The EPBD will greatly affect awareness of energy use in buildings, and will to lead to substantial increases in investments in energy efficiency measures.
The European Commission (EC) issued its directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings in 2002 with the explicit intention of improving the energy efficiency of buildings. EC research has indicated that by improving energy efficiency, carbon emissions from buildings could be reduced by 22%. The research estimates that around 40% of final energy consumption in the European Community is in the buildings sector.
The principal objectives of the Directive are:
- To promote the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within the EU through cost effective measures;
- To promote the convergence of building standards towards those of Member States which already have ambitious levels.
Measures to achieve this include:
- Methodology for calculating the energy performance of buildings;
- Application of performance standards on new and existing buildings;
- Certification schemes for all buildings;
- Regular inspection and assessment of boilers/heating and cooling installations.
Member states had until 4 January 2006 to implement Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD). However, an additional three year period to apply the provisions of Articles 7, Energy Performance Certificates, Article 8 Inspection of Boilers and Article 9 Inspection of Air Conditioning Systems was granted. The Regulations apply in England and Wales.
The Department of Communities and Local Government is leading on implementing the measures contained within the UK Directive, is taking full advantage of these additional three years and now has until January 2009 to fully implement EPBD.
The government is currently developing suitable energy rating systems and certification schemes for all buildings that fall within the scope of the Directive, as well as taking into account the amount of time needed for the accreditation and training of sufficient personnel to undertake the energy performance assessments.
How will EPCD impact me?
The Directive looks to improve domestic and commercial premises. For domestic households the government has already rolled out its highly contentious Home Information Packs (HIPs). This includes a detailed approach for the Energy Performance Certificate. Wherever relevant this will form the model that will be applied in other sectors.
It is unlikely that the implementation of EPBD will be different for homes and commercial buildings as the Directive itself makes no distinction between the two. Although, for practical reasons the methodology for certification etc will need to be different to reflect differences in the way in which homes and commercial property are built and used.
The price of an energy performance certificate will be set by the market and not by Government. It is likely that these costs will vary according to the size, type and location of the property.
The current predicted cost of a standalone Energy Performance Certificate for an 'average' home is approximately £100. For other buildings, the cost will clearly depend on the size and complexity of the building.
EEF Activity
EEF will continue to monitor developments on this issue with timely information updates via its website. If you have specific questions pertaining to this directive more information can be found via the links provided.
For further information see:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/theenvironment/energyperformance/
www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk
National Calculation Methodology
For information on the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in Scotland, click here and for information on implementation in Northern Ireland, click here.