplished through two central pillars: House+Home. “House” supports a decent and affordable place to live and plan for the future, and “Home” focuses on creating thriving, resilient communities with the essential services, quality education, and job training needed to help people dream bigger and do better. The Foundation has an absolute commitment to equality and fairness and takes an innovative approach to social investing that prioritizes impact with measurable results.

View original content here.

Throughout DaVita’s 25+ year history, we’ve led the way in patient-centered kidney care. Our work has played a key role in reducing hospitalizations, extending lifespan and helping propel the kidney care community to adopt universally high standards.

Since day one, our commitment has never wavered: insistence on high quality and holistic care for every patient we serve.

A Decades-Long Legacy of Five-Star Quality 

As a comprehensive kidney care provider, DaVita has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for over 25 years. For the ten most recently reported years, we have excelled under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating system, which rates eligible dialysis centers based on the quality of outcomes. These rankings help patients, their families and caregivers make more informed decisions about where patients receive care.

Learn more about the CMS quality ratings here.

Commitments in Action

Building the Future of Value-Based Care
DaVita Integrated Kidney Care (DaVita IKC) is DaVita’s value-based care program. DaVita IKC provides integrated care management services to health plans and government programs for members and beneficiaries diagnosed with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The program brings together a range of services including health monitoring, clinical coordination, predictive analytics and medical claims analysis to pioneer new models that will drive the future of kidney care. Together with our partners, we’re helping patients access superior kidney healthcare to help generate improved clinical outcomes while simultaneously helping to reduce overall medical costs.

Learn more about DaVita IKC and our commitment to value-based care here.

Champions for Home Dialysis
Home dialysis offers a flexible, patient-centered option for those who are medically eligible and prefer to receive care at home. Patients are supported every step of the way with training, education and ongoing care from DaVita clinical teams.

• In 2025, approximately 16% of our patients dialyzed in the comfort and convenience of their home.¹
• Through our Kidney Smart® education program, we offer a specialized Home Edition class with modality-specific education. Designed to help people determine if a home modality is right for them, this class provides information and hands-on learning, plus a chance to hear from other patients about their experience with home dialysis.

Learn more about our commitment to home dialysis and its benefits to patients here.

Helping to Bring Transplantation Within Reach
Kidney transplant is the preferred treatment for patients who are medically eligible. Grounded in our commitment to patient outcomes, we’re working across multiple dimensions of technology and programming innovation to expand transplantation access and education. We’re proud that more than 109,000 DaVita patients were referred for a transplant at least once by the end of 2025, representing another record-setting year for our referral rates.

Created in partnership with MedSleuth and the greater transplant community, our BREEZE technology platform streamlines and improves the transplant process for candidates, donors, and referring clinicians, helping more transplants happen, more efficiently. In 2025, BREEZE referral enabled bidirectional communication between transplant centers and referring providers, directly benefiting the approximately 40,000 DaVita patients who were referred to transplant specifically via BREEZE.

2025 marked the second year of a pilot program supporting patients through the transplant process with dedicated transplant liaisons.

These professionals are hired specifically to help guide patients through the referral and work-up phases while partnering closely with transplant centers. We look forward to growing this program further in 2026.

In addition, in 2025 the DaVita Giving Foundation invested in several nonprofit partners to address critical barriers across the kidney transplant ecosystem, supporting patients from initial listing through waitlist maintenance and transplant completion.

This support has helped enable the creation of personalized microsites and dedicated mentor connections for individuals pursuing a kidney transplant, as well as wrap-around services to help individuals interested in serving as a living donor achieve eligibility.

Earning Patient Trust
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) rating reflects patients’ likelihood to recommend DaVita to others. We track this metric as a key indicator of patient positivity and trust. Our most recent NPS of 63 for dialysis patients reflects our commitment to individualized, exceptional care and support.

8,000+ DaVita patients received a kidney transplant in 2025

Our Patient Population is Incredibly Diverse DaVita serves an incredibly diverse patient population. Approximately 20% of our patients have a primary language other than English. More than 50% of our patients identify as Black or Hispanic. Many of the patients we serve are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, representing some of the lowest income and most medically vulnerable populations.

Sector-wide data demonstrates that racial and socioeconomic disparities continue as patients advance through end stage kidney disease. We’re proud that our patients largely achieve similar outcomes across race in core clinical metrics such as hospitalizations, readmissions and infection rates in our U.S. outpatient dialysis centers.

Kidney Smart® Education
We offer comprehensive kidney education at no cost to the community through Kidney Smart. Available in person, online and by phone, the program provides kidney health education and lifestyle recommendations to help at-risk individuals understand kidney disease and apply strategies to help prevent disease progression.

Expanding access to non-English language Kidney Smart resources remains an important priority. To date, we’ve delivered this essential education in over 13 different languages. Learn more about Kidney Smart here.

Read more in DaVita’s 2025 Community Care Report

^{[1] Modality selections and decisions related to a patient’s care are made by the attending nephrologist and patient, and provided pursuant to a physician’s order} 

Bladder leaks, frequent trips to the bathroom, and pelvic discomfort are often dismissed as a normal part of aging. But just because something is common doesn’t make it normal.

As part of our Health Tech Untapped series, Emily Elswick, President of Pelvic Health at Medtronic, and Dr. Tope Rude, a reconstructive urologist and Co-Medical Director of Urologic Specialties at Stanford University, explore what patients are really experiencing, why care is often delayed, and how new awareness — and new technology — are transforming the future of pelvic health.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When it’s time to talk about overactive bladder

Elswick: What’s the most common question you hear when patients finally make it to your office?
Dr. Rude: It’s almost always, “Is this how it has to be forever?” By that point, they’ve been dealing with symptoms for years and have started to believe this is just their reality.
Elswick: That’s something we hear all the time — people adjusting their lives around symptoms instead of realizing there may be options.

Elswick: It often takes years for them to get to you — five, seven, even 10 years. What finally pushes them to seek care?
Dr. Rude: It’s when it starts interfering with life. When they can’t go to the movies with friends, travel comfortably, or even enjoy simple moments with family. That’s when it shifts from manageable to something they want to change.
Elswick: Right, and you hear that in clinic settings, too. Patients will say, “I’ve had this for years,” and you wonder why they waited so long. A lot of times they were told it was “normal” or just part of getting older.

Overactive bladder symptoms and the impact on day-to-day life

Elswick: What are some of those symptoms people tend to normalize?
Dr. Rude: Frequent urination and leakage are big ones. People think, “That’s just how it is.” But it’s not normal, it’s just common.
Elswick: Exactly, common doesn’t mean you have to live with it. That’s such an important distinction.

Elswick: Can you talk about the impact these symptoms have beyond the physical?
Dr. Rude: It’s quiet, but it’s profound. When people don’t feel comfortable leaving their homes or being themselves, it affects their mental health and social lives. There’s also a cycle where stress can worsen symptoms, and symptoms increase stress.
Elswick: And that’s something we don’t talk about enough, the emotional toll, and how isolating it can feel.

How can I improve pelvic health, and what is considered normal?

Elswick: If someone is just starting to think about their pelvic health, what’s one thing they can do today?
Dr. Rude: Start with awareness. Many people don’t think about their pelvic floor at all. Pay attention to your habits, how often you’re going, and whether you’re straining. Incorporate simple things like stretching or yoga.
Elswick: And from my perspective, don’t wait to seek care. Seeing a specialist earlier can help you understand what’s going on and what your options are.

Elswick: Let’s talk about what’s considered normal. How often should someone be using the bathroom?
Dr. Rude: About six to eight times a day. If it’s significantly more — or less — it can signal that something isn’t quite right.
Elswick: That’s always surprising to people. Many think going more frequently is just part of daily life.

How your brain may impact overactive bladder symptoms

Elswick: One of the more surprising connections is between the brain and the bladder. Can you explain that?
Dr. Rude: The bladder doesn’t function on its own — it’s controlled by signals from the brain. When there’s a disconnect in that communication, it can lead to urgency or leakage.
Elswick: That’s such an important point because people often assume it’s just a “bladder issue,” when it’s really a system working together.

The future of overactive bladder care

Elswick: At Medtronic, we talk a lot about how technology improves care. What are you seeing in pelvic health?
Dr. Rude: Technology is transforming the space. Beyond advanced therapies, we now have tools that help patients track habits, set reminders, and better understand their symptoms. It’s making care more personalized.
Elswick: And it empowers patients to take a more active role in their care, which is huge.

Elswick: Last question — if you had to describe the future of pelvic health in one word?
Dr. Rude: Change.
Elswick: I love that. And I think we’re already seeing it — more conversations, less stigma, and people realizing they don’t have to just accept these symptoms as part of life.

About the experts

Dr. Tope Rude is a reconstructive urologist and Co-Medical Director of Urologic Specialties at Stanford University. She specializes in pelvic health and is dedicated to improving patient care through advanced therapies, education, and breaking down stigma around bladder and bowel conditions.

Emily Elswick is President of Pelvic Health at Medtronic. She is passionate about advancing patient-centered innovation and increasing awareness around pelvic health through technology, education, and open dialogue.

Read more

---

Overactive bladder getting in the way? You have options.

August 18, 2026 /3BL/ – Comcast announced $55,000 in grants supporting six community organizations that are advancing digital opportunity initiatives in Lake, La Porte, and Porter Counties. The funding is part of Project UP, the company’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital opportunity and help create a future of unlimited possibilities.

The grants have helped expand access to digital skills training and technology resources for residents in Northwest Indiana. Recipients include:

• Citizens Concerned for the Homeless (Michigan City)
• MAAC Foundation (Valparaiso)
• Opportunity Enterprises (Valparaiso)
• Purdue Extension (Valparaiso)
• Urban League of Northwest Indiana (Gary)
• La Porte Friends of the Library (La Porte)

Several initiatives focus on targeted community needs. Earlier this year, Purdue Extension announced the launch of a Comcast-supported mobile computer lab to provide free digital skills education for adults ages 60 and older in Porter County. The MAAC Foundation has enhanced its digital education program for first responders, equipping firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical service professionals with critical technology skills.

“With Comcast’s support, we have been able to grow our Digital Skills Education programming,” said Gina Avila, Community Development Educator in Porter County, Purdue Extension. “The Senior Planet lessons provide adults 60+ with a safe space to learn and build confidence to live in today’s digital world.”

“Comcast’s continued support has enabled us to expand our digital education programming and invest directly in those who keep our communities safe,” said Nicole Gladstone, CEO of the MAAC Foundation.

Comcast also supported Citizens Concerned for the Homeless with educational tools and digital programming at Grace Learning Center and Sand Castle Shelter, where the company continues to operate a Lift Zone providing free, high-capacity WiFi access.

“Access to technology is essential for individuals working to rebuild stability in their lives,” said Tammy Rosebaum, Operations Director at Citizens Concerned for the Homeless. “Comcast’s support is enabling us to provide digital training and reliable connectivity that helps people gain confidence and build new skills.”

Additional funding will support accessible and adaptable technology for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Opportunity Enterprises, as well as digital training for aspiring entrepreneurs through the Urban League of Northwest Indiana. Comcast’s support for La Porte Friends of the Library is further expanding access to technology and strengthening digital skills for local residents.

“From helping senior residents build confidence online to ensuring first responders have the latest tools and training needed to thrive, these partnerships are creating meaningful impact in advancing digital opportunity in Northwest Indiana,” said Brian Rockensuess, Comcast’s Executive Director of Government and Community Affairs in Indiana. “In today’s connected world, digital skills are essential at every stage of life.”

Over the past three years, Comcast has made a total of more than $3 million in cash and in-kind contribution to Indiana nonprofits.

Las Vegas Sands

One of Sands’ guiding principles is to make strategic investments that ensure its resorts deliver world-class service and the most desirable offerings to attract high-value leisure and business travelers. Closely related is another guiding principle – embracing innovation and design excellence to enhance the guest experience.

As the company’s chief hospitality officer for Asia, Tane Picken is the steward for the on-property experience at Sands’ resorts in Singapore and Macao – and, therefore, responsible for turning these principles into action.

A hospitality industry veteran, Picken brings a wealth of experience to this role with operational expertise gleaned at more than 40 properties in locations across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He held a variety of leadership roles at Hilton and Shangri-La before joining Marina Bay Sands in 2021. Picken was elevated to chief hospitality officer overseeing hospitality functions for both Marina Bay Sands and Sands China in September 2025.

With delivering world-class service, the industry’s most desirable offerings and innovation in the guest experience as his mission, Picken breaks down Sands’ approach to setting its resorts apart and continually improving offerings to keep guests returning.

How are you working to ensure Sands resorts are known as the epitome of excellence and innovation?

“I currently oversee all of hospitality operations across our two regions, which encompass the entire customer journey beginning at pre-arrival and through their arrival and entire stay until departure. That’s everything from room accommodations for guests to their food and beverage experiences. It also includes their lifestyle – swimming pools, gym and spa, and everything around the lifestyle aspects of our resorts such as our museums and attractions. I’m also overseeing the customer experience in our meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) venues.

“That is a large body of experiences across many different customer sets. To be successful, we must break it down and dig into the details. For example, sometimes hospitality companies forget that we’re in the business of sleep. What does a guest need when they sleep? What are their requirements? What do they touch? What gives them an ultimate hotel experience above others?

“We answer questions like these in all areas of the business – accommodations, dining, experiences, venues – and we build templates to inform every facet of our development and execution. We have guidelines and visions for product development, room and building design, guest service, technology assets and more, and they all reach for standards above and beyond the norm.

“Everything that goes into these guidelines and standards are to satisfy our requirements for excellence and innovation and keep customers wanting to return for more. Using this, my role is to replicate excellence across our portfolio – to build the same guest journey in Macao and Singapore and transfer things we do well in one region to the other.”

 

How does Sands stay abreast of emerging tastes and trends to develop or evolve offerings?

“First, we have to understand what’s happening in the world – who’s building what, what’s the latest in the industry, and what are the latest amenities and experiences the customer is expecting?

“The second approach is getting data from our customers – knowing what’s happening with our customers and how we can make changes to improve their experience. We have millions of guests passing through our casinos, meeting facilities and other venues. So, we have a huge potential pool of people daily to give feedback about what they’re looking for, what makes them happy and what makes them come back. Our goal is to tap into that tremendous wealth of data and find ways to deliver on their wants and needs.

“The third aspect is how do we incorporate new developments in technology such as robotics and AI to help in productivity and execution, without damaging the culture, service and ethos of what we deliver.

“Finally, and maybe most critically, is the understanding that every hospitality company can build a product, but how can we be creative and unique in our delivery? How are we developing our service, our culture and our experiences to differentiate us and be better than everyone else.”

 

What are a few examples of the guest experience enhancements you’re working on?

“I spoke about hospitality companies forgetting about sleep – but, we’re definitely thinking about sleep and digging into the core basics because it’s truly a foundational experience for guests. We’ve come up with what we call a 99.9% sleep program, which addresses comfort, light and noise disturbance, and fixability for needs. What we’re trying to do is incorporate technology and innovation that gives our guests that 99.9% experience.

“Do we have the right technology in the mattresses? How can we reduce light bleeding into the room to avoid sleep disruption? So, we’re experimenting with ways to create total blackout. Also, how do we make our lighting smarter so that when you get up at night for the bathroom, what’s the right amount of lighting to bring you back without fully waking you? We’re tackling the basic fundamentals of a hotel room in ways that deliver innovative features to elevate the guest experience.

“We’re looking at similar details to create excellence through the incorporation of technology in our food and beverage venues, and we look at each restaurant differently. For some restaurants, more technology, such as using iPads for ordering and checkout, is important. In our higher-end, higher-touch restaurants, we’re bringing in technology that is more about sound, lighting, entertainment, or food and cocktail making. If you’re going to a five-star restaurant, you don’t want a robot clearing your table. But, can technology enhance the cocktail you’re getting or the way your food is prepared?

“In the MICE arena, it’s really all about innovation and technology, and we have two separate lenses that inform our development. First, what conveniences and benefits can we bring customers – for example, having the best coffee machines, tea and snacks available, very fast?

“We also look at technology for audio-visual equipment, for example the incorporation of virtual reality. We have a product that enables someone in the United States to be filmed and his 3D projection can be shown on stage in Singapore. In our MICE business, we’re extremely focused on adding convenience for customers and massive technology development.

“The other lens in MICE is increasing productivity in our operations, and we’re doing that by adding technology such as employing robotics for night cleaning.”

For a snapshot of Sands’ world-class integrated resorts, visit https://www.sands.com/properties/, and to learn about the company’s journey in becoming a global integrated resort leader, visit https://www.sands.com/company/our-story/.

AI Can’t Quote Coverage You Never Generated

Most brands don’t realize they have an AI visibility problem — until they see the audit.

We recently reviewed a client’s presence in AI search results. What came back was thin: outdated coverage, a critical 2021 piece, a competitor comparison nobody on the marketing team had ever seen. The gap was obvious the moment it hit the screen.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI assistants describe your brand with total confidence whether or not you’ve earned that description. Research shows citations increase trust even when they’re wrong — most people never check, and the ones who do only lose trust after the fact.

So how do generative AI systems actually decide who to cite? Not by who publishes most. By who’s most corroborated across credible third-party sources. One analysis of 21,000+ brand mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity found 85% of citations came from third-party sources — brands were 6.5x more likely to be cited through earned media than their own content. Separate research across industries found the same pattern: earned media dominates, owned content barely registers.

This isn’t an argument to abandon owned channels — blogs, social, press releases are still raw material. But they’re inputs, not credibility. What others say about you now carries far more weight than what you say about yourself.

The brands winning in AI search aren’t the ones with the biggest content teams. They’re the ones with the deepest independent coverage and the richest citation trails built over time.

---

More from 3BL

With MEES requirements set to tighten significantly by 2031, commercial landlords face mounting pressure to improve the energy performance of their properties. Understanding the coming changes—and how to prepare for them—will ease the path to compliance.

Commercial properties are facing energy efficiency problems on an enormous scale. Research shows that more than 13,000 commercial rental properties in England and Wales fail to meet the current Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). This includes nearly 5% of total office stock.

With MEES set to increase to a requirement of a B rating or higher by 2031, an estimated 680,000 properties (75%) are not yet aligned. Findings suggest that it will take until at least 2040 for all commercial rented properties to achieve compliance based on current trajectories. The pressure is on to improve our building stock to meet current and future regulations.

What is MEES?

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) is the legal requirement that sets a minimum energy performance for privately rented property in England and Wales. It was introduced under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, with the intent of making improvements to the least efficient stock.

MEES and Commercial Properties

For commercial property, landlords can only lawfully let their premises if they have an EPC rating of E or higher. This now applies to all existing leases unless a valid exemption is registered.

MEES also applies to domestic private rented property, although the rules and penalties differ from those for non‑domestic buildings. Domestic landlords face their own minimum EPC standards, exemption routes and enforcement processes, so the steps you take for commercial properties won’t always translate. If you manage both types of properties, it is important to treat domestic and non-domestic compliance separately.

MEES Changes on the Horizon

In 2021, the UK Government launched a public consultation on how to implement and enforce raised minimum EPC ratings of B by 2030. The government’s response to the consultations were finally published in June 2026. It set out the target for all commercial buildings to achieve a minimum EPC to B by 2031. Final policy details and timings are subject to the implementation of secondary legislation, but the direction of travel is clear: the next 5 years is a crucial period for building energy efficiency upgrades.

Quick Ways to Improve EPC Ratings

A property may not always need to have a heat pump, solar panels, or wind turbine installed to increase its EPC rating. Some small actions can have a significant effect on the rating:

1. Add detail: Enter as much detail as possible into the EPC model, such as specific fan powers, HVAC efficiencies, and SEER and COP ratings. This will reduce reliance on default values, which are typically poor.
2. Leverage existing data: Obtain existing data from the design or construction processes, such as U-values, G-values and air permeability, and input these into the EPC model.
3. Share evidence: An EPC assessor has to provide evidence for all the information entered into the model. As an assessor will only conduct a visual, non-intrusive survey of the property, the evidence is usually a combination of their photographs plus any documentation the owner is able to provide. Providing all possible documentation will allow the assessor to tailor the model to the property, rather than relying on default values.
4. Repeat: Even if no more data or evidence is available, repeating the EPC assessment may result in a different rating. It is not uncommon for an EPC to be inaccurate to some extent; repeating the assessment may highlight inaccuracies in the original.
5. Consider a Level 5 Assessment: EPCs are categorised as either Level 3 (basic heating systems), Level 4 (complex HVAC systems) or Level 5 (buildings with significant glazing, atria, automated shading or ventilation systems). Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM) is only required for the most complex (Level 5) buildings. However, it can be done voluntarily for less complex buildings. Evidence shows that by performing DSM even on offices and warehouses, EPCs can score up to 20% more points as result.

How Can Antea Group UK Help with MEES?

We can highlight non-conformance or at-risk properties across portfolios or individual assets, whether we’re involved at the acquisition, divestment, refinancing, or redevelopment stage. We’ll review leases to determine whether they contain sufficient clauses to prevent tenants harming the energy efficiency, and whether other clauses may affect the energy efficiency. Our consultants can also create a new, detailed EPC based on better quality data than previous versions, which may easily improve your rating. We’ll collect this data by inspecting the property and reviewing existing documentation that supports the best possible EPC rating.

Where properties require more extensive actions to achieve a higher EPC rating, our assessors provide a high-level CAPEX summary of suggested improvements and the impact each of these would be expected to have on the rating. From controls optimisation and lighting to plant replacement and building fabric improvements, this summary presents the cumulative effect of all improvements and can be tailored to suit requirements.

Interested in learning more? Contact us:

Dan Ellis 
Dan.Ellis@Anteagroup.uk 
07586 113753