EPF welcomes EU's new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

The European Property Federation has welcomed revisions to the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. 'The first EPBD was a revolution, and this one is too because now the Directive’s energy efficiency renovation requirements extend to the entire building stock, not just buildings over 1000 m2, and all new build will have to be nearly zero-energy by 2020,' commented Liz Peace, Chairperson of the EPF Managing Committee,

Peace added: 'We are particularly pleased that the European Parliament took up our request and fought successfully to provide for the development of a common EU energy performance certification scheme for commercial build. Energy performance certificates (EPCs) are already required in all member states, but that’s not much use to an investor who wants to advertise globally that, say, his new shopping centre development in Rotterdam is 20% more energy efficient than the EU ‘A’ grade. To be able to do that, there needs to be an EU ‘A’ grade.'

Peace pointed out that amid all the 'green noise', EU law is the 'real thing' as it is binding on all member states.

Michael MacBrien, EPF Director General, said 'The quality of the EPCs is crucial, and that’s been a problem in most countries. EPF worked hard to get provisions improving EPC quality and I think the future will show that one of the Directive’s most important innovations is the requirement for the EPC’s energy performance indicator to appear in all advertising whenever the building is offered for sale or rent. I think that sellers forced to advertise on the basis of shoddy certificates will become a ground force in favour of better quality certification.'

Peace and MacBrien claim the changes were possible thanks to a 'powerful' property coalition. 'Two years cooperation by EPF, the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO), The European Group of Valuers Associations (TEGoVA) and the Union of European Historic Houses Associations (UEHHA) really paid off,' the concluded.