EPBD FAQs: New Buildings

Is there something in the recast Directive specifically for new buildings?

There is a considerable amount for both new and existing buildings, although many feel more for new buildings.

Article 4 states that “Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that minimum energy performance requirements for buildings or building units are set with a view to achieving cost-optimal levels. The energy performance shall be calculated in accordance with the methodology” referred to in other parts of the Directive.

Article 6 states “For new buildings, Member States shall ensure that, before construction starts, the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of high-efficiency alternative systems such as those listed below, if available, is considered and taken into account:

(a) decentralised energy supply systems based on energy from renewable sources;

(b) cogeneration;

(c) district or block heating or cooling, particularly where it is based entirely or partially on energy from renewable sources;

(d) heat pumps.”

Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings

A new article was introduced in the EPBD recast on nearly zero energy buildings. These are described as buildings that have a very high energy performance with the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required to a very significant extent be covered by energy from renewable sources.

Article 9 states that Member States shall ensure that:

(a) by 31 December 2020, all new buildings are nearly zero-energy buildings; and

(b) after 31 December 2018, new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities are nearly zero-energy buildings.

Article 2 defines a nearly zero energy building as: “a building that has a very high energy performance, as determined in accordance with Annex I. 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.”

Thus, there are very ambitious targets for all new buildings in all sectors, whether they be single-family dwellings or commercial office buildings. These targets are considered the most ambitious globally.

The challenge is to meet the dates of 2018 and 2020.

Readers are encouraged to refer to eceee’s new Steering Through the Maze report on NZEB. [add link once published)

What is a Nearly Zero Energy Building?

The Directive gives considerable latitude to Member States in defining nearly zero energy buildings. Article 2 defines a nearly zero energy building as: “a building that has a very high energy performance, as determined in accordance with Annex I. 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.” Some of the expressions are intentionally vague and it is left to the Member States in their national plans to give some rigour to the definition within the context of their own national efforts.

In October 2013, the Commission produced a communication (not available on the website) that reported on the progress of implementing NZEB. It included only eight MS that had submitted their national plans by November 2012.  By the time of publishing the October report, a further six MS had submitted their plans. This report had originally been due at the end of 2012. According to the communication, “An analysis of the available information . . . shows that, although most Member States report progress in defining NZEBs, only 4 Member States (BE, CY, DK and LT) provided a definition that comprises both a numerical target and a share of renewable energy sources. In other Member States the work on the definition has reached different stages of development (see graph below).”

Figure 1: Status of development of the NZEB definition in Member States

Readers are encouraged to refer to eceee’s new Steering Through the Maze report on NZEB for more information on the definitions. [add link once published]

What does cost-optimality mean and how is the concept used?

The EPBD recast requests that Member States shall ensure that minimum energy performance requirements for buildings are set “with a view to achieving cost-optimal levels”. The cost optimum level shall be calculated in accordance with a comparative methodology.

Article 2 defines the “cost-optimal level” which “means the energy performance level which leads to the lowest cost during the estimated economic lifecycle, where:

(a) thelowestcostisdeterminedtakingintoaccountenergy-relatedinvestmentcosts, maintenance and operating costs (including energy costs and savings, the category of building concerned, earnings from energy produced), where applicable, and disposal costs, where applicable; and

(b) the estimated economic lifecycle is determined by each Member State. It refers to the remaining estimated economic lifecycle of a building where energy performance requirements are set for the building as a whole, or to the estimated economic lifecycle of a building element where energy performance requirements are set for building elements.

“The cost-optimal level shall lie within the range of performance levels where the cost benefit analysis calculated over the estimated economic lifecycle is positive.”

Article 5 states that the Commission shall establish by means of delegated acts by 30 June 2011 a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements. The comparative methodology framework shall require Member States to:

• Define reference buildings that are characterized by and representative for their functionality and climate conditions. The reference buildings shall cover residential and non-residential buildings, both new and existing ones;
• Define energy efficiency measures that are assessed for the reference buildings. These may be measures for buildings as a whole, for building elements, or for a combination of building elements;
• Assess the final and primary energy need of the reference buildings and the reference buildings with the defined energy efficiency measures applied. Related calculations should be based on relevant European standards; and
• Calculate the costs (i.e. the net present value) of the energy efficiency measures during the expected economic life cycle applied to the reference buildings, taking into account investment costs, maintenance and operating costs, earnings from energy produced and disposal costs.

On 16 January 2012, the EU adopted the Delegated Regulation (EU) No 244/2012 of 16 January 2012 supplementing Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings by establishing a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements Text with EEA relevance. The regulation is available here. Furthermore, the Commission published guidelines to supplement the regulations. The guidelines are available here.

Article 5 states that MS shall calculate cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements using the comparative methodology framework established such as climatic conditions and the practical accessibility of energy infrastructure, and compare the results of this calculation with the minimum energy performance requirements in force.

Under article 5(2) of the Directive, MS have to communicate to the European Commission (EC) all input data and assumptions used for the calculations of cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements using the Delegated Regulation (EU) No 244/2012. As of January 23, 2014, 24 MS have submitted their national reports. Those reports are available here.

Back to the FAQs on the EPBD start page.