Newly published: Making the EPBD more effective for deep renovation – QualDeEPC’s EU policy recommendations
This draft summary aims to inform the debate on the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). It summarizes the draft policy recommendations of the Horizon 2020 QualDeEPC project for making the EPBD more effective for deep renovation. The policy recommendations partic-ularly aim to strengthen the link between Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and deep (energy) renovation leading to high energy savings, while increasing the levels of ambition and convergence across the EU in terms of building renovation.
The draft policy recommendations are agreed upon between the QualDeEPC partners and are ready to use in the debate. They are called ‘draft’, because they will further be discussed with stakeholders, i.e., in national workshops, and may be revised. Combined with supporting tools developed by the QualDeEPC consortium, the draft policy recommen-dations are formulated to take into account the European Commission’s proposal for a recast of the EPBD of 15 December 2021, COM (2021) 802 final; they look particularly at the articles relevant to EPCs.
The following 10 draft policy recommendations have been prioritized:
- Ensure high user-friendliness of the EPC template and data
- Implement a clear and ambitious definition of ‘Deep (Energy) Renovation’
- Enhance the renovation recommendations on EPCs toward deep (energy) renovation
- Increase the coverage of the building stock with EPCs based on an energy audit or Renovation Passports
- Develop a better specification of energy data and classes on EPCs by the EPBD
- Provide an online tool on deep renovation options for building owners in each Member State
- Create Deep Renovation Network Platforms
- Require regular mandatory EPC assessor training or examination
- Provide voluntary/mandatory advertising guidelines for EPCs
- Improve compliance with the mandatory use of EPCs in real estate advertisements
For each of the 10 policy recommendations, we offer a concrete suggestion on how the content of the recast of the EPBD could be further improved.
Of these draft policy recommendations, the first one may be the most important to improve the user-friendliness of EPCs and their link to deep (energy) renovation. It is based on an enhanced EPC form template developed (D5.1 Report on the 7 nationally adapted enhanced assessment and certification schemes) and tested (D4.5 Summary evaluation report) by QualDeEPC. For example, it clearly shows the improvement in energy class and the energy savings available from a recommended combination of renovation actions. It also displays the energy efficiency of the parts of the building and its technical systems using a ‘traffic light’ system. The policy recommendations 2. to 5. are closely related to deep (energy) renovation – among which no. 3 is also one of seven development priorities of QualDeEPC, and the others concern three general topics linked to deep renovation. Policy recommendations 6. to 10. are based on the other five priorities of QualDeEPC for the development of enhanced EPC schemes.
DOWNLOAD THE SUMMARIES
- QualDeEPC’s EU Policy Recommendations Guide
- QualDeEPC’s Template for an enhanced and more user-friendly EPC form
INFORMATION AND CONTACT
Main Authors
Dr. Stefan Thomas stefan.thomas@wupperinst.org
Maike Venjakob maike.venjakob@wupperinst.org
Clémence Pricken clemence.pricken@fedarene.org
