EPBD 2024 – why it is still important
What is the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)?
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is a key component in the European Union’s (EU) strategy to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions across the building sector. It was first adopted in 2002 to establish a common framework for energy performance standards across the EU, and has strengthened since, with major changes in 2010 and 2018. The latest revision, which came into force in May 2024, is perhaps the most ambitious yet, with a clear focus on driving renovation, phasing out fossil fuels, and modernising buildings through smart technologies.
Why a new EPBD?
Buildings remain one of the EU’s largest sources of energy consumption and carbon emissions, accounting for nearly 40% of total energy use (source). Despite past efforts to improve building efficiency, 75% of the EU’s building stock remains energy inefficient (source). Renovation rates have stagnated at around 1% per year, far below the pace needed to meet the EU’s target of the full decarbonisation of Europe’s building stock by 2050. The 2024 EPBD recast aims to address these challenges by establishing clearer and more enforceable targets for renovation, decarbonisation, and modernisation.
1. Renovation
A core priority of the EBPD recast is to accelerate the renovation rate across the EU, in particular for the worst-performing buildings. To achieve this, the Directive has introduced the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), which requires countries to set thresholds for energy efficiency and specific renovation plans for buildings that fall under these thresholds. Governments must also develop more general National Building Renovation Plans to outline their strategies to accomplish a zero-emission building stock by 2050, including a national renovation trajectory for residential buildings with 2030 and 2035 milestones.
The EPBD also introduced renovation passports in its new recast, designed to guide property owners through the process of improving their buildings. While this scheme is voluntary, countries may choose to adopt it as mandatory into their national legislation.
2. Decarbonisation and building standards
In a notable change from earlier versions of the EPBD, the 2024 recast replaces the Nearly Zero-Energy Building (NZEB) standard, established in the 2018 recast, with the more ambitious Zero-Emission Building (ZEB) standard. By 2028, all new public buildings must meet the ZEB standard, and by 2030, the obligation will extend to all newly constructed buildings. Similarly, the Directive introduces the requirement for Global Warming Potential (GWP) calculations to be included in buildings’ Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). This means that buildings will not only be evaluated on their operational emissions, but across their life cycles.
The EPBD also aims to address inconsistencies in EPCs, the use of which tends to vary country to country. In addition, the recast introduces the following measures to increase the reliability, quality, and comparability of EPCs throughout the EU:
A new classification system for buildings
A mandate on indoor environmental quality
A common EPC template to be used across the EU
The possibility of EPC digitalisation
3. Modernisation and smart technologies
In addition to promoting energy efficiency and reducing emissions, the EPBD aims to update the built environment by incorporating automation, renewable energy, and infrastructure for sustainable mobility. The Directive sets forth new standards for solar readiness, ensuring that all new buildings, and specific existing non-residential buildings, are constructed to allow solar panel installations wherever it is technically and economically practical.
Larger structures are also required to meet new automation standards. According to the directive, Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) are required to be implemented in large non-residential buildings by 2024 for those with heating and cooling systems surpassing 290 kW, and by 2029 for those exceeding 70 kW. These systems are meant to facilitate real-time oversight, optimisation, and energy control, contributing to enhanced overall building efficiency.
The EPBD also broadens mandates for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, stipulating one charging point for every ten parking spots in structures with more than twenty spaces. In addition, the Directive implements new requirements for bike parking to promote more sustainable urban transportation. These actions demonstrate a wider dedication to incorporating buildings into the clean energy shift, ensuring they not only use energy more effectively but also play an active role in a decarbonised transportation network.
Taking action
The EPBD 2024 recast provides a clear roadmap for energy performance improvements, but the challenge now lies in implementation and enforcement. With a May 2026 deadline for European countries to transpose the directive into national law, governments are currently in the process of developing national frameworks to ensure compliance.
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