With the new EU-Energy Performance Directive for Buildings, (EPD), there is in Europe a good platform of improving the energy and environmental quality in buildings and as something new it is aimed at both new and refurbished buildings. Implementation of the EPD should be realised before 2006 in all EU-member countries. Here it is as something new intended to introduce a real certification of buildings with different quality standards: A, B, C, D…………
Like e.g. already known from refrigerators and also for existing buildings in e.g. Denmark. This is a much more efficient approach than the existing minimum demands in the various building regulations in the EU countries. So there is a clear need for ideas of how this can be done in practice.
It is also important that key-figures for energy and environmental quality should be identified and controlled according to accredited methods as basis of securing the quality when the building project is taken over.
If an A-rated building is actually documented to be an F–rated instead there should be basis of an economic compensation. This will give a good motivation in the design and construction process and really influence the market.
Download EU Energy Performance Directive for Buildings here.
