30 October 2014: The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) has released a report on energy performance certificates (EPCs), which analyzes national approaches to buildings efficiency certification in the EU member States. The study finds that, while EPCs could play a key role in improving the energy performance of the European building stock, most member States still face challenges in implementation.

The study, titled ‘Energy Performance Certificates across the EU,’ evaluates the implementation status of EU legislation in the EU member States and Norway based on quality, availability and usability of EPC data. It also provides examples of best practices in the field, and makes recommendations on how to further take advantage of the potential benefits of a well-implemented quality assurance system and a centralized EPC register.

The study includes sections on: EPCs from design to implementation; quality assurance of the EPC; availability and usability of EPC data; and the future of the EPC scheme. It presents implementation case studies from Ireland, Portugal, Hungary, Sweden, Slovakia and the UK, and explains the practical uses of EPC data for policy-makers, real estate agents and commercial and research organizations.

In 2014, 24 member States had set up centralized EPCs registers for collecting data. However, BPIE concludes that the implementation of EPC schemes is still ongoing, and faces challenges, such as public acceptance and market uptake. In some member States, schemes are not fully implemented or enforced and, as a consequence, the quality and usefulness of EPCs varies greatly from country to country. Thus the study identifies a need for further support at the national level in setting guidelines for implementation of EPC schemes.

Among the BPIE’s policy recommendations are: establishing well-functioning systems for an independent control of EPCs and enforcement of penalties for non-compliance; strengthening the role of EPCs in the context of national legislation, in particular for renovation policies and programmes; introducing further quality assurance measures, especially during the early stages of the certification process; promoting effective use of EPC data; and an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of national EPC schemes.

EPCs are a key element of the EU Directive on Energy Performance in Buildings. BPIE is a non-profit think tank focusing on analysis and knowledge dissemination to support evidence-based policy-making in the field of energy performance in buildings. [BPIE Publication Webpage] [Publication: Energy Performance Certificates across the EU] [BPIE Poster on Central Energy Performance Certificate Register]