Eco-content building new EU directive
Already been finally approved by the European Parliament on 18 May, the European Directive 2010/31/EC on the energy performance of buildings was published in the Official Journal of the European Union last week. It will enter into force in three weeks and will replace Directive 2002/91/EC, which will be repealed from 1 February 2012. The new Directive promotes the improvement of the energy performance of buildings, taking into account outdoor climatic and local conditions as well as the provisions relating to indoor climate and effectiveness in terms of costs. The measure is defined as the common general framework for a methodology for calculating the energy performance of buildings and building units that Member States are required to apply in accordance with Annex I of the Directive.
In particular, the method of calculation must take into account the thermal characteristics of the building and its internal divisions (thermal capacity, insulation, passive heating, cooling elements, thermal bridges), of heating and production of hot water, conditioning and ventilation, lighting, design, position and orientation of the building, passive solar systems and solar protection, the indoor climatic conditions, the internal loads. In addition, the calculation of the energy performance must be differentiated according to the category of building (single-family houses, condominiums, offices, schools, hospitals, hotels and restaurants, sports facilities, shops). Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that minimum requirements are set for energy efficiency (revised at regular intervals not exceeding five years, if necessary, updated in light of technical progress in the construction sector) buildings or housing units in order to achieve optimal levels of costs. The minimum requirements can not be applied in buildings protected for their architectural or historic merit or used as places of worship, temporary buildings to (use time not exceeding two years), industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings with low energy demand; residential buildings used less than 4 months a year and stand-alone buildings of less than 50 m2 surface.
By 30 June 2011, the Commission will establish a comparative methodology framework for calculating the optimal levels, depending on the cost of the requirements of energy performance of buildings and building elements. The methodological framework differentiate between new and existing buildings and between different categories of buildings. Member States shall calculate the optimal levels making use of the scoreboard and other parameters - climate, accessibility of energy infrastructure - and will compare the results of this calculation to the minimum energy performance requirements in force. By 30 June 2012, Member States submit to the Commission the first report containing all the data and assumptions used for the calculation, and the results thereof. If the minimum requirements in force will be significantly less efficient than optimal levels, States should justify this difference in writing to the Commission and to reduce the gap. For new buildings, the States must ensure that, before starting work, is considered the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of alternative systems, high efficiency, if available, including: decentralized energy supply systems based on renewable sources , CHP, district heating and cooling, heat pumps. For existing buildings undergo major renovation, their energy performance must be improved in order to meet the minimum requirements, in addition, must be assessed and taken into alternative systems with high efficiency.
In order to optimize consumption, States should establish minimum requirements for technical building systems (heating and hot water systems, air-conditioning, large ventilation systems). In addition, they will promote the introduction of smart metering systems whenever a building is under construction or is the subject of a major renovation. The Directive that Member States are to ensure that 2010/31/CEstabilisce by 31 December 2020, all new buildings to be "nearly zero energy buildings", ie very high energy performance, where the energy demand is very low or almost zero covered very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including that produced on-site or nearby. The public buildings of new construction must be nearly zero energy from 31 December 2018. The United States should draw up national plans for increasing the number of "nearly zero energy buildings" by 31 December 2012 and every three years thereafter, the Commission will publish a report on the progress made and develop a plan of action. The directive emphasizes the importance of providing appropriate financing instruments and incentives to promote energy efficiency in buildings and the transition to nearly zero-energy buildings. Therefore, Member States will have to adopt the most relevant instruments on the basis of national circumstances and must be drawn up by June 30, 2011 a list of measures and instruments existing and proposed. Member States should establish a system of energy certification of buildings. The certificate will include the energy performance of the building and reference values such as minimum energy performance requirements in order to allow owners or tenants to compare and assess the energy performance. The certificate, which is valid for a maximum of 10 years, includes recommendations for improving effective or cost-optimal energy performance and may contain additional information (the annual energy consumption for non-residential buildings and the percentage of energy from renewable sources in consumption total energy intake). By 2011 the Commission will adopt a system of voluntary common EU certification scheme for the energy performance of non-residential buildings.
Issuing of
The energy performance certificate will be issued by:
- For the buildings or units which are constructed, sold or rented;
- For the buildings in which an area of over 500 m2 is occupied by public authorities and frequented by the public. From 9 July 2015, five years after the entry into force of the Directive, the threshold is lowered to 500 m2 to 250 m2.
The obligation does not apply where the certificate is already available and a valid certificate issued in accordance with Directive 2002/91/EC. In the case of construction, sale or lease, the energy performance certificate must be shown to the prospective new tenant or buyer and handed over to the buyer or new tenant. In the event of a sale or lease of a building before its construction, the Member may provide that the seller provide an assessment of its future energy performance, in which case, the energy performance certificate shall be issued by the end of the building. In case of an offer for sale or lease of buildings or building units having an energy performance certificate, the energy performance indicator mentioned on the attestation should be quoted on all commercial ads. In public buildings, the certificate shall be exhibited to the public. Are provided in the new directive periodic inspections of heating systems in buildings with boilers with a capacity exceeding 20 kW and air conditioning systems with an output exceeding 12 kW. For heating systems with boilers whose power is greater than 100 kW inspection must take place at least every two years for gas boilers, this period may be extended to four years.
Member States shall ensure that the certification of the energy performance of buildings and inspection of heating and air conditioning systems are carried out in an independent manner by qualified and / or accredited experts, whether operating in a self-employed or employed by public bodies or private business. The accreditation of the experts should be carried out taking into account their competence, the regularly updated lists of experts and / or accredited companies will be available to the public. The control systems for energy performance certificates and inspection reports of the systems must be independent.
14/07/2010
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Translated via software
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Source:
Italian version of ReteArchitetti.it