1. Introduction – OVERVIEW

The EPBD (Directive 2010/31/EU) as amended by Directive 2018/844 has been implemented in Austria by the nine (9) provinces (Länder). It provided an opportunity for the development and harmonisation of a common calculation methodology, as well as for the application of new regulations for technical building systems. The issuance of EPCs was already a fact in several provinces even before implementing the EPBD. The EPBD implementation has resulted in further developed building regulations.

The EPC has become an important tool in April 2012 following the implementation of the EPBD, as well as signing into law the mandatory provision of the EPC (the Energy Performance Certificate Providence Act), which applies to apartment or building purchases and rentals, and its tightening through the imposition of penalties for non‐compliance later that same year.

The Austrian national plan for increasing the number of residential and non-residential NZEB by 2020 was first published in 2014 and revised in 2018. The national building regulation directive (OIB Guideline 6) as regards energy efficiency is being tightened in two-year steps to achieve the requirements by 2020. The recast of OIB Guideline 6 was published in spring 2019. Furthermore, Austria has already started defining national goals for 2030 and beyond – based on the Paris climate conference agreement which entered into force in 2016.

In Belgium, the EPBD implementation is a regional responsibility. In the Brussels-Capital Region, the EPBD is under the authority of the Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, responsible for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Participatory Democracy.

The first relevant ordinance (EPB ordinance) dates from June 2007, whereas in May 2013, the Brussels-Capital Region Government adopted a new ordinance for the Brussels Air, Climate and Energy Code (COBRACE), which entered into force on 1 January 2015. This ordinance transposes Directive 2010/31/EU¹ and Directive 2018/844/EU.

In Belgium, the implementation of the EPBD is the responsibility of the regional governments. The Flemish Energy Agency (VEA, as of 2021 Flemish Energy and Climate Agency - VEKA) and the Department of Environment and Spatial Development are the responsible public bodies in the Flemish Region. They are also in charge of managing the certification scheme, the accreditation of experts and compliance checking. A central register is used to collect data from all certificates as well as the calculations of new building requirements.

An evaluation process of the legislation concerning the requirements for new and renovated buildings as well as the different certification schemes was finalised in 2019. The evaluation revealed that no update was needed of the respective NZEB requirements which were set and implemented in 2013 for residential buildings, offices and schools, and in 2017 for other non-residential buildings.

This report presents an overview of the current status of implementing the EPBD as well as future developments in the Flemish Region. It addresses, among other issues, energy performance requirements, certification and inspection systems, including quality control mechanisms, training of qualified experts and information campaigns.

In Belgium, the implementation of the EPBD is the responsibility of the regional governments. This report focuses on implementing the EPBD in the Walloon Region; the Flemish and Brussels regions are responsible for implementing the EPBD within their respective material and territorial jurisdictions.

With the overall revision of the regulations (Decree of 28 November 2013¹ and its execution order of 15 May 2014²) carried out (in 2013) as part of the transposition of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Walloon Region has promoted several developments, such as the display of energy performance indicators within sale and rental advertisements (January 2015), the addition of technical building system requirements (May 2016), and the development of the levels of NZEB requirements (with an intermediate stage in January 2017).

Along with this amendment, the calculation method was extended to all non-residential buildings. This progress made it possible to set overall energy performance requirements for this building type (January 2017). It also set the basis for the certification of non-residential buildings.

Further achievements in the Walloon Region include systematised compliance checks with Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) procedures and requirements, as well as certification and advertising requirements, including the quality of the services provided by accredited experts.

Actions for increasing energy efficiency have actively been applied during the last few decades in Bulgaria. This report outlines the development of the legal and technical measures to improve energy efficiency in buildings.

This report presents an overview of the application of the principles of the EPBD, Directives 2002/91/EC and 2010/31/EC, amended by Directive (EU) 2018/844. It outlines the development of regulatory measures set up to ensure mechanisms for reducing energy consumption in buildings in Bulgaria. In addition, efforts have been made to identify guidelines for future mechanisms to continue improving the energy efficiency of buildings.

The Minister of Energy is responsible for implementing all directives on energy efficiency (including the EPBD). All plans and programmes, including those in the building sector, are covered by the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2014-2020 (NEEAP). The Minister of Energy coordinates implementation in all sectors and produces reports on executing the NEEAP.

The Ministry of Energy is in charge of implementing state policy to increase energy efficiency in final energy consumption and in regards to the provision of energy services in Bulgaria. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is responsible for developing and implementing technical rules and regulations in the field of energy performance for new and existing buildings, as well as projects for renovating buildings and improving their energy efficiency. The Sustainable Energy Development Agency (SEDA) implements the national policy on improving energy efficiency of both energy end-use and energy services.

By 2005, Bulgarian legislation had already introduced some principles of Directive 2002/91/EC. More recently, the following legislation was enacted:

• The Energy Efficiency Act, which came into force in 2008, with further amendments (repealed as of 2015); 

• The Energy Efficiency Act¹, which came into force in 2015, with further amendments, which transposed both the Directive 2002/91/EC and Directive 2010/31/EC into national legislation².

Croatia’s first steps towards transposing the EPBD started in 2005; however, the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning (MCPP) officially started implementing the EPBD in 2008, and the Ministry of Economy became responsible for transposing certain other areas of the Directive in that same year. The Building Act in 2013 (OG 153/2013), set the legislative basis for implementing all articles of the EPBD and, with that, the MCPP became the sole ministry in charge of transposing and implementing the EPBD.

New amendments of the Building Act entered into force on 28 December 2019 (OG 125/2019) and transposed most parts of the EPBD Directive (EU) 2018/844. The remaining parts of the Directive which are not yet addressed by the Building Act, will be transposed by:   

• the Ordinance on energy audits and energy certification of buildings (OG 88/2017, 90/2020),
• the Ordinance on control of energy performance certificates of buildings and reports on regular inspections of heating systems and cooling or air-conditioning systems in buildings (OG 73/2015, 54/2020); and
• the Technical regulation on energy savings and thermal protection in buildings (OG 128/2015, 70/2018, 73/2018, 86/2018, 102/2020).

Values for the energy performance of buildings (NZEB) are set based on:

• maximum annual primary energy consumption per usable floor area of a building (E"_prim);
• maximum annual energy needs for heating per usable floor area of a building (Q"_H,nd), for new buildings and for existing buildings undergoing renovation;
• share of RES in the total energy consumption.

Also prescribed within the Building Act are the need for lighting, efficiency of technical building systems, energy efficiency class of the building, as well as automation and control systems. The designer must take into account the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of available high-efficiency alternative energy supply systems, and document these in the main design for new buildings with a useful floor area of ≥ 50 m².

Currently, Croatia has an electronic database for the EPCs and for reports on the regular inspection of heating and cooling/AC systems, as well as a national software tool for the calculation of the EPC.

In order to enhance the energy performance of buildings, four national programmes were adopted. Since 2014, a large number of buildings, particularly single- and multi-family buildings, have been renovated using incentives provided by the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency (EPEEF). An ESCO model was used in renovation of public sector buildings.

As the building sector is responsible for more than 30% of the final energy consumption in Cyprus and the existing building stock is lacking in energy efficiency, the energy performance of buildings plays a vital role in implementing an energy policy that will be beneficial to almost all stakeholders. Therefore, Cyprus aims to reduce the building sector’s energy demand to a very low level, for both new and existing buildings, by implementing all financially and technically feasible energy efficiency measures.

The first initiative to promote energy efficiency in buildings was initiated in 2004 with the 'Grant Scheme for Promoting Renewable Energy Sources and the Conservation of Energy' funded by the RES and Energy Conservation Fund. The scheme included subsidies for thermal insulation, double-glazing, efficient lighting and RES. However, the decisive step was done by implementing the EPBD mainly through minimum energy performance requirements, introduced in 2007, and the launch of the national scheme to certify the energy performance of new and existing buildings two years later¹.

Cyprus transposed the EPBD into national legislation by issuing the law that regulates the Energy Performance of Buildings in 2006, which has since been amended three times in order to transpose Directive 2010/31/EU and better adjust the EPBD to national circumstances. Based on this legal framework, several secondary pieces of legislation have been issued defining minimum energy performance requirements, technical requirements for NZEB, requirements for technical building systems, inspection processes and other issues related to energy performance of buildings. Public consultation regarding new legislation that will transpose Directive 2018/844/EU into national legislation and new minimum energy performance requirements has been concluded In 2019. The new legislation and new minimum energy performance requirements are expected to be set in force during the first semester of 2020.

The overall responsibility of implementing the EPBD in Cyprus lies with the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry (MECI). This report is an overview of the current status of the EPBD implementation in Cyprus.

The Czech Republic’s building market possesses great potential for energy savings that can largely be achieved through implementing the EPBD, a responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The EPBD has been transposed through the Energy Management Act No. 406/2000 Coll¹, with the last amendment coming into force in 2020. The Energy Management Act sets the obligation to increase the energy performance of buildings and the obligations related to EPCs; it also sets rules, conditions and educational standards for EPC issuers and heating and AC systems inspectors. The most recent amendments to the Act relate to the obligation of transposing those parts of Directive 2018/844/EU which are amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. The Act is also amended to include an obligation for the State Energy Inspection to issue a binding opinion regarding the energy performance of a planned construction or renovation if the total energy reference area² is greater than 350 m². A new amendment to the Act is currently being prepared.

Part of Directive 2010/31 EU was transposed via Decree No. 78/2013 Coll. on Energy Performance of Buildings, which was amended as Decree 264/2020 Coll. to fully transpose Directive 2018/844/EU.

Improving the buildings’ energy performance and increasing energy savings are high priorities in the Czech Republic. This report presents an overview of the progress and current status of the EPBD implementation in the Czech Republic.

This report presents an overview of the current implementation status of the EPBD and relevant initiatives planned in Denmark. The report addresses the methodology for the energy performance calculations for buildings and related requirements, including the Danish requirements for technical building systems. It also provides an update on implementing the EPC and the inspection requirements for heating and AC systems.

An early introduction of future requirements is a tradition in Danish building policy and regulation; it gives the building industry as well as building owners an opportunity to prepare, develop and experiment with the buildings of tomorrow. The method has been a successful way to push the Danish building industry in an ambitious direction and has ensured new buildings to be highly energy efficient at a cost-efficient level. It is also a tradition that future requirements are evaluated before they become final and binding.

The Danish NZEB definition is now the minimum requirement in Danish building regulations and has been mandatory since 1 July 2016. The building regulations still have a voluntary energy class that corresponds to the former Building Class 2020.

At the end of the report, an overview of the new Danish Climate Act, which is expected to form the background for the Danish policy regarding energy efficiency, is provided.

The Danish Energy Agency, under the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, is responsible for implementing the EPBD in Denmark. The Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority, under the Danish Ministry of Transport and Housing, is responsible for the building regulations in Denmark.

In Estonia, the implementation of the EPBD is the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings has been one of the priorities of the governmental energy and housing policy in Estonia. The amendments of the Building Code¹, which transposed the main elements of Directive 2002/91/EC, came into force in October 2006. However, the regulations transposing all the EPBD requirements were finalised in January 2009², and the main regulations³, in compliance with Directive 2010/31/EU, came into force in January 2013. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications adopted updated and stricter energy performance requirements in 2018, which were enforced from the beginning of 2019.

Before the EPBD requirements, there were no specific legal obligations, e.g., thermal transmittance values, or requirements for technical building systems.

In 2015, a new renovation grant scheme⁴ started for apartment buildings. During the 2015 – 2018 period, a total of 102 million € was used to renovate existing apartment buildings in Estonia. With updated conditions (regionality aspect: in the two bigger cities Tallinn and Tartu, the grant limit was 30%; in cities where the average real estate value was bigger than 500 €/m² (mainly in county centers), the grant limit was 40%; while in other regions in Estonia, the grant limit was 50%), the grant scheme⁵ was extended to the 2019 – 2020 period with another 46 million € used for renovation. Due to the Covid pandemic, extra funds⁶ were provided so that in 2020 a total of ca. 56 million € were granted. In 2020, the factory reconstruction grant⁷ for apartment buildings was opened (ca. 15 million € and 20 buildings).

Information about the conditions and process for application to the different grants and other services related to energy efficiency measures in apartment buildings are available on the KredEx homepage (https://kredex.ee/en/teenused/ku-ja-kov/laen-kaendus-ja-toetus).

This report presents an overview of the status of implementing and improving the EPBD in Estonia. It addresses certification, minimum requirements, and inspection systems as well as quality control mechanisms, training of qualified experts, information campaigns, etc.

The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for transposing and implementing the EPBD in Finland, where building energy efficiency regulations have been in place since 1976, as part of the National Building Code. These regulations have been tightened several times since, in part due to implementing the EPBD.

EPCs were introduced at the beginning of 2008, based on the Energy Certification of Buildings Act.

In line with Directive 2010/31/EU, minimum energy performance requirements for the construction of new buildings have been revised and minimum requirements have been developed for existing buildings undergoing renovations and retrofitting. The detailed definition and regulation for NZEB has been finalised, and the revision of the Land Use and Building Act came into force on 1 January 2017. These new regulations ensure the implementation of Directive 2010/31/EU.

For boiler and AC system inspections, Finland’s parliament has chosen to use alternative measures (instead of compulsory inspection) in response to Articles 14 and 15 of the EPBD.

The preparation for the implementation of Directive 2018/844/EU was ongoing in the end of 2019 and the Long Term Renovation Strategy will be submitted by due date, in March 2020.

In France, the implementation of the EPBD has been the responsibility of the French Ministry for an ecological and solidary transition and the Ministry of territory cohesion. Aiming at replicating the successful transposition of Directive 91/2002/EC, France has been working on implementing Directive 2010/31/EU since 2010. Law 2010/788 of 12 July 2010¹ and the regulation that followed have significantly improved the energy performance certification process, while the implementation of the new thermal regulation, RT 2012², has brought energy efficiency of new buildings to NZEB level. The Energy Transition for Green Growth Act (LTECV) of 17 August 2015³ provided also new tools, e.g., requirements for insulating envelope parts in case of restoration, aiming at increasing thermal renovation.

France is now focusing on transposing the Directive (EU) 2018/844. Several rules, such as those on electro mobility, have already been applied on French ground. To continue the implementation process, Art. 39 of the Law 2019/1147 of 8 November 2019 allowed the government to take acts to finalise its transposition. Furthermore, the ELAN law⁴ (voted in the late 2018) introduced new targets for energy consumption reduction for all existing non-residential building of more than 1,000 m².

This report is giving an overview of the current status of the implementation of the EPBD, structured around four main topics:

• requirements on energy performance for new buildings;

• requirements on energy performance for existing buildings;

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPCs);

• smart buildings and building systems.

Finally, one last additional part highlights the setting of the Energy plus Carbon minus (E+ C-) testing scheme, which serves as a preparatory function for the future thermal regulation that is being enlarged to a real environmental regulation taking into account greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a lifecycle basis. 

A holistic approach to energy efficiency in buildings was first introduced in Germany in 2002 with the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV¹). The EnEV replaced legislation on the thermal insulation of buildings (WschV²) and on system requirements for central heating (HeizAnlV³), which had been in place for 25 years. For the replacement to be successful, a method for calculating the heat requirement of a building was developed as a national pre-standard, widely based on the former European standard EN 832. In order to implement the EPBD, Directive 2002/91/EC, the German standardisation institute DIN was developed, and in 2005 the calculation standard DIN V 18599⁴ for overall energy performance of buildings was published. The latter covers a wide range of use patterns and – in addition to heating, ventilation and domestic hot water - cooling, lighting and component interaction and building services. The second edition of this standard, published in 2007, was used as a compulsory calculation method for non-residential buildings. Two years later, the energy efficiency requirements were strengthened with the Energy Saving Ordinance 2009⁵. At the same time, the percentage of use of RES for new buildings was legally introduced with the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG⁶), which was amended in 2011 to extend the requirements to cases of major renovations of public buildings.

The Energy Saving Act (EnEG), the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) 2013⁷ and the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG) implement the requirements of the EPBD, Directive 2010/31/EU. Strengthened minimum requirements, which are the NZEB standard, were fixed and came into force for all new buildings from 1 January 2016 (application for building permit). The requirements are expressed by a reference building method, not by fixed values. The requirements are linked to compulsory calculation methods (DIN V 18599: 2011-12 and, alternatively for residential buildings without AC, the old method according to DIN V 4701-10: 2003-08). Both methods include mandatory boundary conditions. A simplified method⁸ using a model building approach, applicable to a broad range of residential buildings, came into force in 2016.

The Energy Saving Act standards (Energieeinsparungsgesetz - EnEG), the Energy Saving Regulation (Energieeinsparverordnung - EnEV) and the Renewable Energy Heat Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Wärmegesetz - EEWärmeG) are merged in the so-called German Energy Act for Buildings (Gebäudeenergiegesetz 2020  GEG)⁹, which integrates energy efficiency and renewable energy provisions.

The German Energy Act for Buildings contributes to achieving the national energy efficiency and climate goals. Moreover, this further development towards a coordinated system adds to the achievement of an almost climate-neutral building stock. This structurally new concept simplifies and encompasses regulations for a better integration of RES into the buildings’ heat supply and introduces a district approach.

The next review process concerning energetic standards for new and existing buildings will start in 2023. This process shall address economic viability and shall be technology neutral. The energy performance requirements for residential and non-residential buildings will be further developed as part of this review process. A key focus point will be the affordability of building and living.

The provisions of the EPBD as amended by Directive 2018/844/EU are implemented into national law through the development of the German Energy Act for Buildings and the Draft of the Act for the establishment of a building integrated charging and cabling infrastructure (Entwurf eines Gesetzes zum Aufbau einer gebäudeintegrierten Lade- und Leitungsinfrastruktur für die Elektromobilität - GEIG).

The responsibility for the implementation of the EPBD in Greece lies with the Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEN). In February 2013, the Greek Parliament approved the adoption of Directive 2010/31/EU with the passing of Law 4122/2013. Directive 844/2018/EU, which amends the former directive, is expected to be transposed into Greek legislation in the first trimester of 2020.

Law 4342/2015 transposed the EED into national legislation and requires 3% of the total floor area of heated and/or cooled public buildings to be renovated each year to meet the minimum energy performance requirements. This obligation will be included in the new law (as set in Directive 844/2018).

The national building code 'Regulation on the Energy Performance of Buildings' (KENAK) was amended in July 2017 with Ministerial Decision (M.D. DEPEA/oik. 178581, GoG B’ 2367/12.07.2017), according to the results of the cost-optimal study; the relevant Technical Guidelines were approved in November 2017 (M.D. DEPEA/oik.182365, GoG B’ 4003/17.11.2017).

The national plan for increasing the number of nearly zero-energy buildings was issued in August 2018 and defined, among others, that a new building may be characterised as a nearly zero-energy building if it falls at least under energy class A, while an existing building when it falls at least under energy class B+. A decision on the minimum share of RES and the way it contributes to primary energy consumption is still pending.

A ministerial decision was issued in February 2019 (M.D YPEN/DEPEA/6949/72, GoG B’408/14.02.2019) defining the calculation methodology for characterising a renovation as major.

Management and quality control is performed by the Departments of Energy Inspection (of Northern and Southern Greece), which are entities within the Directorate General of Audits and Inspections, established for this purpose.

This report presents an overview of the progress and current status of the EPBD implementation in Greece.

In Hungary, most of the articles of the EPBD (Directive 2010/31/EU) were implemented between 2012 and 2015. For buildings that receive public funding, the energy performance requirements were upgraded to the cost-optimal level at the beginning of 2015. The cost-optimal requirements have been introduced as mandatory requirements in 2018, whereas NZEB requirements came into force in 2019 for buildings used by authorities, and in 2021 for all new buildings, respectively¹.

Due to several changes in administration, the EPBD transposition, originally the responsibility of the Ministry for National Development, was later moved to the Prime Minister’s Office and lately to the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. The office updated the national rulebook in 2015 thereby introducing significant changes. The new version is in force since the beginning of 2016. It has introduced new energy labelling ranges resulting in all existing EPCs having been reclassified. Further, it has provided an exact definition of the NZEB requirements, having an impact on the EPCs issued since 2016.

The National Building Energy Strategy adopted in 2015 envisaged very ambitious renovation goals until 2020 and, in particular, an exemplary role for public buildings. Hungary has adopted alternative measures for inspection of heating and AC systems. Support programmes have rather focused on public buildings, except for the non-refundable funds of the 'Warmth of Home Programme' focusing on reconstruction of residential buildings (approximately 10 billion HUF per year since 2015 by the Ministry of National Development²). The 'GINOP 8' programme³ offers a favourable loan for retrofitting the residential stock with a budget of more than 100 billion HUF⁴. Information campaigns have been carried out with special attention to cost-optimal renovation solutions.

In general, Building Regulations in Ireland apply to the construction of new buildings, to major renovations, and to extensions or material alterations to existing buildings.

The 2019 Building Regulations for dwellings (residential buildings)¹ set minimum energy performance requirements for dwellings and their application to new dwellings to achieve NZEB standard. NZEB is equivalent to a 25% improvement in energy performance when compared to the 2011 Building Regulations, including a mandatory Renewable Energy Ratio of 20% for new dwellings.

Major renovation is activated where the work affects a surface area greater than 25% of the existing dwelling and requires the dwelling to reach the cost-optimal level of 125 kWh/m².year or lower (B2 energy rating) or alternatively an upgrade of the ceiling insulation and the heating system.

The 2017 Building Regulations for Buildings other than Dwellings (non-residential buildings)² are equivalent to a 60% improvement in energy performance when compared to the 2008 Building Regulations. RES must provide 20% of the primary energy use, however there is flexibility where the building is more energy efficient than the minimum required in the Building Regulations. This typically corresponds to an A3 energy rating.

For existing buildings that undergo major renovation, the Regulation requires that the building is brought up to cost-optimal level, which is defined in the building regulations as an upgrade of the heating, cooling and ventilation systems as well as lighting where the systems are more than 15 years old.

On 21 January 2020, the Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) submitted the final text of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the years 2021-2030 to the European Commission. The main objective of the NECP concerning energy efficiency consists of a reduction of primary energy consumption by 43%, compared to PRIMES 2007 projections, higher than the overall EU target of 32.5%.

At the internal legislative level, Directive 2018/844/EU has been implemented by Decree 10.06.2020 n. 48, which introduced the necessary changes to Legislative Decree 192/2005.

Decree 192/2005¹, modified by Legislative Decree 311/2006², set the basis for the EPBD implementation in Italy. It was followed by a number of complementary legal acts updating the minimum energy performance requirements for buildings, building components and technical building systems, while extending the calculation to cooling and lighting systems and providing guidelines for energy performance certification (2009) and defining requirements for assessors as well as specifications for the inspection of technical building systems (2013).

Law 90/2013³ has implemented Directive 2010/31/EU, introducing significant changes to the first 2005 implementation. In June 2015, three inter-ministerial decrees (26 June 2015)⁴ completed the EPBD transposition, which also established stricter minimum requirements for new buildings and major renovations, defined NZEB as well as rules for taking RES in buildings into account, and provided new national guidelines for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

Until the publication of the operative decrees foreseen by Decree 10.06.2020 n. 48, the three inter-ministerial decrees (26 June 2015) apply.

Italian regions and autonomous provinces (a total of 21 authorities) have final jurisdiction in energy topics. For this reason, in the past, a number of regions implemented the EPBD separately, thereby creating a very heterogeneous and complex regulatory framework. The current legislation provided an advanced harmonisation of the EPBD implementation all over the national territory.

A national Information System (SIAPE) for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) has been created and a national register for the inspection of technical heating/cooling systems is under development, although regions and the autonomous provinces are still in charge of managing their own databases and for related monitoring and control.

In Latvia, the implementation of the EPBD is the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Economics. The Ministry of Economics develops and implements the national energy efficiency policy, including the transposition of the EPBD. The necessary laws and regulations for transposing the EPBD were adopted at the end of 2014 and are currently all in force. This report presents an overview of the current status of the implementation of the EPBD in Latvia. It addresses requirements for the energy performance of buildings, for technical building systems, EPCs and inspections, and includes experiences with EPBD implementation as well as future plans.

The main legislative acts concerning the energy performance of buildings consist of:

• the Law on the Energy Performance of Buildings (LEPB) that was adopted in the Latvian Parliament Saeima and came into force on 9 January 2013¹;

• Cabinet Regulation No. 383 of 9 July 2013, ‘Regulations regarding Energy certification of Buildings’ (Regulation No. 383)²;

• Cabinet Regulation No. 348 of 25 June 2013, ‘Building energy performance calculation method’ (Regulation No. 348)³;

• Cabinet Regulation No. 382 of 9 July 2013, ‘Regulations Regarding Independent Experts of Energy Performance of Buildings’ (Regulation No. 382)⁴;

• Cabinet Regulation No. 339 of 30 June 2015, ‘Regulations of Latvian Building Norm LBN 002‐15 'Thermal requirements of the buildings envelopes’ (LBN 002‐15)⁵.

In Luxembourg, the implementation of the EPBD has been the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning since December 2018, with the Department of Energy, Directorate for Energy Efficiency, as the managing body. Before December 2018, the Ministry of Economy was in charge of transposing the EPBD. The EPBD is implemented by regulations based on the Loi modifiée du 5 août 1993 concernant l'utilisation rationnelle de l'énergie (Law 1993)¹. This law is the legal basis for setting up the requirements for the energy performance of buildings. In 1995, Luxembourg implemented the first mandatory requirements for residential and non-residential buildings.

In 2008, the requirements for residential buildings were modified in order to transpose the EPBD into national law, Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 30 novembre 2007 concernant la performance énergétique des bâtiments d’habitation² (RGD 2007), and the EPC became mandatory for residential buildings.

The implementation of the EPBD, including the mandatory issue of EPCs for non-residential buildings, came into force in 2011 through Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 31 août 2010 concernant la performance énergétique des bâtiments fonctionnels³ (RGD 2010).

Over the years, many regulatory changes entered into force. The most important changes concerned:

• a strengthening of the overall energy performance of buildings on a defined timeline, and the definition of NZEB;

• the introduction of the 'as-built' EPC;

• the obligation to indicate the energy performance of buildings in advertisements;

• the obligation to control a representative percentage of EPCs.

Some major changes (detailed in chapter 2) concerning residential buildings were published and entered into force in 2016 and 2019.

Malta has a long tradition regarding building regulations, with requirements ranging from prescriptive-based to performance-based. With regards to energy efficiency, the development of regulations has historically been hindered by the absence of severe weather conditions, with mean temperatures of 13-14°C in January and February, resulting in inherently low energy demands in buildings. The main challenge in climatic building design has been to employ various strategies to avoid overheating in summer: achieving high thermal mass, limiting solar gains through glazing by utilising various external shading devices, implementing stack-effect ventilation and achieving air stratification through the use of high ceilings. It was not until the implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC that the first building regulations exclusively related to energy efficiency were developed.

The EPBD was transposed through a number of acts and legal notices over the period of 2006-2018. The statutory instrument transposing the EPBD has been revised and the Building Regulation Act has been issued in 2018, taking into account the latest EPBD provisions.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has been set up in 2021 following the establishment of the transitory Building and Construction Agency in 2019 to incorporate the various aspects of the entities within the construction industry. The Authority is intended to be able to better fulfil its regulatory role in the construction industry including the requirements emanating from the EPBD.

Figure 1. The BCA was set up with the intention of improving regulation and knowledge within the construction industry.

Following the issue of the minimum energy performance requirements reflecting cost-optimal levels which came into force as of January 2016, the second set of cost-optimal studies were carried out over a vast array of building typologies. The results from the cost-optimal studies are informing proposed new minimum energy performance requirements.

In recent years, focus has shifted towards the renovation of the existing building stock. In this regard, initial measures included the renovation of public buildings with the intention of increasing skills and experience in the sector such that renovation projects may be replicated in the private sector.

Implementing the EPBD was further supported by training and registering new EPC assessors as well as developing a framework to improve and better document the skills of tradesmen, craftsmen and workers within the construction industry.
As of 2021, the responsibilities for implementing the EPBD lie with the Building and Construction Authority.

The EPC system in the Netherlands has been implemented since 2008. At the end of 2019, more than 3.8 million residential buildings (48% of the total residential building stock) and approximately 120,000 non-residential buildings (11% of the total stock) have a registered and valid EPC.  

In December 2012, the government decided to implement a new system for owners of residences. This new system, called “VEL” (“Vereenvoudigd Energie Label” meaning Simplified Energy Label) was developed in 2013 and 2014, and has been operational since January 2015. Legislation for the new labelling system became effective on 1 January 2015¹. Changes in the accreditation system for experts for the new EPC for residential buildings were also implemented in January 2015. The original EPC system, called “Energie Index”, remained active as well, and is mainly used by social housing associations for their building stock and by a (very) small number of private house owners who wish to get a more profound overview of the energy performance of their home.

As of 1 January 2021, as a result of the implementation of the new energy performance calculation method Nederlandse Technische Afspraak 8800 (NTA 8800), both previous systems (“VEL” and “Energie Index”) will become invalid. EPC’s may then only be calculated with the new method NTA 8800.

In September 2013, a national Energy Agreement (“Energie Akkoord”) was signed by more than 40 market participants and other stakeholders. The targets for energy efficiency improvements and the use of RES in buildings in this agreement are still in line with the requirements of the EPBD.

Building on the Energy Agreement, the Climate Agreement was signed on 28 June 2019 between the Government and over 100 public and private parties, representing all relevant sectors. On 2 July 2019, the Climate Law was adopted by the Parliament. The Climate Law aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in all sectors by 49% in 2030 and by 95% in 2050 (related to 1990). The Climate Agreement describes a wide variety of measures in all sectors (not only buildings and the built environment) that public and private parties agreed upon to reach the goals set in the Climate Law. The calculations of the effects of the draft Climate Agreement by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) show that the 49% reduction target for 2030 is feasible (i.e., 3.4 Mton of additional CO₂-reduction).

On 9 March 2020, the Government presented the Long Term Renovation Strategy (LTRS) as part of the implementation of Directive 2018/844/EU (EPBD). The LTRS describes in a coherent way the wide variety of measures that the Netherlands will apply, both on the short and longer term, to reach a low carbon built environment in 2050. In March 2020, measures to implement the above-mentioned directive came into effect, e.g., requirements for charging infrastructure for electrical vehicles, obligation to document the energy performance of technical building systems and changes to the inspection schemes for heating and air-conditioning systems.

As of 1 January 2021, energy performance requirements at NZEB-level will be applicable for new buildings (both residential and non-residential). The energy performance will be calculated with the newly developed energy performance calculation method NTA 8800, which will be applicable for all new and existing buildings, both residential and non-residential.

Since 2010 Norway has fully implemented Directive 2002/91/EC. Energy performance requirements for new buildings were revised in 2010 and most recently in 2015, reaching their full effect as of 1 January 2017. By the end of 2020, approximately 1.2 million EPCs have been issued, with a majority issued to houses and apartments, and 30,000 issued to non‐residential buildings.

Norway has decided to include Directive 2010/31/EU in the EEA Agreement¹, with necessary adaptations. Directive 2018/844 is not included in the EEA Agreement.

In 2016, state-owned energy administrator Enova took over as operator of the EPC scheme. An evaluation of the scheme is ongoing and may lead to changes that will coincide with implementing Directive 2010/31/EU. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration remains responsible for the control and use of sanctions related to EPCs and inspections.

This report presents an overview of the implementation's current status, as well as further plans for the improvement of schemes available under the EPBD in Norway. These schemes include minimum requirements, certification (EPCs) and inspection systems including the status of quality control mechanisms, qualified experts in the market, information campaigns, incentives and subsidies.

The Act on the Energy Performance of Buildings (published on 8 September 2014) entered into force on 9 March 2015, establishing the legal basis for further legislation regarding:

• the format of inspections of heating and AC systems protocols (17 February 2015);
• the scope and methodology of the verification of EPCs and heating and AC systems inspection reports (17 February 2015);
• the methodology for the energy assessment of buildings and their parts, as well as for EPCs (27 February 2015);
• the obligatory civil liability insurance of persons issuing EPCs (21 April 2015);
• the national action plan for increasing the number of NZEB (22 June 2015).

Moreover, the act further established a 'Central Register of the Energy Performance of Buildings'¹, which includes databases of:

1. persons authorised to produce EPCs;
2. persons entitled to inspect heating or AC systems;
3. EPCs;
4. protocols for heating or AC systems inspections;
5. buildings with a floor area exceeding 250 m² occupied by the judicial authorities, the prosecutor's office and public authorities that serve the public directly.

The databases mentioned under 1, 2 and 5 are made publicly available via the website², providing easy access to data of experts who draw up EPCs and perform inspections of heating and AC systems.

This report presents an overview of the current status of the implementation of the EPBD in Portugal as well as plans for its evolution. It mainly focuses on energy performance requirements and EPCs, including quality control mechanisms, training of qualified experts and information campaigns.

The EPBD field implementation started in 2007, based on three decrees published in 2006. The legislation was revised in 2013 to transpose the new requirements of Directive 2010/31/EU. The revision process included contributions from nearly 100 different stakeholder institutions that resulted in the actual revision being aimed at, among other things, the improvement of methodologies and the certification process, based on extensive experience gained over a four-year period. Additional years have passed since, and after a period of adaptation, the changes have now been adopted by the market. The requirement to display an EPC in property advertisements was a major change that contributed to the increase in the number of EPCs issued monthly. This increase was not only due to changes in legislation; ADENE (the Portuguese national energy agency) has developed a strategy to upgrade the National Building Energy Certification System (SCE), and this included the development of a new online platform to issue EPCs, a new EPC layout, a new website and the publication of support documentation and guidelines for experts. The main goal was to realign the SCE with the market needs. During the years 2019 and 2020, the Portuguese government is revising the existing legislation in order to adapt it to Directive (EU) 2018/844.

Implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC in the Slovak Republic began on 1 January 2006 by way of Act 555/2005 for the Energy Performance of Buildings. Furthermore, Decree 625/2006 of the Ministry of Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic entered into force on 1 January 2007. To obtain a building permit, designers had to present evidence proving that the energy rating of the designed building met the legal minimum performance requirements. Minimum performance requirements have been defined and established as mandatory since 1 January 2007. EPCs have been issued since January 2008. A new decree from the ministry came into force on 1 October 2009 introducing specific changes to the calculation process following European standards, and at that time, the template of the EPC was changed. As of 1 November 2010, the responsibility for the energy performance of buildings lies with the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development (MDVRR SR). The Ministry of Economy is responsible for the regular inspection of heating and AC systems in buildings.

Directive 2010/31/EU was transposed by Act 300/2012 on the energy performance of buildings, which amended and supplemented Act 555/2005. The new Decree 364/2012 entered into force in January 2013. This introduced the definition of NZEB, and the global indicator for total energy use in buildings was changed to primary energy use, which also altered the EPC template. The decree set out a gradual tightening of the minimum requirements for the years 2013, 2016 and 2021.

On 1 January 2017, an amendment of Decree 324/2012, which provides a new method for the energy certification of building units, came into force, introducing a change to some primary energy factors and presenting a new EPC template.

Directive 2018/844/EU was transposed by Act 378/2019 on the energy performance of buildings, which amended and supplemented Act 555/2005. The new act entered into force on 10 March 2020 together with Decree 35/2020, amending and supplementing Ministerial Decree 364/2012. A new template of the EPC was presented.

The transposition of the EPBD in Slovenia is the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Infrastructure and was primarily transposed by the Energy Act¹ (EZ-1), covering the topics of NZEB, energy performance certification, inspection of heating and AC systems and energy efficiency information programmes. In late 2020, the Act on Energy Efficiency² (ZURE) will come into force and integrate the EZ-1 articles related to the EPBD. In addition, the Building Construction Act gives the legal basis for building codes (with minimum requirements for building energy performance, technical building systems and the calculation methodology), while the Environmental Protection Act addresses the inspection of boilers.

Before the publication of the Act on Energy Efficiency, the Energy Act was amended in 2019. The changes established the obligation for public display of the EPC for all buildings (not only public) frequently visited by the public. The proposed amendment also gave the grounds and conditions to extend the validity of licenses of independent experts.

In the secondary EPBD regulation (since December 2015), only minor changes have been implemented, among them the most important being an update to the rules on the training, accreditation and register of accredited independent experts for regular inspection of AC systems³, published in January 2016.

The revision of the building codes (PURES) is still in progress and planned for publication in late 2021. It will contain detailed technical requirements for NZEB based on the technical definition given in the national NZEB action plan (April 2015), and the revision of the calculation methodology according to a new set of CEN EPBD standards.

Important recent steps in EPBD implementation are the application of the central national electronic register of EPCs and associated software, the independent control system for EPCs, first steps in the cross-linking of e-registries for EPCs, inspections and public buildings, as well as wide information activities implemented by the Eco Fund⁴ concerning financial instruments available for the energy renovation of buildings.

The transposition of the Directive of Energy Performance of Buildings began in Spain through legislative documents, published between 2006 and 2007, which pertain to the construction of new buildings, the design, execution and maintenance of thermal installations, and energy performance certification.

This first normative version has been revised and adapted over several years up to 2022, and updates of each of these documents have been republished again, in particular:

• RD 235/2013 on the Energy Certification of Buildings; updated in 2022 (RD 390/2022)

• RD 238/2013 on Thermal Installations of Buildings; updated in 2021 (RD 178/2021)

• The Technical Building Code, Order 1635/2013 of the Ministry of Development; updated in 2019 (RD 732/2019).

Since 2014, the main modifications are related to the basic methodology of calculating the energy performance of buildings. Royal Decree 235/2013 established both obligations and the appropriate mechanisms for the proper monitoring of the certification system in Spain, experts authorised to issue energy performance certificates (EPCs), the EPC registration system, control and inspection of certificates, as well as the obligations that involve the use of EPCs.

This document included references to the established methodology in Spain, published as Recognised Documents in the Official Website of Certification. The methodology was adapted to European Standards in 2014, thereby also addressing the problems which were detected through past experience.

Finally, in 2016, part of these documents was further adapted to improve processes, make the methodology more transparent, and eliminate barriers to new technological systems. One of the main changes that occurred was the inclusion of a second indicator for energy performance, complementing the CO₂ emissions indicator with one for non-renewable primary energy consumption.

Sweden had most elements of the EPBD already in place in 2014. Since then, Sweden has been working hard on evolving the Nearly Zero Energy regulations, i.e., establishing the NZEB levels and a numerical indicator for energy performance. The 2018 revision of the EPBD has resulted in the following revised acts and regulations.

Sweden introduced NZEB regulations in the Planning and Building Ordinance, PBF (2011:338) (henceforth PBF) in December 2016, and in Boverket’s¹ Building regulations BBR (BFS 2011:6) (henceforth BBR) in 2017, with the new concept, the primary energy number, as a measure of the building’s energy performance. In 2018, NZEB and the primary energy number were introduced in Boverket’s Regulations on energy performance certificates for buildings, BED (BFS 2007:4) (henceforth BED).

In July and September 2020, the PBF and the BBR were revised when weighting factors, instead of primary energy factors, were introduced. This revision also meant that the requirements for energy performance for buildings were tightened. In March 2021, the Act (2006:985) on energy performance certificates for buildings as well as Boverket’s BED was updated regarding inspections.

In 2017, the building stock (referred to as the housing and service sector in the national statistics), accounted for 39% of the final energy consumption in Sweden². Temperature-corrected statistics divided by building surface in the period of 1995-2017 show a trend where energy use decreased by 33% for single-family houses, 22% for residential apartment buildings and 21% for non-residential buildings.

This report provides information about the implementation of the EPBD in England. It supersedes the previous reports published in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The implementation of the EPBD in the other three UK jurisdictions (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is addressed in separate reports.

In the UK, some powers of the UK Parliament have been transferred to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and to their executive bodies, i.e. the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive. References to “Government” in this England report should be read as the “UK Government”. References to the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive have been included in their respective country report as appropriate¹.

The implementation of the EPBD in England is the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This report introduces the most recent requirements. It also addresses performance standards, certification and inspection systems, including quality control mechanisms, the training of Energy Assessors, information campaigns, incentives and subsidies. For more details, please visit the referenced websites or contact the responsible institutions.

This report provides information about the implementation of the EPBD in Wales. It updates the previous reports published in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The implementation of the EPBD in the other three UK jurisdictions (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is addressed in separate reports.

From 31 December 2011, Wales became responsible for its own Building Regulations. Prior to this date, EPBD requirements were implemented across England and Wales with no distinction. Today, the implementation of the EPBD in Wales is shared between the Welsh Government (WG) responsible for Building Regulations, and the UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) responsible for the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations in England and Wales.

This report introduces the Wales-specific requirements. Requirements that are common to England and Wales are detailed in the England report and have not been repeated in this one.

This report provides information about the implementation of the EPBD in Northern Ireland. It updates the previous reports published in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The implementation of the EPBD in the other three UK jurisdictions (England, Wales and Scotland) is addressed in separate reports.

The implementation of the EPBD in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department of Finance (DoF) and is implemented principally through the Building Regulations and the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.

DoF relies heavily on research and development from other UK jurisdictions (principally England) in the development of its Regulations and technical guidance. This report introduces the most recent requirements. It addresses certification and inspection, the training of Energy Assessors, information campaigns, incentives and subsidies. For more details, visit the website¹.

This report provides information about the implementation of the EPBD in Scotland. It updates the previous reports published in 2010, 2012 and 2016. The implementation of the Directive in the other three UK jurisdictions (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) is addressed in separate reports.

The implementation of the EPBD in Scotland is the responsibility of the Local Government and Communities Directorate, Building Standards Division. Scotland controls both its Building Regulations and Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.

This report introduces the most recent requirements. It also addresses certification and inspection of systems including quality control mechanisms, the training of Energy Assessors, information campaigns, incentives and subsidies. For more details, visit the relevant websites¹.