The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union sent Member States, on Wednesday 14 September, a new (third) draft compromise on the revision of the EU Directive (2018/844) on the Energy Performance of Buildings (‘EPBD’).
There are several changes compared to the previous draft compromise (see EUROPE 12994/20).
In order to better ensure that Member States are on track to achieve a zero-emission residential building stock by 2050, Prague proposes to introduce two “fixed control points” on the national building renovation trajectories set by Member States.
This would require Member States to ensure that the average primary energy consumption of the entire housing stock, expressed in kWh/m2 per year, is at least equivalent to the energy performance level of class D by 2033 and class B by 2040.
The Czech Presidency also suggests that the national trajectory should not have to be linear, in order to give more flexibility to Member States.
Pointing out that some Member States may lack high quality data on the energy consumption of their housing stock, Prague wants to allow EU countries to use data based on statistical sampling and the use of energy performance certificates to set their national renovation trajectories.
In addition, the draft compromise provides for the possibility for Member States to define several trajectories, depending on the types and categories of buildings (e.g. one for single-family houses and another for multi-apartment buildings).
While the number of trajectories would thus be left to the discretion of governments, each would have to respect the fixed control points. Member States would also have the possibility to add more fixed control points than the two proposed by the Presidency.
A derogation for individual houses
The Czech document also introduces a derogation allowing Member States to treat individual houses on a separate basis from the trajectory.
However, they should ensure that single-family houses that are sold, rented, given away or changed in the land register to residential buildings after the 1st of January 2028 achieve at least energy performance class D or better within five years of the above triggers (sale, renting, etc.)
Other changes
In addition, the draft compromise adds national defence buildings to the list of buildings exempted from minimum energy performance standards.
However, this exemption would not cover individual dwellings or office buildings for the armed forces and other personnel employed by the national defence authorities.
While current EU legislation does not provide a clear definition of the concept of ‘deep renovation’, the Presidency proposes to define it as a renovation that achieves at least 60% primary energy savings.
The Commission defined it as the transformation of a building into a near-zero energy building if the renovation takes place before the 1st of January 2030, and into a zero-emission building if the renovation takes place after that date.
See the draft compromise: https://aeur.eu/f/367 (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)