Green paper on good practice in EPC assessment, certification, and use

The QualDeEPC project aims to improve the practical implementation of the assessment, issuance, design, and use of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) as well as their renovation recommendations, in Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Spain, Sweden and beyond. With the Green paper on good practice in EPC assessment, certification, and use, QualDeEPC provides further analysis, policy proposals and draft descriptions of tools on the seven areas that the project has identified as its priorities for the development of enhanced EPC schemes in the Development Strategy Plan for the development of next-generation EPC schemes:

1. Improving the recommendations for renovation provided on the EPCs towards deep energy renovation
2. Online tool for comparing EPC recommendations to deep energy renovation recommendations
3. Creating Deep Renovation Network Platforms
4. Regular mandatory EPC assessor training (on assessment and renovation recommendations) required for certification/accreditation and registry
5. High user-friendliness of the EPC
6. Voluntary/mandatory advertising guidelines for EPCs
7. Improving compliance with the mandatory use of EPCs in real estate advertisements

For each topic, the partner countries evaluated their situations, described best practice examples and suggested cross-national measures for improvements. The major outcomes at this
stage are:

• A text-based list of deep energy renovation recommendations,
• The concept for the online tool development,
• The concept for a Deep Renovation Network Platform,
• A universal, enhanced user-friendly EPC form template and background on the proposed content
• A general policy proposal for regular mandatory EPC assessor training, and
• A general policy proposal for advertisement guidelines and for actions to improve compliance with the mandatory use of EPCs in real estate advertisements.

These suggested enhancements should be the basis for both a discussion with stakeholders at national workshops and for their testing. For example, representatives of the pilot buildings will evaluate a universal EPC form template, including deep energy renovation recommendations.

The results from the testing and the feedback of stakeholders will document a transnational comparison and a summary evaluation report. With the latter and further developments of the project, the Green paper will be a basis for the White paper on good practice in EPC assessment, certification, and use.

Moreover, the Green paper and the White paper will be the basis for the country-specific adaptation, discussion, and implementation of policy proposals.