Report on Energy Performance Certificates best practices

A common vision for an improved Energy Performance Certificates scheme.

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The objective of the project QualDeEPC is to improve the practical implementation of the assessment, issuance, design, and use of EPCs as well as their renovation recommendations, in the participating countries and beyond.
The main objectives of Task 2.2; Validation of key (success) factors in EPC assessment and certification, are (1) to identify the key success factors to deliver a high-quality EPC scheme and (2) to enhance the preliminary vision from the QualDeEPC project proposal to an overall concept vision for an enhanced and converging EPC scheme, building on best practice examples.

This report is the deliverable D2.2 of the project. In chapter 2, various characteristics of a successful EPC scheme such as transparency, cost-effectiveness, reliability, comparability, functionality and neutrality were analysed. The improvement options identified in Task 2.1 are presented in table form as for their significance concerning the above-mentioned characteristics or success factors. All the elements for improvement were analysed in terms of their impact on the success factors.

The country-specific assessment was also implemented, based on averaged normalized total weighted score. Chapter 3 provides good practice EPC examples of energy performance certification schemes and is based on a study conducted to compile existing good practices and examples for innovative solutions.

Building on the results from these two parts of the analysis, the main purpose of the document is to create a common vision for an improved EPC scheme to serve as a basis for Task 2.4, Development Strategy Plan, and WP3, Development of enhanced EPC schemes. This overall concept vision is presented in chapter 4. The analysis indicates that EU Member States should combine many individual measures and tools towards enhanced EPC schemes fulfilling the four main functions:

  1. Improving the usefulness and use of EPCs for supporting deep renovation.
  2. Usefulness and use of EPCs in building markets.
  3. Improving the quality and precision of EPCs in general.
  4. Certification and training of EPC assessors/issuers.