The instrument 'Energy Performance Coefficient' reduces CO2 – emissions in office buildings

Edwin Marquart and Carmen Heinze, SenterNovem

Keywords

energy use of office buildings, effectiveness of policy instrument, evaluation study, EPBD

Abstract

The Energy Performance Coefficient (EPC) is an instrument used by the Dutch government to reduce CO 2 -emissions. This instrument consists of minimum norms for new to-be-built buildings. The instruments effectiveness, as applied to office buildings, was studied. To build a new building, a license issued by the municipality is required. The expected energy performance of the building must meet the EPC norm. It has been assumed that when all buildings are built according to this norm, energy consumption will be lower. This study tested this assumption. Specifically we asked three questions: what is the percentage of correctly issued building licenses, what are the deviations from the building license, and what is the real energy consumption in relation to the EP score? Three separate research projects answered these three questions. First, submitted EP scores in applications for building licenses of office buildings meet the norm. However, we doubt the accuracy of the calculated EP scores in approximately 30% of the licenses. Second, the EP scores of most buildings deviate from reality. Their average overshoots the norm by 10% and in 27% of the cases the deviations result in EP scores that no longer meet the norms. And third, lower EP scores significantly correlate with lower actual energy consumption, though individual cases are widely scattered.

In general, the EPC instrument functions as intended. The general assumption that the lower the EP score of a building, the lower the energy consumption will be, proves in general to be correct. Together with experts on utility buildings, we have made recommendations for the Ministry based on this study.