Innovative EPC Indicator

Smart Readiness

Smart technologies in buildings have the potential to contribute to increasing the energy efficiency of the building stock, enhance the flexibility in smart energy grids, and improve comfort and health of building occupants. In order to increase the visibility and uptake of smart technologies in the European building stock, the introduction of a Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) for buildings is included as optional in the current recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). This indicator would allow to assess the level of smartness of a given building in a reliable and meaningful way for building owners, tenants and users.

A technical study, led by VITO and concluded in June 2020, investigates the scope, definition and calculation of the SRI, and performs a more detailed assessment of its potential impacts. X-tendo evaluates potential pathways to integrate the SRI assessment as an integrated part of the EPC.

Innovative Handling EPC Data

EPC Databases

An EPC database has different potential uses, such as data mining for country/sector reports, interoperability with other databases and publication of market-relevant information, to different stakeholders: building owners, construction companies, real estate actors, public authorities, etc. In this context, the quality assurance of the EPC databases can contribute significantly to improving trust in EPC data.

X-tendo develops routines for quality control of EPC databases and demonstrates how the analysis of these routines can contribute to improve the education process of energy auditors and consultants. 

Innovative EPC Indicator

District Energy

X-tendo develops the capacity of EPCs to assess and report on the potential for the building to benefit from – or contribute to – future developments of district heating (DH) systems. This concerns the future decarbonisation of heat generation of DH systems, as well as the required transformation of DH towards 4^th generation (smart, lower temperature) systems.

X-tendo elaborates and tests a methodology to integrate two sets of parameters into the EPC of a building: 1) primary energy, CO_2-emission and renewable energy factors for the nearest DH system, and 2) two temperature parameters providing a first estimate of possible network characteristics for the connection of the building to a DH system.

Innovative EPC Indicator

Outdoor Air Pollution

Air pollution is one of the most important environmental risks to human health, and it is perceived as the second biggest environmental concern for Europeans after climate change. It has been estimated that 90% of population worldwide are breathing highly polluted air. The indoor and ambient air pollution are recognised as one of the risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Buildings both affect the quality of the outside air (pollutant emission) and the purity of the indoor air (air filtration).

X-tendo elaborates and tests a methodology for reporting on the buildings' contribution to air pollution as well as the air-filtration efficiency in ventilation systems. The methodology for estimating the Local Air Pollution Contributor Index is based on comparisons between pollutant emissions values from assessed buildings and from reference ones. In the methodology for determining the Indoor Air Purity Index, the actual quality of external air and efficiency of air filtration system is taken into account.

Innovative Handling EPC Data

Enhanced Recommendations

Cost and time constraints often result in EPCs containing standardised and generic recommendations, which often only provide limited value to homeowners or buyers.

The X-tendo methodology for enhanced EPC recommendations will demonstrate a method to automatically generate useful EPC recommendations, extending those currently provided. Additionally, the methodology suggests how to integrate cost assessments to this approach and how to align the recommendations with the national long-term renovation strategies.

Innovative Handling EPC Data

Building Logbook

Logbooks are dynamic repositories storing relevant building data beyond the EPC which enable better and more effective use of the data. They are a promising tool to overcoming current data gaps and data barriers among market participants. Logbooks have been developed in several jurisdictions but with diverse objectives and with varying links to the existing EPC framework. The availability of consistent and reliable data can contribute to the creation of innovative services and business models, reduced transaction costs and administrative burdens for the building owner, more effective policymaking, as well as supporting the construction value chain.

X-tendo identifies how EPC registers and systems at different stages of development can support the development of logbooks. It also explores how logbooks can support other innovative features, such as one-stop-shops and tailored recommendations. For the test projects, X-tendo trials three different logbook approaches with the objective to link the EPC data to other datasets and solutions:

• logbook as a data aggregator (Greece) through a webservice which is the backend to the logbook data exchange between the EPC registry, tax department and renovation financing programme
• logbook integrated in the existing one-stop-shop portal (Portugal) to provide new functionalities and services to building owners and market participants
• a dashboard (Estonia) bringing together the EPC data, real energy consumption data and an online application that support building owners to find information on potential renovation measures and energy savings.

Innovative EPC Indicator

Real Energy Consumption

Currently, EPCs are mostly based on calculation. The gap between real energy performance and EPC calculated performance can be significant and usually is a source of confusion to EPC users and other stakeholders (e.g., public authorities, energy managers, financing bodies, energy suppliers). In order to tackle this barrier and to increase trust in EPC, it is important to investigate how and to what extent measured data of energy use can be linked to the EPC calculated indicators or even replace them in existing EPC methodologies. 

X-tendo elaborates and tests a methodology for a measured energy performance indicator that reflects the actual energy performance of the building at standard conditions of climate and use. The calculation tool is complemented by a report with options to process real energy use data to represent part or global energy performance that may be used in cases with limited amount or detail of information or in very complex buildings (e.g., malls, hospitals) where the theoretical approach would be time consuming and costly.

Innovative EPC Indicator

Comfort

Adequate levels of indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics in buildings are among the most important benefits and drivers especially for renovation, as they lead to improved health and comfort of the occupants. However, they are not currently covered by EPCs: this indicator allows to assess the levels of comfort in terms of Indoor Environmental Quality for a given building through reliable and evidence-based inputs.

X-tendo develops an assessment approach for calculation of Asset and Operational comfort rating, that is tested in buildings, and consists of a simplified checklist of systems and materials, measurements of temperature, relative humidity and CO₂-concentrations and survey of occupants’ perception on aspects such as thermal comfort, indoor air quality, visual comfort and acoustics.

Innovative Handling EPC Data

One Stop Shops

One-stop-shops are seen as key means to reduce barriers and transaction costs providing information such as available support schemes and services such as technical advice to homeowners, link to the marketplace, enhanced recommendations, among others. Obviously, these functionalities of one-stop-shops would highly benefit from being linked to EPCs.

X-tendo documents and describes approaches to set up or upgrade one-stop-shops and link EPC data into it to boost the energy renovation market.

Innovative Handling EPC Data

Financing Options

The provision of sources of information on financial support alongside with the EPC recommendations can help persuade building users to undertake a renovation. Financing options mainly focus on public support schemes like soft loans, subsidy schemes or also incentives provided by energy retailers in the frame of the energy saving obligations (Art 7 of the EED).

X-tendo describes possible approaches and mechanisms to link data on available financing with EPC systems and how to communicate this to building owners.