Energy labelling of buildings

Energy certification (labeling) of buildings is the most important component of the EPBD. The Member States are obliged to ensure that when buildings are constructed, sold or rented out, an Energy Performance Certificate is made available to the owner or by the owner to the tenant or potential buyer. The certification shall also include advices and information on how to improve energy performance of building.

The detailed calculation methodologies of the buildings’ energy performance and standardized building energy certificates (building energy labels) should follow determinations and appointments of standards or norms applied in Member States legislations. Also precise form and content of energy certificates is agreed as matter of each member country itself.

Target:

The EPBD is considered as a very important legislative component of energy efficiency activities of the European Union designed to meet the Kyoto commitments. Originally made estimations of a cost-effective savings potential realizable of around 22% within the building sector – if realized – showed that around 20% of the EU Kyoto commitment could be met. This reduction was estimated to be equivalent to around 3% of total final EU energy consumption. Transposition of this Directive by 2006 has had to allow a portion of this potential to be translated into reduced energy consumption.

Other important objective for introduction and implementation of the EPBD was to contribute the measures in order to prevent the EU against increase the dependence on external energy sources, which is expected to rich, according to the current forecasts, appr. 70% in 2030.

Product/service group:

The Energy Certificates (labels) concerns the whole building as an assembly of many closely connected components essential for its energy consumption and influencing on its energy performance. It concerns such elements as building envelope, windows, heating, electrical and ventilation instillations, lighting, heat sources (incl. boilers, CHP units) cooling systems and others.

Awarding Institution & criteria:

Member States are obliged to adopt the EPBD into national legislations. Each Member State is suitable for introduction of its own specific legislation and establishing of supervising mechanisms and institutions on national or regional levels.

The detailed calculation methodologies of the buildings’ energy performance and standardized building energy certificates (building energy labels) is adapted to technical progress in the way taking into account standards or norms applied in Member States legislations. Building Certificates should be based on calculated energy demand for energy or on measured energy consumption.

Member States shall ensure that all measures, including building energy certificates are carried out in an independent manner by qualified and/or accredited experts. Energy Certificates’ templates should be an element of national legislations implementing EPBD.

Control mechanisms:

Each Member States administrations are obliged to implement adequate control and monitoring mechanisms and procedures.

Charges:

Energy Certification is expected to be a self-financed scheme based on the market rules in the most of Member States.

Relevance on the market:

The EPBD significantly influences the real estate marked due to strong connection of energy performance of buildings with its market value in most cases. Concerning energy certicates, it has to be pointed out in this regard, that higher as energy performance class (according to national energy certificate scheme) of particular building will be, higher market value this buidling could reach by process of its sale or renting out. To agitate higher public awareness of that and to increase public sensitivity to this issue large public buildings and public service buildings with high visiting frequencies will be obligated to display their certificates in clearly visible spots.

Additionally, the market pressure for modernization of building stock in EU will beneficially influence on development of building construction sector and on development of producers of building components.