Building renovation rates

While the EPBD sets minimum energy performance requirements for all buildings that undergo major renovation, Article 5 of the EED sets a binding renovation target for public buildings and imposes related obligations. It also stresses that governments shall undertake an exemplary role in the energy retrofit of their countries' building stock.

The recast of the EPBD also requires Member States to set the abovementioned requirements based on a cost-optimal methodology. This methodology introduces the prerequisite to consider the global lifetime costs of the buildings and to shape their future energy performance requirements.

Several legislative initiatives for building renovation were put in place. The 2010 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD, 2010/31/EU) introduced the requirement of implementing energy efficiency measures in connection to major renovations to encourage more ambitious renovation. The EPBD also asked EU Member States (MSs) to introduce cost-optimal energy performance requirements for new buildings as well as for renovation activities.

Article 7 of the EPBD states that "Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that when buildings undergo major renovation, the energy performance of the building or the renovated part thereof is upgraded in order to meet minimum energy performance requirements set in accordance with Article 4 in so far as this is technically, functionally and economically feasible".