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Primer on the European Commission's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)

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The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is a cornerstone of the European Union's strategy to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in the building sector. Originally established in 2002, the directive was revised in 2010, 2018, and most recently in 2024. Its overarching aim is to decarbonize the EU building stock by 2050, contributing significantly to the EU's broader climate goals.

There is a lot of information swirling around the requirements and updates, which is why we created this easy-to-digest primer on the EPBD’s requirements and regulations. It provides a concise breakdown of key objectives, mandatory standards, and technological expectations for both new and existing buildings, helping stakeholders understand their role in achieving compliance.

Key Objectives

The EPBD is designed to transform Europe's building stock into a more energy-efficient, low-carbon sector. By setting strict targets and promoting innovative technologies, the directive seeks to reduce energy waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The key objectives include:

  1. Energy Efficiency: Accelerating the renovation of the EU's aging and energy-inefficient building stock, with 75% of buildings currently failing to meet efficiency standards.
  2. Decarbonization: Ensuring all new buildings have zero on-site emissions from fossil fuels by 2050.
  3. Digitalization: Supporting advanced energy monitoring systems to enhance energy efficiency.
  4. Emissions Reductions: Cutting emissions by at least 60% by 2030 (compared to 2015 levels).

Requirements Under the Revised EPBD

To achieve its ambitious climate and energy goals, the revised EPBD sets forth a range of new requirements for both residential and non-residential buildings. These regulations emphasize the importance of energy-efficient renovations, smarter energy management, and the integration of renewable energy sources. The major requirements include:

  1. Renovation Targets:

    • Residential buildings: Reduce primary energy use by 16% by 2030 and 22% by 2035.
    • Non-residential buildings: Implement a Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) targeting the 16% worst-performing buildings by 2030.
  2. Technology Implementation:

    • Mandatory Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) for non-residential buildings with HVAC systems exceeding 290 kW by 2025 (lowered to 70 kW by 2030).
    • Energy Performance Certificates to assess and improve building efficiency.
  3. Transparency and Lifecycle Emissions:

    • Member states must adopt national renovation plans and promote building renovation passports to track lifecycle emissions.
  4. Indoor Environmental Quality:

    • Indoor air quality and other environmental factors must be monitored and optimized in both new and existing buildings.

Unlocking Energy Savings Potential

Buildings are responsible for 40% of the EU’s total energy consumption and 36% of its CO₂ emissions. The EPBD identifies heating, cooling, and hot water systems as major contributors, accounting for 80% of energy use in buildings. Addressing inefficiencies in these systems is critical for meeting the directive's goals.

Supporting Resources and Innovations

The EPBD promotes innovative solutions, such as:

  • Advanced building automation systems to monitor, benchmark, and adjust energy usage dynamically. 
  • Integration of renewable energy sources in building design to achieve zero-emission standards.

For facility managers and building owners exploring energy-efficient building management solutions, navigating the EPBD's requirements can be complex. To help you get started, we recommend downloading the Building Automation Guide 2024, which lays out the fundamental benefits, factors to consider when researching systems, and questions to ask providers.

For more information on EPBD, refer to the European Commission's official page on the EPBD

B. Scott Muench

Scott joined J2 Innovations as a partner in 2011, and is now Vice President of Customer Experience. He has a wide range of responsibilities including evangelism, business development, training, and operational excellence. Scott is well known as an industry expert in smarthomes and smart buildings. He is a past president of ASHRAE, and is currently a board member for Project Haystack. Scott attended Clarkson University for Mechanical Engineering and graduated with a BS/Business in Organizational Innovation.

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Topics from this blog: Smart Buildings Smart Equipment Energy management Technology sustainability Industry Building Automation System BAS EPBD

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