The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) classifies buildings into energy categories on a scale from A to H, where category A represents the buildings or building units with the highest energy efficiency. In addition, the EPBD provides information on the estimated annual energy consumption, the annual CO2 emissions from energy use and the contribution of renewable energy sources to meeting the energy needs of the building. The owner of the building or building unit shall ensure that the EPD is issued in the following cases:
- For buildings building units constructed.
- For buildings building units constructed.
- For buildings or building units made available for rent or leased to a new tenant.
- For buildings in which the total useful floor area of more than 250 m2 is used by a public authority and which are frequently visited by the public. The MAP in this case should be displayed in a prominent position in the public domain.
Upon the construction, sale or lease of a building or building unit, a PEA or a copy thereof shall be shown to the prospective tenant or purchaser and delivered to the purchaser or tenant. In addition, the energy performance class of the building or building unit offered for sale or rent shall be stated in all commercial advertisements.
A PEA is not required in the following cases:
- Parts or all of industrial or craft buildings or warehouses for which no energy is used to regulate indoor climatic conditions and which are used for purely industrial, craft or storage purposes. Ancillary spaces with a total useful floor area of less than 50 square metres for which energy is used to regulate indoor climate conditions and which form part of the buildings referred to.
- Rural non-human occupied buildings that have low energy requirements, or are used in a sector covered by a specific energy efficiency agreement.
- Individual buildings with a total useful area of less than 50 sq.m.
- Buildings used as religious temples.
The EPD should always be accompanied by recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building or building unit. The recommendations shall be technically feasible, take into account the cost-benefit ratio and cover the measures that can be taken when the building undergoes a large-scale renovation and also when an element of the building is replaced. This will provide prospective purchasers or tenants, as well as owners and users of buildings, with useful information on the overall energy performance of the building or building unit. They are therefore able to compare similar buildings and make decisions on the purchase, rental or even improvement of the building or building unit they own or use.
According to Regulation 19(3/b) of the Regulation of Energy Performance of Buildings (Energy Certification of Buildings) Regulations of 2009 and 2014 (Decree 164/2009 and Decree 39/2014), the part of the register of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) of buildings containing the building energy performance certificates and recommendations may be inspected by submitting a request by the interested parties.
According to Regulation 19(3/b) of the Regulation of Energy Performance of Buildings (Energy Certification of Buildings) Regulations of 2009 and 2014 (Decree 164/2009 and Decree 39/2014), the part of the register of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) of buildings containing the building energy performance certificates and recommendations may be inspected by submitting a request by the interested parties.
Energy Performance Certificates are valid for ten years and are issued only by Qualified Experts whose qualifications and obligations are defined in relevant Regulations. The Energy Agency shall maintain a register of all Qualified Experts. Part of the register containing the names and contact details of Qualified Experts is available on the Building Energy Certification System.
The “Building Energy Performance Calculation Methodology” and the “Building Thermal Insulation Guide (2nd Edition)” define the way of calculating the energy performance to be followed by all Qualified Experts for the issuance of the EPC. The software program SBEMcy is available free of charge from the Energy Agency for the calculation of building energy performance and the issuance of the EPC.