BPIE: Europe's buildings under the microscope - PU Europe

Table 2B4 – Calculated impacts and benefits to be achieved with the EPBD recast reinforcements
Source: Proposal for a recast of the EPBD (2002/91/CE) – Impact assessment
Final energy savings
in 2020 (Mtoe/a)
CO 2
emission reductions
in 2020 (Mt/a)
Job creation in
2020
Abolition of the 1,000 m² threshold
20 51 75000
for major renovations
Setting up energy performance 5 (up to 10 in 2030) 13 (up to 24 in 2030) Up to 82000
requirements at cost-optimal levels
Setting up EU–wide nearly Zero
>15 >41 +++
Energy Buildings requirements and
development of national plans
Independent control systems for EPCs 21 57 60000
Requiring an inspection report
for heating and air conditioning
systems
5 15-20 46000
Implementation
The EPBD recast calls EU Member States to use a new cost-optimal methodology for calculating the
energy performance of buildings (Article 5 of EPBD recast). As defined by the Directive, cost-optimal
level means ‘the energy performance level which leads to the lowest cost during the estimated economic
lifecycle’ and ‘shall lie within the range of performance levels where the cost benefit analysis calculated
over the estimated economic lifecycle is positive’.
The EU Commission shall establish by means of delegated acts by 30 June 2011 (currently delayed)
a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy
performance requirements for buildings and building elements. The comparative methodology
framework shall differentiate between new and existing buildings and between different categories
of buildings. At the moment there is a delay in the process of elaborating the cost-optimal framework
methodology and according to the EU Commission timeline the final version is due to be published
in autumn 2011. Member States will have to report regularly (starting from July 2012) their specific
application of the methodology to the Commission and these reports may be included in the National
Energy Efficiency Action Plans under the Energy Services Directive (Directive 2006/32/EC). Based on
this framework methodology, the EU Member States should calculate cost-optimal levels of minimum
energy performance requirements using the comparative methodology framework and other relevant
parameters such as climatic conditions and the practical accessibility of energy infrastructure. The result
of the cost-optimal calculation at the Member States level shall be used as a reference to compare with
the minimum energy performance requirements in force and to enhance them accordingly if is the case.
Moreover, the EPBD recast introduces the obligation that all the new buildings should be nearly zero
energy by the end of 2020. In order to show the leader example, the new buildings occupied by public
authorities shall be nearly zero energy by the end of 2018. According to the EPBD recast, “nearly zeroenergy
building means a building that has a very high energy performance where ‘the nearly zero or very
low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable
sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby’. The EU Member States shall
draw up national plans for increasing the number of nearly Zero Energy Buildings, potentially with targets
differentiated according to the building categories. As requested by the EPBD recast, these plans shall
include a national definition of nearly Zero Energy Buildings, intermediate targets for improving the energy
performance of new buildings by 2015 and information on policies, financial or other measures adopted
for the promotion of the nearly Zero Energy Buildings, including details on the use of renewable sources in
new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major renovation. The current steps undertaken towards
the EPBD recast implementation, as reported by our country experts, are presented in Table 2B5.
Europe’s buildings under the microscope | 73