Key Indicators & Decisions (KI&Ds) – Greece – 2020

01.01

Definition of public buildings (according to article 9 b)

Law 4122/2013 sets the obligation for new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities to be nearly zero-energy buildings from 1/1/2019.

There is no further definition of what is considered a public building. For a new building to be characterised as nearly zero-energy building it should at least fall under energy class A, while for an existing building to be characterised as nearly zero-energy it should at least fall under energy class B+.

01.02

Definition of public buildings used by the public (according to article 13)

There is no specific definition for public buildings under the scope of article 13.

According to the provisions of Law 4122/2013, the requirement for all buildings used by the public sector and visited by the public to issue and publicly display an EPC, from 9/7/2015 also accounts for buildings with a total area of 250 m² or more.

Since no official registry for public buildings exists in Greece, the necessary information of public buildings is difficult to be accessed.

The only available registry is the one referring to public buildings (with more than 250 m² floor area) owned by the Central Government. The YPEN has initiated the communication with all central government organisations in order to acquire all necessary information.

No controls are foreseen regarding the issuing and public display of EPCs.

This list of 21 public buildings referred here is under the scope of Article 5 of EED, which concerns buildings owned and occupied by the central government.

01.03

Number of residential buildings

3,246,008 residential buildings (2,990,324 buildings that have only residential use, and 255,684 buildings of mixed use where the prevailing use is residential)

Another number that can be useful is the number of dwellings. A multi-family building can have e.g. 15 dwellings.

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority, the total number of dwellings was 4,122,088, census 2011.

01.04

Number of non-residential buildings

The total number of non-residential buildings is 273,596 (209,469 + 64,127).

The type of uses are: hotels, schools, office/commercial, and hospitals.

The first number accounts for single-use buildings, while the second number accounts for buildings with mixed use where the prevailing use is one of the aforementioned.

According to the National (Hellenic) Statistical Authority, buildings can be of the following types based on their use:

residential, church/ monastery, hotel, factory, school, office/commercial, parking, hospital, and other.

For the purposes of this document only the categories that are relevant to the EPC are totalled.

Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority, census 2011.

01.05

If possible, share of public buildings included in the number given in 01.04

34,958, which account for 12.8% of the number indicated in 01.04

The number indicated here concerns buildings where the owner is a public authority and their use is one of the following: hotel, school, office/commercial, hospital.

(Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority, census 2011).

01.06

If possible, share of commercial buildings included in the number given in 01.04

206,254 buildings characterised as office/ commercial buildings (153,510 + 52,744). The first number accounts for single-use buildings, while the second number accounts for buildings with mixed use where the prevailing use is office/ commercial.

It accounts for 75% of the number indicated in 01.04.

Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority.

01.07

Number of buildings constructed per year (estimate)

01.08

If possible, share of residential buildings constructed per year (estimate, included in the number given in 01.07)

The numbers given here refer to dwellings, not buildings and can thus not be given as a share of the figures indicated in 01.07.

Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority – Building Activity

01.09

If possible, share of non-residential buildings constructed per year (estimate, included in the number given in 01.07)

The numbers given here do not exclusively include new constructed commercial buildings but can also include permits for establishing a new commercial use for an existing building or additions to existing buildings, etc.

Thus, they cannot be given as a share of the numbers indicated in 01.07.

Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority – Building Activity

01.10

Useful floor area of buildings constructed per year in million square meters (estimate)

The numbers given in 01.07 for newly constructed buildings in terms of useful floor area are given in the table below:

Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority – Building Activity

02.01

Are building codes set as overall value, primary energy, environment (CO₂), reference building or other

The national Regulation on the Energy Performance of Buildings provides an overall primary energy consumption indicator, together with a CO₂ emissions indicator by the use of a reference building method. 

02.02

Requirements for energy performance of residential buildings in current building code

The national Regulation on the Energy Performance of Buildings has set minimum requirements (maximum U-values) for the building elements, as well as for the whole building envelope (max. U_building) and minimum requirements for the efficiency of heating, cooling and hot water production systems. All new buildings must be at least Class B until the dates that NZEB come into force (1/1/2019 for public buildings, 1/1/2021 for all new buildings), and then all new buildings should be at least Class A.

02.03

Requirements for energy performance of non-residential commercial buildings in current building code

Non-residential buildings have on top of the aforementioned requirements additional ones for the lighting systems.

. 

02.04

Requirements for energy performance of non-residential public buildings in current building code

Non-residential public buildings have on top of the under 02.02 aforementioned requirements additional ones for the lighting systems.

02.05

Is the performance level of nearly zero energy (NZEB) for new buildings defined in national legislation?

All new buildings must fall under energy performance category A.

The performance level for NZEB and the exact share of RES is expected to be defined in a forthcoming study (expected mid 2020). 

02.06

Nearly zero energy (NZEB) level for residential buildings (level for building code)

At least energy class A

02.07

Year / date for nearly zero energy (NZEB) as level for residential buildings (as indicated in 02.04)

January 2021 for all new buildings (either residential or commercial) as set in Law 4122/2013

02.08

Nearly zero energy (NZEB) level for all non-residential buildings (level for building code)

At least energy class A

02.09

Year / date for nearly zero energy (NZEB) as level for non-residential buildings (as indicated in 02.06)

January 2019 for public buildings, January 2021 for private buildings

02.10

Are nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) defined using a carbon or environment indicator?

No

02.11

Is renewable energy a part of the overall or an additional requirement?

Part of the overall requirement

02.12

If renewable energy is an additional requirement to NZEB, please indicate level

To be defined in the forthcoming study

02.13

Specific comfort criteria for new buildings, provide specific parameters for instance for airtightness, minimum ventilation rates

Yes

03.01

Is the level of nearly zero energy (NZEB) for existing buildings set in national legislation?

At least energy class B+

03.02

Is the level of nearly zero energy (NZEB) for existing buildings similar to the level for new buildings?

No, there is a differentiation (energy class A for new buildings, and energy class B+ for existing ones).

03.03

Definition of nearly zero energy (NZEB) for existing residential buildings (if different from new buildings)

At least energy class B+

03.04

Definition of nearly zero energy (NZEB) for existing non-residential buildings (if different from new buildings)

At least energy class B+

03.05

Overall minimum requirements in case of major-renovation

When a building undergoes major renovation, it must meet the minimum requirements of the KENAK (i.e., Class B). This is until the dates that the NZEB comes into force (1/1/2019 for public buildings, 1/1/2021 for all buildings) and then all existing buildings that undergo major renovation should be at least of Class B+.

03.06

Minimum requirements for individual building parts in case of renovation

Yes, if the existing buildings undergo major renovation.

03.07

National targets for renovation in connection to Long Term Renovation Strategy (number or percentage of buildings)

03.08

National targets for renovation in connection to Long Term Renovation Strategy (expected reductions and relevant years)

04.01

Number of energy performance certificates per year (for instance average or values for of 3-5 years)

In 2019 alone, a total of 315,804 EPCs were issued; in 2018 a total of 303,672 EPCs were issued; in 2017 a total of 254,914 EPCs were issued.

04.02

Number of EPCs since start of scheme

Until the end of 2019, a total of 1,815,232 EPCs have been issued according to the Energy Inspections Department.

04.03

Number of EPCs for different building types

04.04

Number of assessors

Building energy auditors: 16,096

Inspectors for heating systems: 2,982

Inspectors for AC systems: 2,411

04.05

Basic education requirements for assessors

Engineer or architectural degree

04.06

Additional training demands for assessors

Training seminars were available for assessors.

Those assessors that have successfully passed the examination foreseen in article 9 of Presidential Decree (P.D.) 100/2010 are categorised as Class C (highest) assessors.

04.07

Quality assurance system

The Departments of Energy Inspection (of Northern and Southern Greece) of the General Directorate of Environment, Construction, Energy and Mineral Inspectorate are responsible for carrying out random EPC control checks and checks on specific EPCs due to complaints.

The checks include:

1. control of the data inserted in the electronic database used for the EPC calculations;
2. on-site inspection of the building in order to verify the data used for the EPC.  

The quality check procedure utilises a tolerance of 5% from the total primary energy consumption of the existing building or variation of more than one energy class. Penalties to energy auditors are calculated according to a specially developed algorithm from the Departments of Energy of YPEN and covers all cases of issued penalties (according to art. 56, Law 4409/2016.

04.08

National database for EPCs

Yes

04.09

Link to national information on EPCs / Database

http://bpes.ypeka.gr/?page_id=21

05.01

Is there a national definition of smart buildings?

Not yet defined

05.02

Are there current support systems for smart buildings?

05.03

Are there currently specific requirements for technical building systems (for instance in building codes)?

05.04

Are there current requirements for automatics (for instance in building codes)?

05.05

Chosen option A or B for heating systems (inspection or other measures)

Option A

05.06

Number of heating inspections; reports per year (if option A)

The official launch of the registry of the heating systems inspection reports took place in January 2016.

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

05.07

Chosen option A or B for cooling systems (inspection or other measures)

A

05.08

Number of air-conditioning / cooling system inspections; reports per year (if option A)

43 in total

05.09

Is there a national database for heating inspections?

Yes

05.10

Is there a national database for cooling / air-conditioning inspections?

Yes

05.11

Are inspection databases combined with EPC databases for registration of EPCs and inspection reports?

Yes

05.12

Link to national information on Inspection / Database

www.buildingcert.gr