A Comparative Study of Energy Performance Certificates across Europe

Abstract

Using a sample of buildings across chosen European countries, this study compares different EPC frameworks in terms of their published methodologies and generated outputs. The work demonstrates that, despite all emanating from a common central point of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, EPC frameworks across Europe exhibit clear differences in their methodologies, use of inputs/outputs, assessment processes, and assessor protocols. A process is proposed for comparing EPCs of a building when utilising EPC frameworks from different countries, whilst noting that direct comparisons of fundamentally different processes can be challenging and itself requires a designed methodology. When applying this process, EPC ratings can appear similar (when comparing EPCs designed for similar climate zones) in many buildings, but this can underestimate the differences in generating those EPC ratings in the first place. As further innovations are designed for EPCs at the EU level, this study demonstrates why incorporating a bottom-up understanding of country-specific EPCs will be necessary for successful implementation.

Keywords

• EPCs
• energy ratings
• building modelling
• Europe