Energy certification of Hellenic buildings: First findings

Abstract

Transposition of the European Directive on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD) in Greece was enacted in 2008. A follow-up regulation on the energy performance in the building sector – KENAK, four technical guidelines published and a national software for building energy audits and certification released in 2010, constitute the main instruments of EPBD implementation in Greece, following the European standards and in accordance to EPBD mandates. About 8500 temporary energy inspectors are already in place, while permanent accreditation is in progress. Energy performance design study has been set as a mandatory requirement for obtaining a building permit for new constructions since October 2010. Energy performance certificates (EPCs) are issued as of January 2011. By May 2013, over 355,000 energy performance certificates have been issued through the official national registry (www.buildingcert.gr). The vast majority has been issued for buildings or building units rented out (65%) or sold (17%), about 17% for the refurbishment of residential buildings under a national funding programme for the energy retrofitting of households and only 0.3% for new buildings. The EPC registry constitutes the first comprehensive national building database that reveals relevant information on buildings’ energy performance. This paper presents an analysis of the available EPCs aiming to provide an insight of the energy performance of buildings in Greece, towards better understanding the Hellenic building stock.