2.IV.v. Progress and current status on heating systems (Inspection / Equivalence) – OVERVIEW

Corresponding inspection reports or protocols are collected by the provinces and are made available for inspectors of the provinces (e.g., chimney sweeps which are traditionally responsible for the inspection of boilers). The Austrian provinces have a long tradition of inspections of heating systems regarding emissions and the performance of boilers. The periods of inspections vary based on the kind of energy used, from one (1) inspection per year (e.g., for biomass boilers) up to four (4) inspections per year (e.g., for gas-fired boilers). Regular inspections fulfilling the specifications of the EPBD were introduced after 2012 by different regulations in the Austrian provinces (the legislative regulations are continually being adapted).

The qualification of inspectors is set in the Austrian trade regulation act (“Gewerbeordnung”) on a national level.

The Brussels Capital Region has adopted the inspection option for heating and AC systems.

The regulations on heating systems have been thoroughly revised in 2018 to take into account developments in the EPBD and the Energy Efficiency Directive. Each requirement has been reformulated to take into account technical and economic feasibility criteria. In making these changes, harmonisation is sought for respective regulations within other regions in Belgium. Professionals can complete a software application to easily encode control attestations and administer all attestations carried out within the framework of these regulations.

Current developments concern:

• the introduction of non-reversible heat pumps;
• the addition of an automation requirement;
• reinforcement of counting requirements;
• the extension of the combined ventilation systems taken into account by these regulations;
• lighter inspections of heating systems in the presence of an energy performance contract;
• extension of the minimum maintenance programme from AC systems to heating systems;
• amendments to assess feedback given since the last revision of these regulations.

Flanders has adopted inspections for heating systems that use a boiler or a heat generator. For other heating systems, Flanders will adopt measures to ensure the provision of advice and other alternative solutions to assess the efficiency and appropriate size of those systems.

Boilers must be inspected, in terms of safety and proper functioning, by a certified technician before first brought into use. To be ‘certified’ by the responsible public administration, these experts have to meet certain requirements, attend a specific training course and pass a specific exam imposed by the responsible public administration. Additional training every five (5) years is required as well. Boilers with a nominal output of 20 kW and above, must be frequently maintained and inspected by a recognised technician who checks the safety, proper functioning and energy efficiency. If it is found not compliant, the boiler must be adjusted or replaced. Finally, the certified recognised technician periodically checks the energy efficiency of the entire central heating system and suggests possible energy-saving methods (Table 9).

Table 9: Summary of inspection types on central heating systems powered by a boiler on gaseous, liquid or solid fuel.

All results of inspections are documented in reports. In 2018, a new web application was launched allowing the digital documentation of inspection results and the storage of data in a central database as well as the generation of statistics on heating systems. The certified recognised technicians are not obliged to use the application.

In the nearby future, these reports will be further digitalised and stored in a regional database. For household installations, the heating audit will be part of the digitalised inspection and maintenance reports. This way, the owners of these heating systems will be regularly informed on the periodic maintenance and the performance of their systems. The reports will further be developed to include information on the proper regulation of the heating boilers and available alternative and sustainable options to choose from when a replacement of the boiler is needed.

In 2018, energy efficiency requirements of older boilers using gaseous fuels and premix-technology boilers using liquid fuels were strengthened. A website supports general communication and campaigns about the inspections. Further communication initiatives will follow (Figure 19).

Figure 19: Communication campaign website www.veiligverwarmen.be.

The choice made regarding inspections for heating and AC systems was to carry out inspections as described in sections 1 and 2 of Articles 14 and 15 of the EPBD.

For heating, the inspection consists of a boiler efficiency assessment, called 'periodic control', and a boiler sizing assessment, called 'in-depth diagnosis'. The former is mandatory at least every year for oil and solid fuel boilers, every two years for gas boilers with a rated power higher than 100 kW, and every three years for gas boilers with a rated power less than or equal to 100 kW. The latter is performed at the same time and need not be repeated as long as the heating system or the heating needs of the building remain the same.

Accreditations are managed by the Walloon Air Climate Agency (AwAC¹⁴). Their internal certification management system has recently been reviewed. Currently, 18 training centres are accredited for providing training to technicians inspecting liquid fuel boilers, and 15 for inspecting gas fuel boilers. At the end of December 2019, 2,625 technicians were certified to inspect gas fuel boilers, and 2,559 for liquid fuel boilers.

Participating administrations (DGO4¹⁵ & AwAC) are currently reviewing the regulation. Wallonia plans to add a certification for solid fuel boilers and a carbon monoxide level check for the indoor air of the boiler room. The inspection reports will also be systematically computerised to simplify the control of certified technicians. Those digital reports will serve as input data or as update data for the yet to come building passports.

Bulgaria has a full regular inspections scheme in place for heating systems with hot water boilers and AC systems in buildings. The purpose of energy efficiency inspections of these systems is to establish the level of efficiency in operation and to identify measures for improvement of the inspected system efficiency.

The Energy Efficiency Act stipulates a regular inspection of heating systems with hot water boilers of an effective rated output for space heating purposes of more than 20 kW in all types of buildings. The inspection includes the following assessments:

• the condition and functioning of the accessible parts of building heating systems, including the hot water boilers, the heat supply control systems and the circulation pumps;

• the efficiency of hot water boilers, of a single rated output of more than 50 kW;

• the sizing of the hot water boilers compared with the heating requirements of the building - in case of changes made to the heating system or the heating requirements of the building in the meantime.

Depending on the installed capacity and the type of energy used, the heating systems with hot water boilers shall be subject to mandatory periodic energy efficiency inspections every three, four or eight years. The number of systems inspected in 2017, 2018 and 2019 are shown in Table 4. The inspections are carried out by registered energy auditors listed in a special public register, which is maintained and administrated by the SEDA and promoted via the SEDA’s website. The SEDA is the body responsible for the independent control of inspection reports on heating systems. A restricted access database on the condition of the heating systems is maintained by the SEDA (Table 5).

Table 4: Inspections of boilers and AC systems in buildings, 2017-2019.

Table 5: Registered boilers and AC systems in buildings, 2017-2019.

Regular inspection of the heating system in a building must be carried out alongside the energy audit of the building for the purpose of issuing an EPC. When not concurrent with EPC issuance, heating systems with a boiler of an effective rated output of more than 70 kW are regularly inspected every 10 years. A regular inspection includes a visual and functional inspection of the heating system and of heated areas, the necessary measurements, an assessment of the size of the system relative to the building’s needs, and a proposal of measures to improve the energy efficiency of the system and/or to apply alternative solutions.

Cyprus has chosen option A and has established regular inspections of heating systems with boilers.

Since 2010, the inspection of heating systems is being performed according to 'The Guide for the Inspection of Heating Systems with Boilers' issued by the MECI. The document specifies the method for measuring combustion efficiency, heat losses from the chimney and how to check the boiler for oversizing. It also provides guidance for possible recommendations regarding the improvement of all parts of the heating system. The frequency of the inspections varies according to the size of the boiler and the type of the fuel used (Table 1).

Table 1. Frequency of the inspections according to the size of the boiler and the type of the fuel used.

According to the legislative framework that was made to harmonise Directive 2018/844/EU, it was stated that by 2020, regular inspections of the accessible parts of heating systems or of systems for combined space heating and ventilation, with an effective rated output of over 70 kW, such as the heat generator, control system and circulation pump(s) used for heating buildings, would be established.

Inspections of heating systems with boilers with an effective rated output below 70 kW but over 20 kW are planned to be retained as optional for building owners.

A study is currently being conducted by the MECI to revise “The Guide for the Inspection of Heating Systems with Boilers” to conform with the requirements of Directive 2018/844/EU.  

The Czech Republic implemented an obligation for mandatory inspections of heating systems over 70 kW and hot water distribution systems in line with Articles 14-15 of the EPBD. The relevant provision was implemented through Article 6a of the Energy Management Act. This article defines inspections of heating systems in buildings with business purposes. Inspections relating to family houses are defined by the 201/2012 Coll. Air Protection Act¹ or 458/2000 Coll.¹, the Energy Act and Decree No. 85/1978 Coll.¹ on inspections, revisions and tests of gaseous heat sources.

The Czech Republic also coordinates energy consultancy and information centres which give advice regarding heat sources that are not covered by the EPBD, as well as for AC systems, energy efficiency and RES, as mentioned in Section II.vi.

According to the Energy Management Act, all heating systems (with rated output power above 70 kW) are subject to regular efficiency inspections in compliance with Decree 194/2013 on the inspections of boilers and hot water supply. This decree sets the scope, methodology and frequency of the inspections of heating systems as well as the form and content of the inspection reports, including:

1. assessment documentation;
2. visual inspection and a check of the accessible heating system operability;
3. evaluation of the heating system maintenance;
4. evaluation of the heating system dimensioning when compared to the building's heating requirements;
5. evaluation of the heating system efficiency;
6. recommendations for financially feasible improvements of the heating system and thermal energy distribution.

The inspection report must be uploaded to the national database ENEX and can be subject to control.

Until 2011, Denmark was implementing Article 14 of the EPBD through mandatory regular inspections of heating systems. However, it was then estimated that the use of regular inspections was not cost-effective within the Danish legislative framework. Therefore, since 2012, the Danish implementation of Article 14 is done through a number of activities such as advisory service, tax benefits and requirements to use RES for building heating, each of which contributes to increasing efficiency or phasing out oil and natural gas boilers. The Danish implementation of Article 14 should be seen as part of a long-term political goal to phase out fossil fuels. Thus, the initiatives for oil-fired boilers are mainly focused on replacement of these boilers with other heating sources, e.g., heat pumps, district heating, or solar energy.

To ensure the maintenance of heating systems which are not phased out, a number of measures contribute either to the efficiency or the phasing out of oil-fired and natural gas boilers. These measures include campaigns to increase building owners´ awareness of the potential value of service checks, as well as the promotion of qualified service providers.

As alternatives to inspections (paragraph 3, article 14), the following initiatives have been implemented to help ensure a higher energy efficiency of heating systems in Denmark:

• Tax deduction for labour costs related to building renovations ('Bolig-job-ordning'). The tax deduction has allowed building owners to include the cost of labour for renovations in their tax return forms, thereby giving them incentives to undertake renovation works such as the replacement of heating systems.
• Advisory services for craftsmen and building owners ('Videncenter for Energibesparelser i Bygninger'). This service targets craftsmen and provides information and guidelines about how, e.g., to improve heating systems.
• SparEnergi.dk is an informative website concerning how to save energy, targeting both users, companies and the public. There is, among other things, thorough information on the advantages and disadvantages of the various heating systems as well as important factors to insure energy efficiency for the various heating systems.
• Obligations for energy service companies to implement energy savings for their customers.
• Reduced energy taxes for heat pump owners compared with owners of other kinds of heating systems. The tax reduction makes electricity-based heating such as heat pumps more cost-efficient compared to oil or other fossil fuels.
• Requirements for the use of RES in certain types of buildings and efficiency requirements for boilers. In new buildings, heating with oil or gas is no longer allowed, which means that district heating, heat pumps and other heating systems with high efficiency are promoted. In existing buildings, old heating systems must be replaced with district heating, natural gas boilers or RES if the building is placed within a district heating or natural gas grid.

Estonia has adopted the alternative approach (model B) instead of mandatory inspections for heating and AC systems.

The role of on-site heat generation in water-based heating systems is significantly lower than the heat supply from district heating. At the same time, the data of on-site heat generation devices that are being used, or even data of companies that are selling and installing the devices, was incomplete and unreliable, as it has not been recorded systematically. With these restrictions in place, it was obvious that at the time of the inspection scheme's scheduled implementation, the requirement would be difficult to enforce. Therefore, for boilers, Estonia adopted option B of Article 14 of the EPBD.

Finland has adopted the alternative approach for enhancing the efficiency of boiler-based heating systems (oil-, biofuel-, biomass- and gas-fired) since the implementation of the EPBD in 2007. Upon implementing the EPBD in 2013, the alternative approach has also been adopted for AC systems.

The activities in improving the energy performance of heating systems are divided by system type: measures have been planned for oil-, biofuel-, biomass- and gas-fired boilers. Activities are centred on voluntary energy efficiency agreements in the oil sector “Höylä”, the bioenergy sector “Kutteri” and the gas sector. Through the agreement schemes, information and advice on selecting and using boilers as well as encouraging regular maintenance measures is passed on through leaflets, articles and guides aimed at both consumers as well as professionals working in the field (Figure 8). Savings are based on measures (numbers of actions per year) reported in the energy efficiency agreements, with examples listed in Table 8 (for Höylä). The Höylä agreement has been renewed for the period 2017-2025. The Kutteri agreement is set to end in 2020; decisions of the next period or other measures have not been made yet. Both agreement schemes involve stakeholders working in the sector.

To implement Directive 844/2018/EU, Finland conducted two impact assessment studies to find out which alternative is best suited for the Finnish heating market. As the conclusion of the studies was that alternative measures are best suited for Finland, development for revised alternative measures to include new heating methods was started. The work was ongoing at the end of 2019. The new measures are expected to be reported to the EC by 10 March 2020.

Figure 8: Information on ‘Höylä’ is distributed to consumers via the magazine ‘Lämmöllä’ (‘with warmth’).

Table 8: Measures (numbers of actions per year) reported in the ‘Höylä’ energy efficiency agreement (EEA).

In relation to oil-fired boilers, there is a voluntary efficiency inspection method available as well as recommendations for a heating system condition survey for small family homes. The main advocate is the Heating Energy Association (Lämmitysenergiayhdistys ry) with comprehensive communication activities, such as the magazine “Lämmöllä” published three times a year, targeted events and websites.

In relation to bioenergy based heating, information and advice on selecting and using wood-fired boilers is available through a guidebook and a website produced by Motiva Oy (Figure 9). Chimney sweeps conduct metering of wood-fired boilers during yearly visits and a voluntary inspection method for biofuel boilers has been produced and was published in early 2017. New information on boiler maintenance and combining wood heating and solar energy was released in 2018 and 2019 (online videos and press releases).

Figure 9: Materials on energy efficiency for wood-fired boilers.

Gas-fired boilers are a distinct minority in Finland, amounting to only 5% of heating energy consumption of single-family homes. Information on gas heating as well as guidelines on gas heating systems is available through the Finnish Gas Association.

For boilers between 4 and 400 kW, according to Paragraph 3 of Article 14 of the EPBD, France has taken alternative measures involving an annual maintenance visit. For boilers of more than 400 kW, France has chosen to adopt the default approach, which consists of a periodic inspection scheme.

The alternative measures were chosen for boilers between 4 and 400 kW, after comparing the hypothetical inspection scheme (the reference scheme) and the annual maintenance visit (alternative scheme). The main differences between the two calculations were the following:

• The scope of the alternative scheme is larger (the default approach targets only boilers of more than 70 kW, while maintenance concerns boilers of more than 4 kW).
• Inspections will not systematically lead to renovation work and thus energy saving, whereas a maintenance visit would, because the person in charge can act directly on the system.

The alternative measures applied in France allow more energy saving than the implementation of a regular inspection scheme, as explained in the report submitted in the context of Article 14 of the EPBD.

Boilers between 400 kW and 20 MW: inspection scheme

Boilers between 400 kW and 20 MW are subject to inspection at least every 3 years between 400 kW and 5 MW, and every 2 years between 5 MW and 20 MW. During the inspection visit, the qualified expert must check and measure the same elements as regard to boilers from 4 – 400 kW. For boilers of more than 400 kW a ‘boiler-room logbook’ has to be kept, recording all information about the system.

A ministerial order¹³ from 2009, and the articles R.224-21 to R.224-30 of the environment code¹⁴ set these requirements.

Boilers between 4 and 400 kW: alternative measures

France took alternative measures to improve the energy performance of heating systems under 400 kW, as follows:

• An annual maintenance visit by any professional in the field of maintenance. During the maintenance visit, the professional must check the boiler (clean and tune it if necessary), measure the concentration of CO, evaluate the energy performance of the boiler, provide advice on best use, improvement of the boiler and of the heating system in place, and issue a certificate of maintenance within 15 days after the visit.

• The Ministry of Energy together with ADEME, have prepared a guide for the public¹⁵ in order to explain the new provisions regarding the annual maintenance of boilers. They also conduct publicity campaigns in relation to the most efficient heating systems and to financial support for replacement (see information website ‘Energy Info Sites’¹⁶).

Concerning heating systems, Germany has chosen the equivalence approach. This choice was made considering:

• the long tradition of system requirements in Germany (thermostatic valves, pipe insulation, time- and weather-driven controls);
• the compulsory measurement scheme for flue gas losses and pollutants of boilers, established since 1982;
• and the mandatory upgraded requirements concerning the replacement of old boilers and the insulation of heat distribution and hot water pipework.

Since these measures were already in place when the EPBD was due for transposition, a further inspection scheme was not considered necessary.

On the other hand, due to the climate in Germany, AC systems are not a common feature in buildings. Therefore, a tradition of requirements comparable to those for heating systems does not exist for AC systems. Considering this, a combination of recurrent inspections and compulsory regular maintenance was established in 2007. The provisions in the Energy Saving Ordinance were amended in 2013 to introduce a registration and control system for inspection reports.

The most recent equivalence report, for the period 2014 to 2016, shows that the required equivalence of the effects of alternative measures according to Article 14 paragraph 4 of the EPBD are ensured in Germany. Also previous studies showed that the impact of equivalent measures by far exceeds the possible impact of inspections combined with recommendations. In consideration of these results, the presentation of a reference scenario in this CA EPBD country report has not been considered necessary and instead it was chosen to present new alternative measures according to Article 14 paragraph 4 of the EPBD (Heating Label, Individual Renovation Roadmap, Heating Optimisation Programme). For example, the Individual Renovation Roadmap (iSFP) was established in 2017 as a standardised form for reporting on building energy consultation which aims to show the owner a reliable plan for action for the building in the next few years.

The so-called 'Heizungscheck' is carried out by the 'Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen e.V. (vzbv)' together with the Consumer Association of the federal states and energy consultants. It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The voluntary 'Heiz-check' has been available since October 2015 and integrates the previously known 'Brennwert-check'. The 'Heiz-check' includes checking the optimal settings and the efficiency of the entire heating system. Due to the funding provided by the BMWi, consumers only have to pay a very small contribution (40 €). For households with a low income, the check is free of charge. In the years 2016 and 2017, up to 3,000 'Heiz-checks' have been carried out annually.

It was decided to nationally adopt the inspection scheme (model A) for heating systems. The inspectors for heating systems perform the on-site inspection and prepare a report to assess the system characteristics, operation, size and efficiency. They also provide instructions and recommendations regarding the maintenance/replacement of the heating system or parts of it, and other alternatives. The inspection reports are submitted online to the same platform used for the registration of the EPCs: www.buildingcert.gr. Quality control procedures for heating systems inspection reports are the same as those for EPCs.

The official launch of the registry of the heating systems inspection reports was in January 2016. All provisions are covered by the KENAK, together with the relevant technical guide issued by the Technical Chamber of Greece which describes in great detail the procedure to inspect boilers and heating systems.

After each inspection, a report is issued which is provided to the owner, manager and/or tenant of the building dependent on ownership and use. The inspection report contains the results of the inspection performed and includes recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of the energy performance of the system inspected or replaced.

The heating systems should be inspected: 

1. a) at least every five (5) years for boiler systems with a total effective rated output power 20 - 100 kW;
2. b) at least every two (2) years, for boilers with a total effective rated output > 100 kW and, if they are heated with gas fuel, at least every four (4) years.

By the end of 2019, 44 inspection reports for heating systems had been issued.

Hungary has adopted alternative measures for inspection of heating and AC systems. This means that inspection systems will be replaced by other alternative actions, such as information campaigns on the replacement of obsolete or low-efficiency boilers, AC and heating systems. Such campaigns are integrated in the Action Plan to Improve Awareness for Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection¹⁸.

The government has initiated several programmes to subsidise the installation of new condensing boilers to replace obsolete low-efficiency boilers and water heaters. The Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operation Programme¹⁸ supported heating system modernisation actions and the integration of renewable energy systems for public buildings in recent years. The applicants can select from several renovation packages, including complex renovation and different combinations of 2 or 3 retrofit measures.

The EPBD Article 14 Heating Systems Inspections National Equivalence Report (Ireland) 2018 presents the analysis of the annual energy saving potential arising from a hypothetical regular inspection scheme complying with Article 14(1)–(3) of the EPBD and from the multi-pronged alternative approach adopted in Ireland, comprising the promotion of heating related energy efficiency measures and of a scheme of capital grants for heating system upgrades. The results of this analysis show that this alternative approach would yield considerably more energy and CO₂ savings that would be achieved by a hypothetical inspection scheme over the 3-year reporting period 2015 to 2017. 
SEAI intends to run a similar suite of measures over the next 3-year period.

This report sets out the revised analysis of the annual energy saving potential arising from both approaches for the 3-year reporting period, from 2015 to 2017 inclusive. 

The key results of the revised analysis are shown in Table 13.

Table 13: Energy & CO₂ Savings Comparison (2015-2017), heating.

The updated equivalence analysis indicates that the energy savings achieved, which can be attributed to the implementation of alternative measures, will exceed the estimated energy savings of 76.6 GWh that could arise from a hypothetical regular inspection scheme (by a factor of 3).

The alternative measures analysed in this report are the key initiatives that will continue to deliver energy savings in the next reporting period.

Italy adopted regular inspections for both heating and cooling technical building systems.

The responsibility for inspections of heating systems is being transferred from provinces and main cities to regions. The template for heating systems inspections was improved in 2015. The large majority of inspections will be based on document control, and only 2% will consist of on-site checks. Designers of new heating systems and energy distributors are obliged to provide to the region documentation of both new heating systems and grid connected clients; this facilitates control of the compulsory maintenance of the systems by the users. Regions are also responsible for the selection and qualification of the inspectors and for the organisation of annual campaigns for compliance control of inspection reports.

To comply with Directive 844/2018/EU, a new decree to modify the regulation of control and inspections of heating systems (including the skills requirements of technical experts) is planned.

Cabinet Regulation No. 383 determines that the inspection of boilers and heating systems is mandatory for heating systems with a boiler with an effective rated output of over 20 kW, as well as for AC systems with an effective rated output of over 12 kW. The inspection of boilers must be done in accordance with Standard LVS EN 15378:2009 L, ‘Energy performance of buildings: Inspection of boilers and heating systems’²¹. The inspection of AC systems must be done in accordance with Standard LVS EN 15240:2009 L, ‘Ventilation for Buildings ‐Energy performance of buildings: Guidelines for the inspection of air-conditioning systems’²².

There are 23 registered inspection reports in the BIS (data 2019). This indicates that the current inspection scheme is an ineffective tool, which requires improvement. One possible reason for this insufficiency is a lack of control mechanisms. The Ministry of Economics aims to revise the current inspection scheme before the new EPBD transposition deadline.

Luxembourg implemented inspection systems for all kinds of heating systems. The report on equivalence is therefore not needed.

The inspections of heating systems (gas-, oil- and wood-fired systems) are regulated by their respective regulations (gas, oil or wood regulations). After the reception procedure, a periodic control of the heating system (every four (4) years for gas-fired heating systems and every two (2) years for oil- and wood-fired heating systems) is mandatory.

The periodic controls are carried out by installers who have successfully completed special training and certification and own the necessary tools that allow them to perform the inspection in a professional and cost-effective manner.

The Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development created a specific website (www.heizungscheck.lu) and distributed an informational advertisement (flyer) at fairs and via other media. The flyer is dedicated to informing the public on all the different aspects of heating system inspections (legal requirements, environmental issues and cost-optimisation).

Malta has adopted the inspection of heating and AC systems. Inspection procedures are set up and a register of inspectors and inspection reports is maintained. The register of heating and AC inspectors is available on the official website, including contacts for the public to be able to commission an inspector³. The public has been informed about the requirements, and information sessions have been carried out so that professionals, building managers and other persons within the industry are informed about possible measures to be undertaken.

The register for inspection reports and inspectors of heating systems is maintained centrally. Inspections are carried out on the accessible parts of systems used for the space heating of buildings with boilers of an effective rated output of 20 kW or greater. The inspection frequencies of heating systems are shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10. Inspection frequency of heating systems.

The main aspects included in an inspection are a documentation review, a visual inspection of the heating system equipment, including generation, distribution, emission and controls, and a mandatory analysis of combustion efficiency. Inspectors of heating systems make an assessment of the boiler efficiency and sizing. Inspectors are also required to draw up recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of the energy performance of the inspected system(s).

In order to improve the inspections, a new legal notice has been issued which defines, in clearer terms, the responsibilities of heating systems’ owners and relevant inspectors. The legal provisions refer to the issue of a ‘Guide for Owners of Heating and Air-conditioning Systems’ (GOHAS) to provide guidance to inspectors in the carrying out of inspections.

Until 9 March 2020, the Netherlands only had an inspection obligation for buildings with a heating system of more than 100 kW. The Netherlands used an alternative approach (‘OK-CV’ quality label) for buildings with a heating system with an effective rated output between 20-100 kW. The ‘OK-CV’ quality label was launched in 2015 and was presented at the time as a voluntary periodic inspection for the central heating boiler. The aim of ‘OK-CV’ was to improve the energy performance of the boiler and to increase safety. ‘OK-CV’ was a system performance inspection, in which, among other things, CO emissions from the central heating installation were measured, which was recorded in a national database together with the maintenance condition of the installation. In 2020, ‘OK-CV’ came to an end.

From 10 March 2020, all buildings with a heating system equal to or above 70 kW must be inspected regularly. The inspection frequency is once every 4 years.

The Netherlands has approximately 330,000 gas-fired heating systems with a power of more than 70 kW. The current inspection frequency for gas-fired systems is once every 4 years, resulting in 330,000 installations / 4 years = 82,500 inspections per year.

The Norwegian regulation requires inspections of both heating and AC systems.

Since 2010, owners of fossil fuel-based heating systems are obliged to have the boiler inspected every four (4) years. For systems older than 15 years, an inspection of the whole heating system is required.

This obligation remains, but the ban on heating with systems for mineral oil (as of January 2020) makes this inspection, broadly speaking, irrelevant. The sale of heating oil and kerosene has steadily declined since 2003.

Poland adopted the regular inspection of heating and AC systems. Regulations and requirements are specified in the Construction Act and in the Act on the Energy Performance of Buildings. These laws state that building owners or managers are obliged to carry out a periodic inspection of the technical condition of a building’s heating and AC system and their power adjustment concerning heating or cooling needs.

Reports issued after 9 March 2015 must be registered in the relevant database of the central register (until now 7,500 reports for heating systems and 2,500 reports for AC systems have been submitted) and are randomly chosen for verification.

According to the Act on the Energy Performance of Buildings currently in force, periodic inspections must be performed:

• at least every two (2) years for boilers of an effective rated output over 100 kW using liquids or solid fuels;
• at least every four (4) years for boilers of an effective rated output over 100 kW using gas;
• at least every five (5) years for boilers of an effective rated output between 20 kW and 100 kW.

Inspections of the heating system include an assessment of the efficiency of these systems and their adaptation to the demands of the building and its users.

There shall be no control of heating systems where no changes that would affect their energy efficiency were made after the previous inspection.

Inspections of heating and AC systems in buildings can be performed by a person who has:

• building qualifications in installation, or;
• the qualifications required for supervision during the operation of equipment which produce, process, transform and consume heat as well as other power equipment.

In 2006, Portugal officially adopted option a) of Article 8 of the EPBD, establishing a regular inspection of boilers. The inspection of boilers, as well as of AC systems was, however, a challenging issue due to the specific climate characteristics of the country. In Portugal, boilers and AC only operate for relatively short periods during the year; the real energy consumption is very low, and this makes regular cost-effective inspections a difficult strategy. Considering these difficulties, the transposition of the EPBD for Portugal did not impose regular inspections, and existing provisions should be changed so that advice should be given instead of those inspections.

A first step regarding the advice given to building users was introduced in the new EPC layout in December 2013. A specific section focuses on the importance of maintenance for heating, cooling and domestic hot water systems. It also recommends regular inspections of related equipment. Furthermore, it addresses how to properly select and size the equipment. As an additional measure, buildings with a thermal power above 25 kW are required to have systems installed and maintained by a TIM to guarantee the proper installation and maintenance. This technician supervises the above activities and manages all relevant technical information. Additional tasks include the design of a maintenance plan, which is mandatory for systems above 250 kW and done according to a layout provided by law.

The Slovak Republic decided to use the option of regular inspections, both for heating and AC systems, in response to Articles 14/15 of the EPBD (Directive 2010/31/EU). There is an option for an equivalence report provided. Regular inspections were made mandatory on 1 January 2008. The Ministry of Economy is responsible for the area of regular inspection for both heating and AC systems in buildings. The legal basis for both follows from Act 314/2012. There are two linked decrees:

• Decree 422/2012, which lays down the requirements for the procedure of regular and extended inspections of heating systems and the regular inspection of AC systems;
• Decree 44/2013, which defines the details of the examination procedure that qualified experts need to follow in order to carry out the regular inspection of heating and AC systems.

There is a minimum amount of information required to be included in the inspection reports and a report template is provided by the SIEA. Act 314/2012 contains framework information on the content of the report which is then supplemented by Decree 422/2012. The training and examination procedures for qualified experts follow the same structure for both heating and AC system inspections. SIEA provides an additional support, while the Slovak Association for Cooling and Air Conditioning Technology provides experts qualified to perform AC inspections.

Inspections of heating systems are based on the assessment of efficiency under defined normal working conditions. Currently, inspections of heating systems must follow the reference methodologies, partially based on EN standards, (e.g. EN 15378-1). A detailed national methodology is defined in Decree 422/2012. The regular intervals of inspection depend on the thermal output of the heating system, the type of fuel and the type of building (residential/non-residential). All boilers under the scope of Act 314/2012 in all residential buildings with a nominal heat output of the boiler above 20 kW, except for those fuelled by natural gas, biomass and biogas, should be inspected; since 2014, boilers above 20 kW in non-residential buildings which have been fuelled by solid, liquid and gaseous fossil fuels (with the exception of natural gas) should be inspected as well (Table 5).

Table 5. Intervals of regular inspections of boilers and heating systems.

There are 217 licensed bodies and 269 qualified experts registered for the regular inspection of heating systems (2019).

Inspections are ordered and paid for by the owner of the building or by the contractual administrator of the building or system. Building owners (or administrators of buildings or systems) are required to:

• arrange regular inspections of heating systems;
• keep inspection reports until a new one is received at the next periodic inspection;
• submit the last inspection report to the new owner in the case of transfer or reassignment of the ownership of the building;
• provide a copy of the latest inspection report to tenants when renting a building or heating system.

Summary data on performed inspections of heating systems including boilers in the period of 2010 – 2019 according to received inspection reports is presented in Table 6.

Table 6. Summary data on performed inspections of heating systems including boilers during the 2010 – 2019 period according to received inspection reports.

From the draft amendment of the Act 321/2014, it is expected among others that regular inspections will have to be performed on heating or AC systems with a total installed heating or cooling output higher than 70 kW per building. The following buildings are not subject to regular inspection: buildings that are also not subject to energy certification; non-residential buildings with installed output of heating or AC systems higher than 290 kW if they will have BACS installed; residential buildings equipped with BACS enabling continuous monitoring of the energy efficiency of the heating or AC system and optimisation of the energy use in the building or which are subject to a guaranteed energy service. The obligation of inspection will be extended not only to heating systems with boilers, but also to those systems equipped with hot water heaters, or using electric resistance heating, heat pumps or other energy, e.g., mainly solar energy. It is proposed to change the interval of regular inspections of heating systems as shown in Table 7.

Table 7. Proposed new intervals for regular inspection of heating systems (Draft amendment of Act 321/2014).

According to the Act on Energy Efficiency, the owner of a building or part of a building must organise for the regular inspection of accessible parts of heating or combined heating and ventilation systems, such as combustion appliances, heat generator, heat pumps, control systems and circulators with a rated output for space heating above 70 kW. The first inspection of a heating system or combined heating and ventilation system installed in a new building must be carried out within eight years from the issuance of the use permit or within eight years from the installation or renovation of the heating system or combined heating and ventilation system. The inspection must be done by licensed independent experts, which must pass a relevant training and examination in order to obtain the license for the inspection of heating systems.

The inspection system in Spain has been implemented since 1998 through Royal Decree 1751, although the 1980 regulation already referred to the inspection of energy consumption in AC installations, prior to the publication of the first Directive of Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EPBD). Since Spain had already established a system of specialised technicians and inspectors, the most appropriate option for Articles 14 and 15 of the said Directive was to maintain and improve the existing inspection systems.

After the publication of the Directive, the national regulations have been adapted and the inspection of AC systems currently pertains to the following aspects:

• initial inspections;
• periodic energy performance inspections;
• complete periodic inspections.

The mechanism is customised within the Autonomous Communities (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Established scheme for inspection.

The company or entity that carries out the inspection must issue a certificate of inspection that becomes part of the documentation of the installation; this certificate must follow a specific model established by the different Autonomous Communities.

Due to the territorialisation and competences regarding inspections in the Autonomous Communities in Spain, the current situation of heating inspection systems in buildings is different for each of the seventeen Communities and two Autonomous Cities.

The main actions carried out to improve the energy performance of the systems are based on training courses, as well as on specific aids for the replacement of low performing systems with others of high efficiency, namely the previously described PAREER².

This section covers the progress and current status on both heating systems and AC systems (2.IV.vi), and Sweden’s change of approach in response to Articles 14 and 15 of the EPBD.

In 2018, Boverket and Energimyndigheten were given a government assignment to investigate new requirements for inspection of heating systems and AC systems, where Sweden previously applied advice, as well as requirements for systems for building automation and property management. The investigation report suggested that Sweden should change its approach on the issue of inspection, and that requirements should be introduced as part of the energy performance certificate system, with amendments in the EPC Act for buildings, the Regulation on EPCs (BED), the Planning and Construction Act (2010:900) (henceforth PBL), and PBF. In 2020, parliamentary and government decisions were taken on the issue and new wording of the law and regulation entered into force in May 2020.

The Act (2006:985) on the Energy Performance Certificates of buildings was revised with:

• new definitions;
• requirements that for buildings subject to energy performance certificate requirements, heating systems and AC systems with an effective rated output of 70 kW or higher are to be inspected, before the energy performance certificate is produced;
• requirements that the EPC shall include recommendations for the cost-effective improvements of the inspected systems;
• requirements for inspection of heating and AC systems also in buildings that are not subject to energy performance certificate requirements.

The personal requirements for the independent expert conducting inspections are the same as for the energy performance certificate, governed in Boverket’s regulations for the certification of energy experts (BFS 2007:5 through BFS 2016:15), CEX.

In March 2021, Boverket revised regulations and general advice on EPCs for buildings (BFS 2021:3 (BED 11)¹⁴, which contained paragraphs on exemption from the obligation to inspect certain heating and AC systems (3 a §), requirements for inspection of heating and AC systems (4 b §, section 4 c §), requirements on other information to be specified in the EPC and inspection protocol (8 §), as well as requirements on the digital transfer of EPCs or inspection protocols (16 §).

Boverket also issued a revised manual for the certified independent expert with detailed descriptions on:

• which buildings are subject to inspection and when;
• content and objectives of the inspection;
• how to determine effective rated output;
• exceptions to inspection requirements.

The UK adopted alternative measures for heating systems and inspections for AC systems. The UK‐wide Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)²⁹ transposes the requirements of EED Article 8²⁶. ESOS allows compliance with EED Article 8 through the use of DECs. The inspection of AC systems and the alternative measures adopted for heating systems are not recognised by ESOS but they would likely be considered to inform ESOS assessments.

The UK decided to provide advice on boilers/heating systems, rather than implement an inspection regime. This is in continuation of the extensive programme of information, grant schemes and regulation which the UK has implemented historically. Equivalence reports were first issued to the Commission in 2007. The fifth equivalence report, covering the period 2017-2019, was issued to the Commission in 2018 and its publication is pending. The information below is based on the most recent 2018 report rather than previous reports⁵⁸.

The report found that the UK’s alternative measures would produce a primary energy saving of 2,706,654 MWh. In comparison, a hypothetical inspection regime would produce a saving of 1,132,932 MWh.

Activities to improve energy performance of heating systems

Two broad types of alternative measures identified in the 2018 were considered in this assessment:

Alternative measures targeting domestic properties – these comprise policies and programmes that include specific measures targeted at domestic boiler heating systems. These were grouped under the following types of impact:

• Boiler adjustment
• Implementation of controls
• Early boiler replacement
• Insulation of pipework
• Insulation of hot water storage

Alternative measures that affect non-domestic properties – these comprise policies and programmes that target improved energy efficiency in non-domestic buildings, but do not specify the type of measure to be implemented. For these programmes, the Government estimated the proportion of the overall saving that could be attributed to boiler system improvements.

The 2018 report sets out a number of non-domestic sector policies aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of existing buildings using energy measurement and/or energy auditing often in conjunction with financial levies or incentives. The policies (listed below) were aimed at encouraging the uptake of cost-effective capital investment and measures designed to encourage behavioural change.

• The Climate Change Levy
• Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme
• Mandatory greenhouse gas reporting
• Climate Change Agreements
• The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme

Impact and equivalence assessment

The impact of the alternative measures is detailed in Table 12.

Table 12: Primary energy savings attributable to alternative measures, UK 2018 Equivalence Report.

The UK boiler stock model was updated to estimate the savings (Table 13) that would result from a hypothetical inspection regime that extended the existing boiler inspection regime and met the requirements.

Table 13: Primary energy savings attributable to a hypothetical inspection regime, UK 2018 Equivalence Report.

The UK²⁰ adopted alternative measures for heating systems and inspections for AC systems. Wales‐specific programmes include “Nest”¹⁴ and “Arbed”¹⁵ which aim to address fuel poverty. “Nest” also provides access to advice and support. See England report for details.

The UK³³ adopted alternative measures for heating systems and inspections for AC systems. See England report for details. Heating systems measures specific to Northern Ireland include the Affordable Warmth Scheme¹⁸, a scheme that provides a range of energy efficiency improvement measures to privately owned and privately rented households with an annual gross income of less than £20,000 (~23,286 €). Additionally, the Boiler Replacement Scheme¹⁹ is available to privately owned households with an annual gross income of less than £40,000 (~46,571 €).

The UK adopted alternative measures for heating systems and inspections for AC systems. Refer to the England Report for an overview of the adopted UK-wide alternative measures for heating systems.

Heating systems measures specific to Scotland include the “Energy Assistance Package”^42, which targets fuel poverty and aims to reduce fuel bills and improve the energy efficiency of homes, the “Home Energy Efficiency Programmes”²⁴ and the “Warmer Homes Scotland”²⁷.