The EPBD states in Article 4 that a Member State has to take the necessary measures to ensure that minimum energy performance requirements for buildings are set. It does not state that the requirements have to be set nationally. Even the methodology that is the basis for the requirements (see Article 3) may be set at national or at regional level.
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG (FHG)
Date: 24/03/06
No. If the existing requirements already meet the definitions of Articles 4-6, a Member State does not necessarily have to make them more demanding. Article 4 states that the requirements shall be reviewed at regular intervals (not longer than 5 years) and if necessary be updated in order to reflect technical progress in the building sector.
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG (FHG)
Date: 24/03/06
Buildings with a useful floor area over 1000 m2 which undergo a major renovation have to meet minimum energy performance requirements (in so far as this is technically, functionally and economically feasible). The minimum energy performance requirements may be set in two different ways:
1. for the renovated building as a whole
2. for the renovated systems or components
The objective is the improvement of the overall energy performance of the building.
Note that Germany, for example, also sets minimum requirements for buildings that have a useful floor area less than 1000 mý.
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG (FHG)
date: 24/03/06
Article 4 requires that minimum requirements are based on the methodology referred to in Article 3 (calculation of the energy performance of buildings). For more information on the general framework for the calculation of energy performance of buildings see the Annex of the EPBD. The energy performance of a building shall be expressed in a transparent manner and may include a CO2 emission indicator.
If the building has a useful floor area of more than 1000 m2, alternative systems have to be considered and taken into account (see Article 5).
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG (FHG)
Date: 24/03/06
No. The EPBD requires Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure that energy performance requirements for buildings are set (see Article 4). The requirements may differentiate between new and existing buildings and different categories of buildings. The EPBD also includes a list of buildings for which requirements are not obligatory. Article 5 of the EPBD states that Member States have to take necessary measures to ensure that, for new buildings with a useful floor area of more than 1000 m2, certain alternative systems (e.g. renewable technologies) have to be considered and taken into account. Article 6 requires that existing buildings undergoing a major retrofit have to meet minimum requirements in so far as this is technically, functionally and economically feasible. In either case individual Member States provide the quantitative definition of the minimum requirement.
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG (FHG)
Date: 24/03/06
Demonstration of the technical feasibility and the user-friendliness of building concepts that go (far) beyond the national EP requirements and that may include innovative technologies and strategies is very important to set the path for enforced EP requirements. In the past, but also currently, a lot of EU Member States are supporting those demonstration project. The building concepts demonstrated cover both, new buildings and building renovation projects. The energy performance levels can be as ambitious as so-called “zero energy houses”, but also more contemporary like 20% to 50 % lower than the current national requirements. In many cases the idea is to show that these low energy consumptions can be achieved with only few additional costs and that these costs are going to be paid-back within a limited amount of years. As buildings are valuable objects, building owners tend not to rely on studies and simulations of the effects of energy concepts only, they prefer to have a realised and in detailed measured, analysed and proven building before they overtake a new building concept. This makes demonstration projects even more relevant. A well-known international, EU-supported demonstration programme is the Ecobuildings programme. The aim of the building concepts is “towards an energy efficient European building stock beyond national requirements”. Currently 4 projects that have been started in the 6th Framework Programme are in the final phase and many project results are already available for the public. An Information Paper on Ecobuildings will be soon presented on the EPBD Buildings Platform. For more information go to: http://www.ecobuildings.info
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG, Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics Date: 19/11/07
Many countries have started studies on comparing their own EP requirements with those of neighbour countries. They are currently in different stages of realisation and not all of them are going to be published. A new IEE SAVE project “ASIEPI – Assessment and Improvement of the EPBD Impact (for new buildings and building renovation) will also deal with this item. The project is running from October 2007 to March 2010. The results of the work will be published as Information Papers on the EPBD Building Platform. The first Information Paper on the intercomparison study is foreseen for March 2008.
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG, Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics
Date: 19/11/07
The status of EPBD implementation in nearly all EU Member States countries is available on the EPBD Building Platform in the form of special Information Papers, so-called Country Reports. The following list gives an overview on the Papers that are available in the Northern and Middle European Member States and which status they document:
- Austria: P036 ; status: March 2007
- Belgium – Flemish Region: P006 ; status: August 2006
- Belgium – Brussels Capital: P020 ; status: August 2006
- Denmark: P009 ; status: August 2006
- Finland: P044 ; status: May 2007
- England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: P050 ; status: September 2007
- Germany: P021 ; status: October 2006
- Ireland: P011 ; status: August 2006
- Luxembourg: P037 ; status: March 2007
- the Netherlands: P007 ; status: August 2006 and P038 ; status: February 2007
- Norway: P022 ; status: August 2006
- Sweden: P023 ; status: August 2006 and P047 ; status: May 2007
Authors: Hans ERHORN and Heike ERHORN-KLUTTIG, Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics
Date: 19/11/07