Key Indicators & Decisions (KI&Ds) – ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES

Austria

-

Due to the Austrian federal structure with 9 “Länder” and approximately 2,100 municipalities with a variety of responsible authorities and because of the fact that there is no obligation for a national energy certificate and inspection database, there is no data available.

Belgium – Brussels Capital Region 

3,206 EPC/year for new building units

92 EPC/year for existing non-residential buildings

25,000 EPC’s/year for existing houses and apartments

EPC residential buildings:

• 2017: 96,093
• 2018: 97,810
• 2019: 107,293

EPC Public buildings:

• 2017: 171
• 2018: 338
• 2019: 978

EPC new buildings:

Residential:

• 2017: 29,549
• 2018: 28,888
• 2019: 31,649

Non-residential:

• 2017: 451
• 2018: 430
• 2019: 540

EPC after major energy renovation:

• 2017: 443
• 2018: 952
• 2019: 1,366

The total number of EPCs issued in 2017, 2018 and 2019 amounts respectively to 1,057,1,086 and 1,067.

Remark: Only EPCs issued for the whole building are included into the above statistics. (An EPC can be issued for a building unit as well.)

2018 – 52,382

2019 – 54,444

2020 (for the time being) – 11,843

2017: 456,503

2018: 819,324

2019: 569,638

Average over three years: 615,155

In 2019, 12% of EPCs were issued for new residential buildings, 82% for existing residential buildings, 1% for new non-residential buildings and 4% for existing non-residential buildings.

2,984,554 EPCs were issued from May 2014 (start of registration) to December 2019.

Data taken directly from the registration scheme

Greece

2019: around 1.1 x10⁶

2016-2018: on average 1.22 x10⁶ for year

2015: around 1.4x10⁶

2014: 1.26x10⁶

2013: 0.42x10⁶ (+50% compared to the previous year)

Source: ENEA Estimate (2015, 2020) and CTI (2013, 2014)

For 2016 and 2017 estimates were made because the data is incomplete. Numbers look very different in years 2013-2015 and the average is not meaningful.

9,700 for 2016

11,000 in 2017

17,600 issued in 2018

13,700 issued in 2019

Total number of residential buildings with a valid, registered ‘VEL’-label (Simplified energy label) since 1 January 2015: 1,193,232 (as of 31-12-2019).

Total number of residential buildings with a valid, registered ‘Energy Index’-label since 1 January 2015: 1,611,186 (as of 31-12-2019).

Note: double registrations for the same residential building are not taken into account in these numbers.

125,000 (house/apartment/holiday house)

1,600 (non-residential)

Residential – 190,124

Non-residential – 22,316

From mainland and Madeira island database

(3-year average from 2017 to 2019)

17.801 (2019)

17.132 (2018)

15.896 (2017)

For 2014-6: 35,142 family houses, 4,671 apartment buildings, 1,415 office buildings, 512 schools

England:

Domestic EPCs (annual average 2017 - 2019): 1,318,362*

Non-domestic EPCs (annual average 2017 - 2019): 82,687^

Non-domestic DECs (annual average 2017 - 2019): 33,015**

Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, MHCLG, Table A1: Energy Performance Certificates for all properties by total floor area and type of property (*) & Table B: non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates by property group (^), January 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates#epcs-for-all-properties-non-domestic-and-domestic

(**)  Live Tables,  published quarterly statistics on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates in England and Wales: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates-in-england-and-wales-2008-to-december-2019

Wales:

Domestic EPCs (annual average 2017– 2019): 69,804

Non-domestic EPCs (annual average 2017 – 2019): 3,942

Non-domestic DECs (annual average 2017 – 2019): 2,018

Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, MHCLG, (*) Table D1: Domestic Energy Performance Certificates for all dwellings by energy efficiency rating, (^) Table A: Non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates by energy performance asset rating & (**) Table DEC1: Display Energy Certificates by local authority and energy performance operational rating, January 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates#epcs-for-all-properties-non-domestic-and-domestic

Northern Ireland*

Domestic EPCs (annual average 2009 – 2019): 43,894

Non-domestic EPCs & DECs (annual average 2009 – 2019): 3,556

(*) 2008 excluded as not a full year

Please note that this data has not previously been published.

Scotland*

Domestic EPCs: 241,580

Non-domestic EPCs: 6,847

(*) Average value per 12 months for five-year period April 2015 to March 2020

Data has been extracted from the Scottish Energy Performance Certificate Register (SEPCR). This data differs from the published data, which excludes historical lodgements.

Austria

-

Due to the Austrian federal structure with 9 “Länder” and approximately 2100 municipalities with a variety of responsible authorities and because of the fact that there is no obligation for a national energy certificate and inspection database, there is no data available.

Belgium – Brussels Capital Region 

180,070 of units with an EPC

Residential unit:

• New:            18,055
• Existing:       244,600

Non-residential unit:

• New:            419
• Existing:       1,294

EPC residential buildings:

• Total: 1,331,032
• Valid: 969,078

EPC public buildings:

• Total: 11,408
• Valid: 5,304

EPC new buildings:

• Total: 306,555
• Valid: 270,755

EPC after major energy renovation:

• Total: 2,868
• Valid: 2,868

EPC residential buildings: from September 2008 until December 2019

EPC public buildings: from December 2008 until December 2019

EPC new buildings: from January 2007 until December 2019

10,987 EPCs from 2010 through 2019

Remark: Only EPCs issued for the whole building are included into the above statistics. (An EPC can be issued for a building unit as well.)

EPCs for the period 2010-2020:

• Total 228,902
• Residential buildings 186,523
• Non-residential buildings 42,379

In 2019, 272,814 EPCs based on energy consumption and 296,824 EPCs based on energy demand were issued.

On 1 May 2014, the new Energy Saving Ordinance came into force and implemented the registration of EPCs. Prior to that, EPCs were not registered in Germany.

Data taken directly from the registration scheme

Greece

1,035,741 residential

61,843 non-residential

ENEA estimate based on an inquiry in sample regions and on SIAPE data

Start of the certification system at different times in the various regions (from 2007 onwards)

33,000

Same number of buildings since EPC is issued for building unit not whole building.

1,200,000 (house/apartment/holiday house)

30,000 (non-residential)

1,798,012 million EPC issued

1,590,433 for residential buildings

207,579 for non-residential buildings, of which 15,625 refer to large buildings (>1,000 m²)

England:

Domestic EPCs (total to December 2019):  19,022,418*

Non-domestic EPCs (total to December 2019): 891,100^

Non-domestic DECs (total to December 2019):  368,420**

Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, MHCLG, Table A1: Energy Performance Certificates for all properties by total floor area and type of property (*) & Table B: non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates by property group (^), January 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates#epcs-for-all-properties-non-domestic-and-domestic

(**) Live Tables, published quarterly statistics on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates in England and Wales:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates-in-england-and-wales-2008-to-december-2019

Wales:

Domestic EPCs (total to December 2019): 1,029,685*

Non-domestic EPCs (total to December 2016): 43,880^

Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, MHCLG, (*) Table D1: Domestic Energy Performance Certificates for all dwellings by energy efficiency rating, (^) Table A: Non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates by energy performance asset rating & (**) Table DEC1: Display Energy Certificates by local authority and energy performance operational rating, January 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates#epcs-for-all-properties-non-domestic-and-domestic

Northern Ireland*

Domestic EPCs (total to December 2019): 488,887

Non-domestic EPCs & DECs (total to December 2019): 38,856

(*) Department of Finance, 2017.

Please note that this data has not previously been published.

Scotland*

Domestic EPCs (total to December 2019): 2,510,202

Non-domestic EPCs (total to December 2019): 49,208

Austria

Belgium – Brussels Capital Region 

57,567 residential buildings

1,833 non-residential buildings

Family houses – 139,845

Apartment buildings – 33,429

Administration buildings – 8,274

Buildings for food and accommodation - 3,450

Buildings for health care – 1,041

Buildings for education – 3,857

Buildings for sport – 1,199

Commercial buildings – 3,987

Cultural buildings – 958

Other buildings – 11,318

Single-family homes
(both new buildings and existing buildings): 72,043

Row houses
(both new buildings and existing buildings): 17,084

Apartment buildings
(both new buildings and existing buildings): 14,107

Non-residential (both new buildings and existing buildings): 8,803

Greece

1,035,741 residential

61,843 non-residential

Republic of Latvia

Meetings: 13,214

Cell (detention): 2

Health care: 7,510

Industry: 0

Office: 43,220

Accommodation: 4,178

Education: 2,396

Sports: 2,807

Commercial: 36,156

Other function: 0.

Total number of registered energy labels for non-residential buildings since 1 January 2015, as of the end of 2019: 109,483.

Note 1: double registrations for the same building are not taken into account in this number.

Note 2: for multiple functions, the label is counted in the primary function. 

Residential distribution
Single-family - 31%
Multi-family - 69%

Large non-residential (GES)
Supermarkets – 18.6%
Offices – 15.2%
Nursing homes – 9.2%
Hotels (4 stars or more) – 8.5%
Hotels (3 stars or fewer) – 5.4%
Large supermarkets – 4.4%
Schools (basic) – 3.5%
Sports clubs (without pools) – 3.4%
Shops – 3.1%
Shops in commercial buildings – 3.1%
Other – 25.6%

Small non-residential (PES)
Shops – 58.9%
Offices – 20.0%
Restaurants – 4.8%
Coffee shops – 3.0%
Hotels (3 stars or fewer) – 1.8%
Pastry shops – 1.3%
Clinics – 1.2%
Hotels (3 stars or fewer) – 1.2%
Banks or insurance – 0.9%
Warehouses – 0.8%
Others – 6.1%

Non-residential (GES+PES)
Shops – 55.3%
Offices – 19.7%
Restaurants – 4.5%
Coffee shops – 2.8%
Hotels (3 stars or fewer) – 2.0%
Supermarkets – 1.7%
Hotels (2 stars or fewer) – 1.6%
Pastry shops – 1.2%
Clinics – 1.2%
Nursing homes – 0.9%
Others – 9.1%

England:

Residential buildings*

Bungalow: 1,624,523

Flat: 5,241,431

House: 11,663,552

Maisonette: 488,703

Park home: 4,085

Not Recorded: 124

Total: 19,022,418

Non-residential buildings^

Administration, Business, Commerce: 684,251

Culture, Leisure, Sport, Travel: 134,850

Education: 24,749

Health & Social Care: 38,998

Law & Order, Emergency Services: 2,274

Transport: 960

Other    5,018

Total: 891,100

Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, MHCLG, Table A1: Energy Performance Certificates for all properties by total floor area and type of property (*) & Table B: non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates by property group (^), January 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates#epcs-for-all-properties-non-domestic-and-domestic

Wales:

Residential buildings

Bungalow: 116,239

Flat:  177,090

House: 724,589

Maisonette: 11,523

Park home:       241

Not Recorded: 3

Total:    1,029,685

Non-residential buildings

Administration, Business, Commerce:31,477

Culture, Leisure, Sport, Travel: 8,022

Education: 1,674

Health & Social Care: 2,195

Law & Order, Emergency Services: 156

Transport:146

Other: 210

Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, MHCLG, (*) Table A1: Energy Performance Certificates for all properties by total floor area and type of property & (^) Table B: Non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates by property group, January 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates#epcs-for-all-properties-non-domestic-and-domestic

Domestic buildings (estimated)

Bungalow: 297,709 (11.86%)

Flat: 1,028,430 (40.97%)

House: 1,128,084 (44.94%)

Maisonette: 55,978 (2.23%)

Total: 2,510,202

Non-domestic buildings (estimated)

Administration, Business, Commerce: 39,858 (81.0%)

Culture, Leisure, Sport, Travel: 3,641 (7.4%)

Education: 2,559 (5.2%)

Health & Social Care: 2,756 (5.6%)

Law & Order, Emergency Services: 295 (0.6%)

Transport: 49 (0.1%)

Other: 98 (0.2%)

Total: 49,208

Source: published EPC data from 2013 to December 2019:

Domestic: https://statistics.gov.scot/data/domestic-energy-performance-certificates

Non-domestic: https://statistics.gov.scot/data/non-domestic-energy-performance-certificates

Note that (i) Percentages for each building type provided as data only recorded centrally from 2013, this data is not published by the Register. (ii) The published dataset does not include any assessments that have subsequently been replaced by a newer record. (iii) The numbers of EPCs for different building types have been estimated through a combination of the published data (building type totals) and unpublished data (percentages of different building types). Therefore, these EPC numbers are approximate.

Austria

-

In Austria approximately 40,000 persons are authorised to issue energy certificates, albeit it is not nationally registered how many of them actually issue energy certificates.

Belgium – Brussels Capital Region 

565 EPB advisors (for new or renovated)

1,246 EPB certificators (for existing residential buildings), of which in 2018 only 408 completed at least 1 EPC and 246 completed at least 10 EPCs

115 EPB certificators (for existing non-residential buildings)

EPC residential buildings:

• 2,887 registered qualified experts
• 1,010 active qualified experts

EPC public buildings:

• 1,376 registered qualified experts
• 993 internal qualified experts

EPC new buildings:

• 1,664 registered qualified experts
• 812 active qualified experts

Registration is mandatory for each type of qualified expert.

Active qualified experts for residential buildings: a qualified expert is considered active when they have issued at least one EPC in the past year and have issued at least ten (10) EPCs during their recognition as a qualified expert.

There are two (2) types of qualified experts for public buildings. An external expert follows a recognised training course and passes an exam. An internal expert is an employee of the public organisation with two (2) years of experience in energy efficiency. No exam is needed for internal experts.

Active qualified experts for new buildings: a qualified expert is considered active when they have issued at least one (1) initial declaration or one (1) final declaration in the past year.

Authorised natural and legal persons for energy certification of buildings:

• Total 1,275
• Natural persons 649
• Legal persons 626

Authorised persons for regular inspection of heating and cooling/AC systems in buildings (included in the authorisation for energy certification of buildings):

• Total 350
• Natural persons 146
• Legal persons 204

Not all assessors issue EPCs based on energy consumption and energy demand and inspection reports.

Assessors have to register to be able to draw EPC registration numbers. It is unknown how active each assessor is.

Greece

Building energy auditors: 16,096

Inspectors for heating systems: 2,982

Inspectors for AC systems: 2,411

517 residential

148 non-residential

More than 101,000 in the ten (10) regions with a list of accredited experts (2019, CTI)

(Italian regions/autonomous provinces are 21)

Republic of Latvia

In total 93 experts with the following competences:

To issue an EPC – 93 experts

To issue a temporary EPC – 93 experts

To issue inspections – 8 experts

522 dwellings

173 other buildings

In order to qualify as a Recognised Expert, applicants must take an exam (if they are not already a certified ‘EPA advisor’ or ‘EPA assessor’, EPA = Energie Prestatie Advies = Energy Performance Advice) and attend an instruction course at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). If an applicant does not have an EPA diploma, he or she may take the ‘Recognised expert for energy labels in residential construction’ exam at SVM-NIVO. This is a simpler exam than the EPA advisor (or EPA assessor) exam.

There are no differences regarding the simplified energy label. Only certified EPA advisors are permitted to conduct ‘Energy Index’ recordings and registrations. Should the specific EPA advisor also have attended the foregoing instruction course and have access to the VEL-application, then he or she may also assess and register simplified energy labels.

Estimate by NVE

___

Experts are needed only for certification of new buildings and non-residential buildings.

QE – 2,035

• Exclusively residential – 1,846
• Exclusively non-residential – 128
• Both scopes - 217

TIM – 2,732

QE – Qualified Expert

TIM – Install and maintenance technician, only applicable for non-residential buildings

Reference 31/12/2019

39,964* registered assessors in England & Wales (breakdown England/ Wales not available)

Assessor registration with a Government-approved Accreditation Scheme is mandatory.

(*) Energy Performance of Buildings Registers for England and Wales, 2019

Previously reported registered assessors’ numbers (~86,000) included all assessors. The reported ~39,000 assessors only includes practicing/ active assessors, excluding suspended assessors, struck-off assessors, inactive assessors, etc.

Northern Ireland*: 390 assessors with a registered address in Northern Ireland.

Note 39,964** assessors are registered in England & Wales and are accredited to operate in Northern Ireland.

(*) Department of Finance, 2020

(**) Department for Communities & Local Government, 2019

Please note that this data has not previously been published.

Austria

Tradesman, civil engineers

According to decree

BMWFJ-30.599/0087-I/7/2009 and

BMWA-91.510/0032-1/3/2007

Belgium – Brussels Capital Region 

Architecture, architectural engineering, civil engineering, bioengineering or industrial engineering degree or equivalent degree delivered in another state for EPB advisors.

EPB certificators may consider the accessor's energy experience in allowing their participation in the courses

EPC residential buildings:

No predefined qualifications are needed for qualified experts.

EPC public buildings:

No predefined qualifications are needed for qualified experts.

EPC new buildings:

A degree in architecture or engineering is needed.

The assessors (the energy efficiency consultants) are required:

- to have secondary technical education, higher education or an acquired academic degree in field of Technical Sciences completed or recognised in Bulgaria or in another EU member state or in another state which is a party to the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreements or in Switzerland;

- to have acquired a length of service in the speciality after completion of the education - of not less than 6 years for holders of secondary technical education, not less than 3 years for holders of an educational qualification degree of Bachelor, and not less than 2 years for persons holding an educational qualification degree of Master or holding a science degree;

Basic education depends on the type of authorisation.

The authorisation for energy certification and energy audits of buildings with a simple technical system and buildings up to 400 m² shall be granted to a natural person who has:

• a completed graduate university study in the field of architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering or
• a completed specialist graduate professional programme in the field of architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.

The authorisation for energy certification and energy audits of buildings with a complex technical system shall be granted to a legal person employing at least one natural person who has:

• a completed graduate university study in the field of architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering or
• a completed specialist graduate professional programme in the field of architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering and who has during his studies achieved at least 300 ECTS credits.

Registration in the national technical chamber requires a university degree in the relevant field.

Chemical engineers and environmental engineers can register as assessors only for residential buildings.

Yes

The expert must have suitable training and education background (e.g., a degree in building technology or architecture or, for the higher level, a master's degree in building technology or related field).

The education background can be compensated with work experience.

The qualification has to be approved by a test administered by the accreditation body. Qualification and accreditation for qualified experts is the same for all building types, public and private.

For new buildings: assessors have to be authorised to sign plans for building permits.

For existing buildings in general: architects and engineers with relevant vocational training in combination with proven work experience in the field of energy efficiency.

Exclusively for existing residential buildings and with additional vocational training:

• master craftsmen in building trades;
• building and building services technicians;
• interior architects.

Engineer or architectural degree with a core specialisation in energy efficiency or after the degree two years of work experience in energy efficiency or additional training.

The requirements for new buildings are in the responsibility of the regions.

Greece

Level 6 in construction related discipline – residential

Level 7 in construction related discipline – non-residential

Registered experts (architect, engineer, industrial technical expert, surveyor) or, in the case of different degrees or diplomas, attendance of an 80-hour course with final examinations.

Accreditation is provided by regions.

Independent expert national requirements set in the Presidential Decree n. 75/2013

The expert must not have any relationship with the client, the designer, the installer or the manufacturers of products used in the construction.

Education requirements for experts to issue EPCs

An acquired vocational or academic higher education of the first or second level, provided that the educational programme provides knowledge on the following:

- heat engineering of building envelopes;

- technical building systems (heating, cooling, ventilation, air-conditioning, water supply, lighting);

- building climatology and the indoor climate;

- energy performance assessment and calculation methodology.

Education requirements for experts to issue inspections:

An acquired vocational or academic higher education of the first or second level, provided the study programme provides knowledge of the following:

- heating installations and systems;

- air-conditioning equipment and systems;

-cooling units and systems;

- measurements and control of the equipment.

Requirements for building specialists:

A construction specialist who has a valid certificate in the field of designing building constructions or in the field of designing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, or who has an architect's practice certificate and who has passed the competence test in accordance with Paragraph 11 of the Regulation No.531, is entitled to determine the planned energy performance of a building or building unit to be designed, reconstructed, or renovated, and is entitled to issue a temporary energy performance certificate of the building.

A construction specialist who has a valid certificate in the field of managing the construction works on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems or in the field of supervising the construction works on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems and who has passed the competence test in accordance with Paragraph 12 of the Regulation No.531 is entitled to perform the inspection of heating systems and air-conditioning systems.

Engineer or architectural degree + 5 years’ experience for residential and small non-residential buildings

Mechanical engineer for non-residential buildings

National Occupational Standards (NOS) specify the qualifications and skills, which Energy Assessors should meet to be accredited to produce regulatory outputs.

Different accreditations are available depending on the building type, the complexity of the building/ software to be used, and the type of regulatory outputs to be produced.

The Scottish Operating Framework requires Approved Organisations to reference the UK National Occupational Standards (NOS) when establishing requirements for Energy Assessors.

NOS specify the qualifications and skills, which Energy Assessors should meet to be accredited to produce regulatory outputs.

Different accreditations are available depending on the building type, the software to be used, and the type of regulatory outputs to be produced.

Austria

Regulated in the framework of the rules for professional conduct

EPC residential buildings:

Sample tests on availability and advertisements:

• Desk controls
• Sanction: Fine

Quality checks:

• Desk controls
• Site visits
• Sanction
• Fine
• Suspension

EPC public buildings:

Sample tests on availability

• Desk controls
• Sanctions: fine

Quality checks

• Desk controls
• Sanction
• Fine
• Suspension

EPC new buildings:

Sample tests on availability of initial and final declarations

• Desk controls
• Site visits
• Sanctions: fine

Quality checks:

• Desk controls
• Site visits
• Sanction
• Fine
• Suspension

Requirements:

• Automatic control of final declarations in database
• Sanction
• Fine

The verification of energy audits and inspection reports is performed by the SEDA through systematic or random sampling of the audited buildings and the inspection reports. Control over the activity of the energy auditors is exercised by means of:

• checking the validity of the input data of the building used to issue the EPC, as well as the results stated in the certificate;
• checking the input data entered in the EPC and verifying the results, including the recommendations made for energy efficiency improvement;
• a full check of data, results and measures prescribed for energy efficiency improvement by an on-site visit in order to verify the validity between the data stated in the EPC and the certified building.

An independent random control was carried out on all the EPCs and inspection reports issued in 2015 and 2016.

Up to the end of 2016, no fines / penalties had been imposed.

All issued EPCs undergo administrative controls during their entry into the data base (registry).

Five legal persons have been authorised to carry out detailed quality controls of the EPCs and of reports on regular inspection of heating and cooling /AC system of a building.

Assessors have to pass an examination. There are two exams, one for residential buildings and one for non-residential buildings. Succeeding in the residential buildings exam is a prerequisite for taking a non-residential buildings examination.

A minimum of one-year and three-year work experience is required for residential and non-residential buildings, respectively, in fields related to buildings, energy or technical building systems.

The first EPC submitted by an assessor is checked by the MECI before issued.

The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) is the administrative authority ensuring the quality of certificates and qualified experts and the appropriate preparation and use of the certificates. As the responsible authority, it can also make compliance checks of issued certificates.

ARA partly checks the data input of building information, the accuracy of the presented calculations, and the appropriateness of suggestions given for improving energy efficiency.

Additionally, the ARA can initiate enforcement measures in case of negligence on the part of the building owner or the qualified expert. Measures are administrative, not penal, and include requests, warnings, orders, conditional fines, and in case of the qualified expert, suspension/stripping of rights to issue energy certificates.

The requirements on EPC display are also controlled by the ARA. 

Greece

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.

Quality assurance system is operated by the Chamber of Engineers since 2013.

2.5% of EPCs undergo an office check and 0.5% undergo an onsite survey.

If the quality control detects a miscalculation of a difference by more than two energy classes, the expert loses his licence for 3 years. Since 2017, further sanctions can be applied including fines and penalties.

The online submission system also serves as a first level of quality control (e.g., checks for unrealistic figures).

The second level is a random office check, the third level is an on-site survey carried out by independent experts. Control results are registered in an electronic database. As of the beginning of 2017, targeted control is also possible.

Regions are responsible for quality assurance of the EPCs. Some regions have started to perform compliance controls (a few hundred per year)

2% of EPCs have to be checked per year.

Penalties: 300 €-10,000 €

- An authority examining the competence of independent experts shall ensure that, within a period of five years, every independent expert is checked, through an assessment of their professional activity and the EPCs, temporary EPCs and heating and air-conditioning inspection reports issued , checking the correctness of other documents, as well as the objectivity and veracity of the provided assessment.

- The State Construction Control Bureau shall randomly select documents drawn up by independent experts to be inspected, and will assign the relevant authority to examine the competence to carry out document inspection.

- If the State Construction Control Bureau or the Ministry of Economics has received an application or other information on a violation of a professional activity of an independent expert whose certificate has been issued by the authority examining the competence the operations of which have been terminated, the State Construction Control Bureau shall send the documents referred to in Paragraph 22 of the Regulation No.531 for inspection to another authority examining the competence.

- After receipt of the information referred to in Paragraphs 22 and 23 of the Regulation No.531, and if it receives an application or other information on a violation of a professional activity of an independent expert, the authority examining the competence shall assess the operations of this independent expert.

The ‘National Governmental Inspection Authority’ (‘ILT’) is charged with verifying the quality of the recognised experts (based on samples of registered labels).

Penalties: The ILT may impose a fine; RVO may block the account on the VEL-application if a Recognised Expert is shown not to comply with the rules warranting his or her activity on the VEL application, e.g., if the Recognised Expert is in contravention of the Unfair Trade Practices Act (as part of the Civil Code).

• Built-in features in Energy Certification System (ECS)
• Buyer and user’s interest in correct information and control of registered data
• Independent control of certification and inspections

The ECS has restrictions on what a layperson is allowed to register. Only experts are given full freedom and responsibility.

___

The first sanctions were used in 2015 based on the lack of valid EPC or inspection report. Later, several rounds of control have been performed. In 2018, the control comprised 69 buildings, and in 2019, six buildings.

According to Act 555/2005, the Slovak Trade Inspection since 2014 has been responsible for the quality assurance (QA) of EPCs. The Slovak Trade Inspection is also responsible for checking if EPCs are displayed in public buildings.

The processing of EPCs is done on-line. The system checks that input data fulfils certain conditions before it is allowed to finalise and print the EPC. The number of refused EPCs is not registered.

Automatic controls

Input data is controlled by software in diverse (automated) ways, for example, by climate correction and validation of administrative information on the building through other national databases. There are also programmed warnings and error messages when input data is out of a certain range. Furthermore, the calculation of energy performance is controlled by software as well.

Independent energy expert

Validity checks are performed automatically on every EPC when the expert is issuing the EPC. The energy expert is responsible for ensuring that the EPC is prepared correctly.

Certification and accreditation bodies

A certification body tests and approves the person who wants to become a certified energy expert to ensure that the energy expert meets the requirements regulated in CEX.

Validity audit

Boverket is required to conduct a yearly validity audit covering both input data and EPC results.

Government introduced Scheme Operating Requirements (SORs) to ensure all Accreditation Schemes (which accredit Energy Assessors) achieve common minimum quality standards.

SORs require Accreditation Schemes to undertake quality assurance of the outputs produced by their accredited Energy Assessors. Government carries out audits of the quality assurance systems implemented by Accreditation Schemes and compliance with the SORs. These provisions ensure that a statistically significant percentage of certificates are checked.

In the most severe instances of non-compliance, Government may suspend or revoke an Accreditation Scheme’s license. Similarly, Accreditation Schemes may revoke an Energy Assessor’s accreditation.

Published SORs Level 1 & Level 2 documents:

http://www.easob.co.uk/Level_1_SORs_v1.1_07.06.19.pdf

http://www.easob.co.uk/Level%202%20SORs_v1.5.pdf

Under the Operating Framework, Approved Organisations have Quality Assurance responsibilities. Since 2013, Approved Organisations must check a representative sample of EPCs. Checks repeat the EPC calculations using data on the register. In 2019, 246,727 EPCs were produced and 5,645 (2.29%) were checked. Most checks are desk-based. Assessors' outputs are checked every six months minimum. Poor performance can lead to targeted auditing, retraining, suspension, or being struck off. 

Government audits Approved Organisations to ensure compliance with the Operating Framework. Approved Organisations who fail to meet the terms of the Framework are subject to a schedule of corrective action and may have their agreement terminated.

Available at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-performance-certificate-approved-organisations-operational-framework/