Energy performance certificate calculation methodologies across Europe and accommodating new performance indicators

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are used across Europe to communicate the energy performance of buildings to a range of different end users. However, as new approaches are introduced and guided at the European level via the Energy Performance Buildings Directive (EPBD), the ability of assessment methodologies and assessors to accommodate these new forms is likely to differ due to the significantly different frameworks in each country. The Horizon-funded crossCert project investigates this by identifying how EPC methodologies differ across countries, highlighting the implications of these differences on the performance gap and what that means for future innovations. Results indicate that methodologies vary considerably regarding general approaches, from highly standardised to highly tailored and assessor qualifications. This paper will look at such differences and investigate how these differences can affect future efforts towards improving EPCs.

Practical application: With the recent recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) emphasising the need for future innovations of EPCs across Europe and encouraging next-generation EPCs, it is important to study country-specific calculation methodologies. In particular, the lack of harmonisation in different approaches can make top-down innovations difficult to implement and raise questions about how an individual country can or should respond to those guidelines. This paper explores the variations in different aspects of EPC assessment methodologies across 10 European countries and how these differences impact the EPC performance gap and future metrics.