EPBD Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: a guide for businesses
Direct answer
The EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) is the European directive on the energy performance of buildings. It drives, among other things, the energy label, the energy performance requirements for new buildings and the renovation policy of the member states. The revised EPBD from 2024 aims for a zero-emission building stock by 2050 and, in the Netherlands, works through the energy label, the BENG requirements and the office label obligation.
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EPBD Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: scattered information versus Energy Intelligence
Buildings use a large share of Europe's energy, mainly for heating, cooling and hot water. Many existing buildings perform poorly on energy. For years the European Union has therefore steered towards more efficient buildings through the EPBD. You encounter the directive concretely when you buy, let or build a property: the energy label and the requirements for new buildings follow directly from it. For owners of homes and commercial real estate it is the most important source of rules behind making buildings more sustainable.
- The EPBD is a European directive: member states convert the rules into their own legislation, with their own standards and timelines per country.
- The revised EPBD from 2024 aims to make new buildings zero-emission, to have the worst-performing buildings renovated, and to bring more solar energy and charging points to buildings.
- In the Netherlands the EPBD works through the mandatory energy label, the BENG requirements for new buildings and the obligation of at least energy label C for offices.
Insight
Traditional approach
Information is scattered across portals, documents, invoices or separate spreadsheets.
Modern approach
Data, context and interpretation are brought together into a clear decision picture.
Decision-making
Traditional approach
Choices are made based on averages, assumptions or occasional analyses.
Modern approach
Scenarios, KPIs and current measurement data make the trade-off more concrete and repeatable.
Follow-up
Traditional approach
Actions often stay non-committal or disappear into separate reports.
Modern approach
Follow-up actions, monitoring and reporting are linked to the same energy data.
What is the EPBD?
The EPBD is the European directive that governs the energy performance of buildings. A directive sets shared goals, but each member state converts the rules into its own national legislation and fills in the precise standards itself. The Netherlands does this through building regulations, the energy label and obligations for specific buildings. The directive has existed for some time and has been revised several times. It governs, among other things, that buildings receive an energy label on sale or letting, that new buildings meet energy performance requirements, and that countries have a strategy to make their building stock more sustainable. This makes the efficiency of buildings visible and steerable.
- A European directive: the EU sets the goals, the member state makes the law.
- Governs the energy label on the sale and letting of buildings.
- Sets energy performance requirements for new buildings.
- Requires countries to have a strategy to make the building stock more sustainable.
What does the revised EPBD from 2024 bring?
The revised EPBD was adopted in 2024 and member states must convert it into national legislation. The goal is a zero-emission building stock by 2050. New buildings must move towards being zero-emission. For existing buildings there will be minimum energy performance standards that have the worst-performing buildings renovated first, with each country setting its own timelines. The directive also promotes more solar energy on suitable buildings and more charging points for electric vehicles. In addition, energy labels become digital and a renovation passport is introduced: a step-by-step plan that helps an owner make a building more sustainable gradually. The concrete thresholds and dates differ per member state.
- Goal: a zero-emission building stock by 2050.
- New buildings move towards being zero-emission.
- Minimum energy performance standards phase out the worst-performing buildings.
- More solar energy and charging points on buildings.
- A renovation passport as a step-by-step plan for the owner.
How does the EPBD work through in the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands you see the EPBD reflected in three recognisable rules. First, the energy label: on the sale or letting of a building a valid label is mandatory, showing how energy-efficient the property is. Second, the BENG requirements: new buildings, both homes and commercial buildings, have had to meet the requirements for Nearly Energy Neutral Buildings since 1 January 2021, which follow directly from the EPBD. Third, the office obligation: an office must in principle have at least energy label C, with exceptions for monuments and small offices, among others. The transposition of the revised EPBD will add new requirements to this in the coming years.
- Energy label mandatory on the sale and letting of a building.
- BENG requirements for all new buildings, introduced from the EPBD.
- Offices in principle at least energy label C, with exceptions.
- Monuments are exempted from several energy requirements.
- The revised EPBD leads to additional national rules in the coming years.
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