EU Directive 2010/31/UE

EU Directive 2010/31/UE

Specifications from Europe - the EU 2010/31/UE

European Directive No. 2010/31/UE on the energy performance of buildings has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, makes the binding energy efficiency target set at 20% for 2020 (Stephen & Simon 2010). 

The 2007 March European Council stressed the requirement to maximize efficiency of energy in the EU to obtain the objective of minimizing energy consumption by twenty percent of the Union in 2020, and called to implement fully and promptly with the priorities set in the Commission Communication entitled "Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realising the Potential". It determined the major sources of potential cost-savings in the sector of building accounts for 40% of total energy consumption of the European Union (National Trust 2006).

On several occasions the European Parliament had asked the energy efficiency target set at 20% for 2020 is made binding. Finally, Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings has undergone substantial changes, which for reasons of clarity, have necessitated the revision of the text. It should help the whole EU to meet its commitment to reduce, by 2020, global emissions of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% compared to 1990 (and 30% in If the findings of an international agreement) (Lee 2001).

national plans to increase the number of buildings whose energy consumption is almost zero;

certification of energy performance of buildings or building units;

regular inspection of heating and air conditioning systems in buildings;

control systems for independent energy performance certificates and inspection reports (French 2007).

The requirements laid down in this Directive are minimum requirements and do not preclude the maintenance or establishment, by each Member State, measures strengthened.

Since today is the revised EU Buildings Directive (Directive 2010/31/EU). The directive contains revised requirements for energy certificates include stricter requirements for new buildings as of 2021 (Environment Agency 2009).

They must meet the "low energy" standard, for existing buildings with larger renovations to improve energy efficiency where this is technically and economically feasible. In commercial real estate ads, the information of the certificate will be given.

The recasting of the directive must be implemented within the next 18 months in national law.

New Buildings

For new buildings, Member States shall ensure that, before the start of construction systems, high-efficiency alternative, if available, are the subject of a technical feasibility study, environmental and economic to be taken into account:

systems, decentralized energy supply using energy produced from renewable sources;

cogeneration;

systems of heating or cooling or group, especially if they rely, in part or in whole, the energy produced from renewable sources;

the heat pumps (Edwards 2004).

Buildings whose energy consumption is almost zero

Member States shall ensure that by 31 December 2020, all new buildings to be "almost zero energy" and that after December 31, 2018, new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities are to "almost zero energy consumption." (Defra 2006)

Member States draw up national plans to increase the number of buildings whose energy consumption is almost zero. These plans may include targets differentiated by class of ...