Approved 24 April 2024
Directive on the energy performance of buildings (recast)
The directive contributes to the objective of reducing GHG emissions by at least 60% in the building sector by 2030 compared to 2015 and achieving a decarbonised, zero-emission building stock by 2050. It works hand in hand with other European Green Deal policies, such as the emissions trading system for fuels used in buildings, the revised Energy Efficiency Directive, the revised Renewable Energy Directive and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.
Other measures in the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) include
- the gradual introduction of minimum energy performance standards for non-residential buildings based on national thresholds to trigger the renovation of buildings with the lowest energy performance
- a binding target to decrease the average energy performance of the national residential building stock by 16% by 2030 in comparison to 2020 and by 20-22% by 2035, based on national trajectories
- an enhanced standard for new buildings to be zero-emission and the calculation of whole life-cycle carbon for new buildings
- enhanced long-term renovation strategies, to be renamed National Building Renovation Plans
- increased reliability, quality and digitalisation of Energy Performance Certificates with energy performance classes to be based on common criteria
- the introduction of building renovation passports to guide building owners in their staged and deep energy renovations
- increased deployment of solar technologies on all new buildings and certain existing non-residential buildings where technically and economically feasible, and ensuring that new buildings are solar-ready (fit to host solar installations)
- a gradual phase-out of boilers powered by fossil fuels, starting with the end of subsidies to stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels from 1 January 2025
- one-stop-shops for the energy renovations of buildings for home-owners, small and medium-sized enterprises and other stakeholders
- further roll-out of recharging points for electric vehicles in buildings, removing barriers to their installation, enabling smart charging and introducing measures for bike parking in buildings
- data collection and sharing to improve knowledge of the building stock and awareness of energy consumption in buildings