MdSAP – Minimum Data SAP for housing providers.

Minimum data SAP (MdSAP) is a Sava assessment methodology that allows you to analyse the energy performance of a home, even if you have very few data items.

To complete a SAP assessment (including deriving the SAP rating and the many dozens of useful outputs), a full SAP dataset is required. SAP was introduced originally as a model for complying with Building Regulations, so in comparison to a physical survey on a building, you have access to the complete specification of the build, all the actual U-values and exact dimensions.

The RdSAP dataset is used for assessing the performance of an existing home, with the necessary data being collected through an onsite survey. This has less data than the full SAP dataset since the energy assessor only has access to what they can see and evidence. Inferences are made using the RdSAP data to complete the full SAP dataset.

Then we have the minimum dataset SAP (MdSAP). This Sava minimum dataset is between 12 and 15 items (depending on the property type and heating type) but provides enough data to calculate a SAP rating. And of course it’s possible to calculate with anything between MdSAP and RdSAP – as you increase the data the calculation becomes incrementally more accurate.

MdSAP is useful for housing provides when they don’t necessarily have a full RdSAP data set on all their properties, but still want to be able to get energy performance metrics on their full housing stock. Together, Sava’s MdSAP and DQI systems can help housing providers make sense of their data.