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Recent EPC initiatives across Europe -D 2.3

Review results from previous projects - Cross assessing EPC paradigms

by Elena Taxeri (CRES)

The objective of this document is to help the Consortium to identify, evaluate and use the results of previous and current European projects that have also worked towards the enhancement of the Energy Performance Certification. It outlines the procedure and methods that crossCert partners follow to extract the most relevant outcomes of sister or analogous projects that were funded by European programmes.

In particular, the document retrieves the information from those projects that have tested the current EPCs at a country level and/or have introduced improvements and/or have proposed new approaches, from projects that have worked with new Key Performance Indicators or have tested new software for the energy assessment of buildings.

Download D2.3 Recent EPC initiatives across Europe here!


EPC Cross-testing Procedure - D2.4

EPC Cross-testing Procedure - D2.4

The Design of the crossCert Cross-Assessment Tests

by Norberto Fueyo, María Herrando, Antonio Gómez (UNIZAR)

This report describes a cross testing procedure that circumvents the major practical obstacles in carrying out cross testing of the planned 147 buildings.The deliverable includes a review of the status of EPCs in the crossCert countries, to set out the status quo and provide a basis for the development of the methodology and indeed for the rest of the crossCert project. The cross testing requirements are set out and we describe the rationale for selecting the buildings that will be the subject of cross testing. The report also provides the full list of buildings, comprising 147 buildings to be tested, the cross testing protocol and the detailed methodology we have used for selecting buildings.

Download: D2.4 - EPC Cross-testing Procedure


CrossCert Benchmark Repository - D2.8

Cross assessing EPC paradigms

This document introduces the crossCert Building Repository, a crossCert consortium deliverable in the context of Task 2.4 crossCert Benchmark Repository (WP2). It describes the contents of the repository, the collection methods, the hosting details and the instructions for user access.

The crossCert Building Repository was developed for researchers and modellers and provides complex building data that is essential for testing and validating EPC models. Unlike other databases such as the EU Buildings Observatory or the BuiltHub platform, which are aimed at broader decarbonization monitoring and policy design, this repository provides the detailed information needed to develop building energy models.The data provided by the crossCert consortium partners during the tests in Task 2.3 reflect different building typologies and climate zones and increase the utility of the repository for testing and validating models.

In summary, the crossCert building repository meets the need for detailed building data and provides valuable resources for the development and validation of building energy models, which are a crucial element in the energy certification process.

Click on the document to the right to get the data!

Download D2.8 CrossCert Benchmark Repository


Review of approaches to EPC assessment across chosen member states - D3.1

Review of approaches to EPC assessment across chosen member states - D3.1

This report summarises EPC methodologies currently in use across chosen European countries, focussing on those of relevance to the crossCert project. The information collated will act as a reference document  to highlight differences in approaches to energy assessment and, by extension, different responses to the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive.

By conducting this review, EPC approaches are categorised based on type of calculation methodology used, methods of input data gathering, use of real building and/or energy data, and outputs generated from the EPC process. This categorisation will aid later analysis in the project, where crossCert will investigate the impact that country-specific EPC choices have on EPC outputs, and any consequences of these outputs.

The goal is to address the technical dimensions of EPCs (including inputs, metrics, and control/verification) in order to identify potential improvements and guidelines. The work is also the basis for harmonisation recommendations to be compiled at a later stage. The first step of is studying different EPC methodologies used in crossCert partner countries. This deliverable is focused on reviewing general aspects as well as some technical details of EPC assessment methodologies.

Download: D3.1 Review of approaches to EPC assessment across chosen member states


Performance gap causation - D3.2

Performance gap causation - D3.2

By Mahsa Sayfikar, David Jenkins, HWU, UK

The Performance Gap (Bordass, 2013) is a well-used term in building modelling to describe the difference between the modelled and measured energy consumption of a building, usually based on a year of final energy consumption data (kWh/yr). It is used across many different forms of building modelling as a measure of accuracy or effectiveness of that model, and whether it is describing a building appropriately.

This report takes the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) methodologies of nine different European countries, across 65 tested buildings, to investigate how the modelled energy consumption compares with real, measured energy consumption of those same buildings. Each individual building is modelled with the local EPC methodology and compared with metered energy consumption, converting the EPC output to a parameter that allows for this comparison where required. The study demonstrates the challenges in comparing different methodologies, with different metrics and frameworks, particularly across relatively small samples of buildings. However, the 65 case-study buildings do indicate how previously discussed differences in methodologies can be seen when those methodologies are applied to real buildings. Using real energy consumption values as an effective target for those methodologies – and therefore calculating a Performance Gap for each building – is an approximation of “success” for those different approaches of generating an EPC. However, as discussed in the report, this Performance Gap should not be seen as an absolute measurement for EPC effectiveness, with EPCs not designed to account for meaningful occupancy behaviour in individual buildings. Conclusions must therefore be guided by contextual data and further modelling results, as being explored in the crossCert project.

Download: D3.2 - Performance Gap Causation


Cross-country comparison of format and nature of recommended improvements in different EPCs -D3.4

This report is the outcome of Task 3.3, “Evaluation of the renovation measures recommended by EPCs”. It summarises the advice provided as recommendations in EPC documents across chosen European countries, focusing on those relevant to the crossCert project. Sources of information used for devising this report include EPC documents from the partner countries, as well as questionnaires and workshop outcomes.

The main aspects studied in this report include the format the recommendations are presented in on EPC documents, the source and nature of these recommendations, and the relevant information and indicators provided. In addition, the role of assessors in providing these recommendations and potential gaps between assessor training and background education, with the knowledge required for proposing suitable recommendations, is investigated. Based on the collected information and the results of the cross-testing stage, a comparison is also made between countries’ approaches towards EPC calculation and their approaches towards EPC recommendations.

Download D3.4 - Cross-country comparison of format and nature of recommended improvements in different EPCs


D3.5 Sensitivity analysis of chosen parameters on EPC output

Work Package 3 in the crossCert project includes extended results analysis and the issuance of conclusions based on Work Package 2 results. As part of this work package, this report uses the results of the C-testing and P-testing included in Work Package 2 to perform a numerical analysis on the effects of variations of parameters and calculation approaches between methodologies on the final energy consumption values. In the C-testing round of the project, 10 different EPC methodologies were applied to 52 C-buildings. In addition, 8 P-buildings were modelled in IES-VE dynamic simulation package. In devising this report, the EPC certificates and the C-testing reports produced by the partners as well as the results of the dynamic energy models created in the P-testing phase were used as sources of information.

Download D3.5 Sensitivity analysis of chosen parameters on EPC outputs here!


Analysis of the current integration of EPC data -D4.2.

This document completes the proposed structure in D 4.1, and it carries out a full analysis of the gathered data. The objective of this document is to analyse the integration of EPCs in the Administration databases, helping the Consortium to identify the general current status of the existing databases and the barriers and challenges still to overcome to achieve fully interoperable and useful EPC databases.

The interim report D 4.1 showed the general composition of the assessed registers based on the energy and buildings parameters disclosed and available among crossCert countries’ EPC databases. After having completed that quantitative analysis, further assessments needed to be made. In that sense, D 4.2 has been planned to focus and expand the information on the potential uses for EPC databases.

Presently, the EPC database has been understood as a global entity where every aspect of the EPCs is treated, but that reality is far from the actual situation. Therefore, the concepts of EPC storage, processing, interaction, and interoperability are readily understood. In addition, dividing concepts and tools allows the generation of tailor-made guidelines for each stage of the EPC life cycle.

Download D4.2. Analysis of the current integration of EPC data


Report on existing EPC attitudes, expectations and needs - D5.1

Understanding EPC assessment and certification from the people-centred aspects of EPCs and services

by Domen Bančič and Jure Vetršek (IRI-UL)

This report provides a fresh perspective on understanding energy performance certificates (EPCs) from a people-centred perspective. More specifically, it provides a framework for people-centred research of all EPC related things, with a specific focus on how policies are translated into practice through interaction between people, and on the elements of EPC assessment and certification service and its products (the EPCs).

Download: D5.1 Report on existing EPC attitudes, expectations and needs