In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, energy performance certificates for residential and commercial buildings have been introduced in recent years. The certificates are intended to provide information about a building's energy consumption and, above all, to make it comparable. In doing so, the two EU member states are implementing a European directive, making the energy performance certificate mandatory for new builds, in the case of extensive renovation, and upon sale and letting. In Switzerland the energy performance certificate falls under the responsibility of the cantons and is voluntary.
About the graphic:
All energy performance certificates assign the assessed buildings to energy efficiency classes, similar to the consumption classes used for electrical appliances, as shown here in the graphic from green to red, depending on energy consumption per square metre of living space:
The Energy Performance Certificate in Germany
In Germany, the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) governs the use and operation of the energy performance certificate. Accordingly, an energy performance certificate must be produced for every new build and presented for every property being purchased or rented whenever a sale or letting is pending. There are two basic ways of producing an energy performance certificate: the energy consumption values are either determined from the living space and the insulation values of the building fabric — this energy performance certificate is called a demand certificate (Bedarfsausweis) — or the consumption values are derived from actual energy consumption. This certificate is called a consumption certificate (Verbrauchsausweis). The energy performance certificate has a separate page for each method of calculation, and the page that is not used is left blank.
The consumption values indicate the energy consumption of the respective property in kWh/(m2a), that is, in kilowatt-hours per square metre of usable floor area. This gives rise to the energy efficiency class to which a building is assigned in the energy performance certificate. These range from A to H and, based on the number of square metres, also allow conclusions to be drawn about the heating costs to be expected.
On a separate page, the issuer of the energy performance certificate notes recommendations for refurbishment measures that would enable an improvement in energy consumption. It is also noted if no further refurbishment measures are considered worthwhile because the building is already very well insulated and equipped with modern building services. Finally, the energy performance certificate also names and presents the procedures by which the values were determined. Energy performance certificates can be issued by architects, building technicians, tradespeople in the relevant trades, and energy consultants with appropriate further training.
What does an energy performance certificate cost in Germany?
An energy performance certificate based on consumption data is easier to produce and is offered for single-family homes from as little as 100 euros. In the case of an energy performance certificate based on demand values, a site inspection of the house is almost unavoidable, which is why such a certificate should be budgeted at several hundred euros depending on the size of the house.
The Energy Performance Certificate in Austria
In Austria, the energy performance certificate is governed by the Energy Performance Certificate Presentation Act (Energieausweis-Vorlage-Gesetz, EAVG). It must be produced for all buildings that are sold, let or leased, and must not be more than ten years old. In addition, certain key figures from the energy performance certificate must already be stated in advertisements in which properties are offered for sale. Both homeowners and estate agents are obliged to do this. The heating demand (HWB) and the overall energy efficiency factor (fGEE) must be stated. Since the latter was only introduced in the new EAVG 2012, but old certificates remain valid for ten years, it is sufficient in advertisements for such houses to state the HWB.
In Austria too, there are different variants of the energy performance certificate. For existing buildings for which little data is available, the "simplified procedure" may be applied. However, only the data collection is simplified here. In Austria, the calculation procedure is always based on the building fabric. An energy performance certificate based on energy consumption, as in Germany, is not provided for. As a rule, the data collection can be carried out by the homeowner themselves; a site inspection is only necessary in the more involved variants.
A special case is the energy performance certificate for obtaining a federal subsidy. Here there are energy performance certificates for individual measures such as window replacement or heating refurbishment, or a certificate for a complete energy-efficiency refurbishment. In the latter case, two energy performance certificates must be produced: one for the current state and one for the state after refurbishment.
What does an energy performance certificate cost in Austria?
Energy performance certificates using the simplified procedure can be obtained from around 150 euros, depending on the heatable living space. For a large property, the costs can amount to up to 2,000 euros. In Austria too, tradespeople in the relevant trades, architects and civil engineers are authorised to issue them. The energy performance certificates fall under the responsibility of the federal provinces, though all provinces have by now agreed on a standardised procedure.
The Cantonal Energy Performance Certificate in Switzerland
In Switzerland, the energy performance certificates fall under the responsibility of the cantons and are named accordingly: the Cantonal Building Energy Performance Certificate (Gebäudeenergieausweis der Kantone, GEAK). Nevertheless, the GEAK is uniform for the whole of Switzerland and is also registered centrally. Producing a GEAK for a building is voluntary; only in a few cantons is it obligatory upon sale or for a subsidy. Anyone can create a GEAK Light for themselves using the software on the GEAK website by entering the relevant data. The GEAK Light, however, is marked as such and has no official validity. It serves only for the owner's own information, which is also relatively imprecise and provides only rough indications of a building's energy efficiency. To produce a GEAK or a GEAK Plus (with refurbishment proposals), the data from the GEAK Light can be transmitted to a certified expert, who uses it as the basis for a detailed assessment. GEAK and GEAK Plus, however, are issued by the experts exclusively after a site inspection of the property. Accordingly, energy performance certificates in Switzerland cost between 450 and 650 francs for a single-family home, and a GEAK Plus between 1,300 and 2,000 francs. For larger buildings the prices rise accordingly.
