Actual Energy Performance Research Articles

Road to net zero: Greenness of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and California Green Building Standards Code in the multifamily sector

AbstractThis study evaluates the effectiveness of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) sustainability programs in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in multifamily buildings. We find that CALGreen effectively reduces GHG emissions by 7.2%–11.6%. However, among properties completed during the CALGreen period (on or after 2015), LEED‐certified properties exhibit 14.1%–20.8% higher GHG emissions compared to non‐LEED‐certified buildings. We attribute this result to the emphasis on theoretical design versus actual energy performance of those programs. Furthermore, our research reveals that LEED‐certified buildings completed before the implementation of CALGreen command a rent premium of 4.7%–5.4%. However, this LEED premium diminishes during the CALGreen period. Non‐LEED properties completed during the CALGreen period show limited evidence of rent premiums.

BIM-based energy consumption analysis for residential buildings: effects of orientation, size, and type of windows

Buildings have a significant environmental impact due to their reliance on nonrenewable energy sources. To address this concern, computer software is utilized to estimate building energy requirements. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a valuable tool in this process, with BIM 6D offering a particularly beneficial feature. BIM 6D provides a comprehensive energy model of the building, simulating its actual energy performance. By analyzing natural and artificial lighting systems, particularly daylighting, BIM 6D can assist in optimizing energy efficiency. Despite being underutilized, the potential of this feature to enhance building sustainability is noteworthy. BIM 6D facilitates well-informed design and operational decisions for both new constructions and the renovation of existing buildings. The study examines design criteria such as building orientation, window orientation, size, and type to optimize energy consumption in a bungalow in the Sangli region of Maharashtra, underscoring the importance of energy-efficient buildings to local communities. Energy analysis and optimization are conducted using the Autodesk Insight tool. The methodology involves creating 3D models with Autodesk Revit Architecture software and performing various analyses, including Building Energy Modeling (BEM) simulations, Illuminance Analysis, Solar Access, and Daylight Autonomy assessments. The analysis findings indicate that low-e glass windows of small size and oriented between 0° and 90° significantly enhance energy efficiency under certain conditions, while changing the window type does not affect the analysis. The paper concludes with recommendations for window orientation and size to enhance energy performance in residential buildings, contributing to the broader goal of sustainable and energy-efficient construction practices. This study provides valuable insights for designing energy-efficient residential buildings in rural areas, addressing awareness gaps, and promoting sustainable construction practices.

Investigating energy performance of build-to-rent buildings in england

The domestic sector made up 16% of UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. The build-to-rent market is experiencing a rapid expansion, but the energy performance and distinctiveness of this building sector are still generally undiscovered. Therefore, 423 build-to-rent flats from three build-to-rent developments in England were evaluated with top-down approach. Energy use intensities of flats were compared against domestic energy benchmarks and design targets. Possible determinants of energy consumption in build-to-rent flats, including EPC rating, number of bedrooms, air permeability, glazing area and glazing orientation were investigated through correlation analyses. Research discovers discrepancy between actual energy performance of the studied flats and design targets supporting UK’s 2050 net zero target. In this case study, number of bedrooms is identified as the most noticeable factor influencing energy consumption. Results of this study provide an introductory insight of the build-to-rent sector and serve as a starting point to encourage further exploration. Practical application This paper specifically focuses on build-to-rent buildings within the domestic sector. Energy use situations of build-to-rent flats in the UK were investigated with actual measured data provided by a build-to-rent developer. Results demonstrate the discrepancy between energy use in the build-to-rent flats being studied and existing domestic benchmarks. This paper provides insights to researchers, building developers and policymakers regarding the energy performance of this upsurging build-to-rent building sector and its associated influencing factors. It also contributes ideas on the importance of data sharing and development of energy benchmarking of the build-to-rent sector.

An integrated model of the driving mechanism for the building energy performance gap

The gap between the designed and actual energy performance of buildings (BEPG) poses a severe challenge to achieving building energy efficiency goals and has garnered global attention. However, previous studies have predominantly concentrated on the identification of factors influencing BEPG and have not systematically explored the interrelationships among these factors. In this study, the Integrated Decision-Making combined with Trial Evaluation Laboratory and Adversarial Interpretive Structural Modeling (DEMATEL-AISM) were employed to explore the driving mechanism for BEPG. Initially, a total of 40 influencing factors were identified through literature review and interviews, and 18 representative factors were selected from the building lifecycle perspective. Subsequently, the importance level and causal attributes of each influential factor were assessed by the DEMATEL method. Furthermore, a multi-level hierarchy was constructed based on the AISM model to illustrate the intricate interrelationships among the representative factors. The results indicated that there were seven cause factors and eleven effect factors for BEPG, with the six most significant factors were setting errors in simulation, lack of supervision, performance of equipment, differences in building performance, occupant behavior, and improper design. Additionally, the hierarchical structure model was categorized into five levels, which comprehensively indicated the driving relationship between the 18 influencing factors and the generation mechanism of BEPG. Finally, nine targeted strategies to address BEPG were proposed. This study offers new insights into the mechanisms of BEPG formation through the integration of DEMATEL and AISM, providing a robust framework for researchers and practitioners to systematically understand and address BEPG, as well as essential guidance for policymakers to develop effective strategies to reduce BEPG.

IMPACT OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ENERGY CERTIFICATION OF A MULTI-FAMILIY BUILDING IN VALENCIA

: The European EPBD directive initially emerged as a way to label buildings to inform the consumer. At that time, it sought to compare its performance with other products, such as a washing machine. However, the climatic, economic-social, and energy context is forcing the evaluation of the actual energy performance with pecuniary links. This article compares the actual Valencia weather in 1992, 2002, 2012, 2022, and 2023 with the official one used by the Spanish certification scheme. An old, existing multi-family building is rehabilitated to get a label A. Additionally, it meets the restrictions of the current CTE-HE. The paper assesses the impact of considering the actual weather on their energy performance in both states, before and after rehabilitation, as well as on their energy rating, and discusses the outcomes. All computations have been performed with the recognized software tool CERMA.

Net zero energy analysis and energy conversion of sustainable residential building in Muscat, Oman

The building sector is the predominant consumer of primary energy globally. The building sector accounts for around 40% of global energy production.Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) are highly suggested by energy experts as an effective option to alleviate the strain on primary energy sources caused by the building sector. The disparity between energy performance predictions provided during the design phase and the actual energy performance of residential buildings is mostly attributed to a limited comprehension of the components that influence energy consumption and the constraints of whole building simulation software. The objective of this research was to perform a comparison analysis of the expected and actual energy consumption of a prototype net-zero energy house built at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat. The Hourly Analysis Programme (HAP V4.2) was utilised to forecast the energy consumption of a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) at HCT, taking into account the availability of an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) and the absence of an ERV. The newly built house underwent a one-month testing phase to fulfil many duties according to competition regulations. One of the main goals was to generate on-site energy through photovoltaic panels, producing an amount proportional to the energy consumed by the house. Upon comparing the actual energy consumption data with the simulated result, it was noticed that the actual energy demand of the house was around 20% lower than the prediction made by the simulation tool.

Measured performance of energy efficiency measures for zero-energy retrofitting in residential buildings

Retrofitting existing buildings to Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) can significantly reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact. However, practitioners and policymakers still face the challenge of providing effective and economic energy efficiency measures (EEMs) to interested parties, due to the limited data on the actual performance of available EEMs. This study addresses the data deficiency by analyzing the actual energy and cost performance of a retrofitted single-family house towards a NZEB. Itemized electricity consumptions, including power consumption of heat pump, water pump, fan, and other accessories, as well as whole building usage, are measured before and after the renovation. New metrics are devised for effectiveness assessment – estimating energy savings upon degree day, cost and change in envelope thermal resistance R-value. The contribution of each EEM to the achieved energy savings is identified and compared. For energy consumption of air-water source heat pump, exterior wall retrofit yields the greatest savings: 1.02 kWh/dd (22.2 %) in winter and 0.64 kWh/dd (33.1 %) in summer, followed by roof retrofit. When the savings are analyzed in terms of per unit increment of R-value, windows/doors retrofit demonstrates the highest priority: 1.66 kWh/dd per unit increment of R-value in winter and 0.62 kWh/dd per unit increment of R-value in summer. Considering costs and energy saving contribution together, the optimal retrofit measure is roof retrofit. This study also contributes to the topic by adding new data to the field and extending retrofit practices to locations outside of North America and Europe.

Energy consumption baseline for public schools in the West Bank-Palestine

Schools play a significant role in social development which is one of the three major pillars of sustainable development. Schools are also a hub to promote sustainable practices, and hence, it is imperative to measure the actual energy performance of school buildings. This research was designed to quantify the actual energy consumption in public school buildings in the West Bank in Palestine to establish a baseline for energy consumption in public school buildings. Methodologically, the historical energy performance of a representative random sample consisting of 103 schools in the West Bank was statistically analysed. The results show that the average annual energy consumption in public school buildings is 10,368 kWh, while the annual energy use intensity is around 8.35 kWh/m2/year, and 35.44 kWh/student/year. The results presented in this research are not surprisingly low due to the fact that energy consumption in school buildings is heavily determined by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems which often do not exist in public school buildings in the West Bank. This research is the first to provide empirical statistical evidence about the actual amount of energy consumed in public school buildings in the West Bank, as well as it is the first to present a baseline energy consumption for public schools. The results presented in this research can be used as an industry benchmark by policy and decision-makers to assess green schools’ performance which, besides reducing the negative impacts on the environment, have the potential to improve health, productivity and, education environment.

A Novel Approach to Determine Multi-Tiered Nearly Zero-Energy Performance Benchmarks Using Probabilistic Reference Buildings and Risk Analysis Approaches

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) mandates European Union Member States (MS) to conduct cost-optimal studies using the national calculation methodology (NCM), typically through non-calibrated asset-rating software. Nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) levels must be derived for each chosen Reference Building (RB), which are generally defined using deterministic parameters. Previous research proposed an innovative cost-optimal method that replaces ‘non-calibrated deterministic RBs’ with ‘probabilistically Bayesian calibrated reference building (RB)’ to better handle building stock uncertainties and diversities when deriving benchmarks. This paper aims to develop a framework to address two research gaps necessary for the successful application of the innovative cost optimal method: (1) providing objective criteria for defining NZEB benchmarks and (2) propagating uncertainties and financial risk for each defined benchmark. A robust approach for defining NZEB benchmarks according to four different ambition levels (low, medium, high, and highest) was developed by objectively considering distinct points from multiple cost-optimal plots employing different financial perspectives. Risk analysis is then performed for each defined benchmark by propagating risk from the posterior calibration parameter distributions to visualize and statistically quantify the financial risk, including robust risk, that the private investor could face for reaching each derived benchmark ambition level. The innovative cost-optimal methodology that incorporates the developed framework was applied to a hotel RB case study. The results showed that the developed framework is capable of deriving distinct benchmarks and quantitatively uncovering the full financial risk levels for the four different renovation ambition levels. The current cost-optimal method was also performed for the hotel case study with the RB defined determinitically and using the non-calibrated NCM software, SBEM-mt v4.2c. It was found that the financial feasibility and energy-saving results per benchmark are significantly more realistic and transparent for the proposed innovative cost-optimal method including a better match between the simulated and metered energy consumption with a difference of less than 1% in annual performance. Thus, the performance gap between calculated and actual energy performance that is synonymous with the EPBD methodology, as reported in the literature, is bridged. The case study also showed the importance of the risk analysis. Performing the cost-optimal analysis for a Bayesian calibrated RB using the mean value of the posterior calibrated parameter distributions without propagating uncertainty produced highly optimistic results that obscured the real financial risk for achieving the higher ambition levels of the NZEB benchmarks. Consequently, the developed framework demonstrated a time-bound tightening approach to achieve higher energy performance ambitions, improve risk transparency to private investors, and facilitate more targeted policies towards a net zero-carbon status. Thus, the proposed method considering parameter uncertainty and calibrated RBs is instrumental for devising robust policy measures for the EPBD, to achieve a realistic and long-lasting sustainable energy goal for European buildings.

Evaluation of energy performance in positive energy building: X HOUSE at Solar Decathlon Middle East 2021

Internationally known as the “Olympics of Sustainable Building”, Solar Decathlon Middle East 2021 is the first competition linked to a world EXPO. The competition requests teams to design, build and operate a zero-energy house to drive the buildings and cities in the Middle East to transform into sustainable and intelligent ones.X HOUSE took first place in the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2021 and won eight contests. This article analyzes how the simulation optimization guides the design of X HOUSE to achieve higher energy efficiency and comfort conditions in terms of passive and active design strategies and solar energy utilization. It verifies the effectiveness of the simulation by a detailed analysis based on the monitored data at the competition site in Dubai. It also studies how house management strategies can improve the actual energy performance of X HOUSE. The analysis results show that the X HOUSE is a Positive Energy Building with highly efficient comfort and energy performance, it has strong power accommodation ability for peak shaving without relying on the grid, and it provides satisfactory thermal, ventilation, luminous, acoustics and healthy environment as well as a fully functional and flexible space. It provides a reference and methodology for the design of PEBs and sustainable development in the Middle East.

Occupant behaviour and the potential of automating lighting control in terms of energy consumption – is there a link for residential buildings?

The implementation of occupancy-controlled and daylighting-dimmed lighting systems has an impact on the energy consumption of residential buildings. The BAC factor method of EN ISO 52120-1 estimates that 8% of the lighting energy can be saved compared to conventional manual control. However, it is assumed that their ability to potentially lower the lighting energy consumption is strongly related to external factors, such as the extent of daylight entrance and the behaviour of the inhabitants. By means of simulations in EnergyPlus, the performances of automated and manual lighting control are compared for an apartment and semi-detached building located in Brussels (Belgium) with variation in the occupant behaviour and orientation.It appears that an automated lighting control including 0-100% dimmer reduces the lighting energy demand for all investigated cases with savings up to 38.4%, whereas a similar control without dimmer does not necessarily reduce the lighting electricity demand. However, the results show a considerable variation, making prediction methods as the BAC factor method highly inaccurate. The actual relative energy performance depends on the automation system, type of building, orientation and occupant behaviour (i.e. number of inhabitants and occupancy rate). Hereby, the number of inhabitants has the most considerable impact on the relative energy performances with differences up to 50%, while the occupancy rate shows a significant correlation, especially for low numbers of inhabitants.

At the roots of the energy performance gap: Analysis of monitored indoor air before and after building retrofits

The growing concern about climate change and energy security has fostered energy efficiency measures to reduce building consumption in many European countries. The policies and incentives behind these improvements typically rely on pre-calculated expected energy savings. However, evidence shows that the actual energy performance after such interventions often falls short of the expected targets. People's behavior is one of the causes of the energy performance gap between measured and predicted building energy performance. This study contributes to this discussion by analyzing data on air temperature, relative humidity, and Volatile Organic Compounds monitored in eleven apartments in Milan (Italy) before and after building renovation. These data were then used to simulate two representative flats, thus obtaining their energy demand for space heating. The analysis of the measured data shows that users adapt differently to building retrofits. Under the assumption of constant moisture generation during the periods monitored, some occupants appear to increase air change rates and reduce indoor air temperatures, while others show the opposite behaviour. These trends could be related to the fact that some users prioritize air quality over thermal comfort and vice versa. Energy simulations suggest that the former behaviour leads to a larger energy performance gap.

How national decarbonisation scenarios can affect building refurbishment strategies

Energy transition is radically changing national energy systems. Nevertheless, the dynamics of this transformation are not considered by end-users in the design of building systems. The present work aims at assessing how the renewable share increase, in both electricity and gas grids, can affect building energy performance. To do this, building energy performance indicators, taking into account growing renewable shares, have been proposed. Four national decarbonisation scenarios have been considered. In a case-study in Italy, conventional boilers, heat pumps, combined heat and power plants and hybrid systems have been analysed. Heat pumps turn out to be the best option if the renewable penetration in the power grid is higher than 40%. The substitute natural gas deployment can increase the competitiveness of cogeneration systems, but not enough to represent the best configuration. National decarbonisation scenarios significantly affect the primary energy and emissions savings of building refurbishment strategies. Conventional indicators, taking primary energy factors as fixed, lead to correct assessment for the reference year, but are unable to describe the actual building energy performance over the system lifetime. Depending on the scenario, the average specific primary energy consumption ranges in 17% and 55% lower than the one assessed with conventional analyses.

First evidences of energy performance certificate operational rating: The case of Cyprus

This study aims to introduce the first pieces of evidence of an operational rating scheme for energy performance certificates for the case of Cyprus, an EU member state which conducts buildings classification with asset rating. For the purpose of this study, a case building was monitored for over 12 months in Cyprus, recording over 60 sensors within the building related to heating, cooling, lighting, and appliances. A set of operational indicators were extracted and demonstrated with the purpose of establishing a dataset of operational measurements for buildings in Cyprus. Normalization practices related to occupancy and weather correction factors are also discussed. Following the guidelines of ISO 52003 on the operational rating of buildings, the study concludes with the definition of representative values for the actual energy performance of buildings in Cyprus, delivering typical operational rates for the Cypriot building stock. The case study building is also examined, with regard to its operational rating, based on the average value of the Cypriot building stock. This study aspires to set the grounds for the development of an operational rating scheme for the island state of Cyprus based on best practices and the normative framework for energy-efficient buildings.

ASHRAE RP-1814: Actual energy performance of secondary schools designed to comply with ASHRAE 90.1-2010, Part I – energy use and cost indices comparison

K-12 school buildings constitute a substantial portion of commercial buildings in the U.S. and are responsible for significant energy consumption. This paper presents a nationwide study to investigate the actual energy performance of secondary school buildings constructed per the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1 – 2004 and − 2010. A total of 73 building candidates are included in the analysis after careful screening and inspection, which covers eight ASHRAE climate zones. A Python-based Change Point Model (CPM) is developed to normalize the energy consumption data of the selected 73 buildings following the ASHRAE procedure. The energy use indices (EUI) and energy cost indices (ECI) of single buildings and the aggregated average of all buildings are computed to evaluate the actual energy performance of secondary school buildings. The results suggest that the actual national aggregated average EUI of secondary school buildings is 61 and 41 kBTU/(sq. ft. yr) for buildings designed per ASHRAE Standard 90.1 – 2004 and − 2010, respectively. This indicates a 20% saving in EUI and ECI for the update from the 2004 standard to 2010 one in real buildings, compared with a 38% saving-ratio obtained by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in a nationwide simulation study.

An investigation of the design process’s effect on a high-performance building’s actual energy system performance

The design intent and the performance targets of projects may sometimes fail to match a building’s actual post-occupancy performance. The mismatch of intended and actual building performance can be attributed to multifarious reasons. This study focuses on the role of project decisions made during design as one of the reasons of shortfall. The aim of the study is to unveil the design decision-making process of a state-of-the-art research building through the analysis of project’s available set of IDP (Integrated Design Process) documentation. To understand the relationship and correlation between the energy performance gap and the decision-making process of the case building, we investigated the design decisions’ effect on the actual performance. The particular emphasis is on the decisions that were based on assumptions rather than measured actual test data for the proposed innovative building systems. The designed heat recovery system, which was dependent on recovered heat from the neighboring research building, had a significant effect on the building’s poor energy performance. We investigated collected project data from coordination meetings, thoroughly analyzed project documentation, and quantified the building’s actual energy performance data. The analysis of the project information shows the ripple effect of decisions that were made based on assumptions, that triggered shortfalls in the building’s overall actual performance. Our qualitative analysis indicates that the poor system performance during operations was related with the design decisions that were not based on the measurement of the actual performance of the existing systems in the neighboring building. The performance of the heat recovery from the neighboring building as a highly dependent Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) analyzed through collected documents and data. The ambiguity of the available heat potential from the neighboring building and related testing issues defined on an explanatory timeline of process coding. The conclusion includes recommendations for the design decision-making process for innovative system integrations for high-performance buildings, and underlines the importance of IDP for complex buildings.

Dynamic optimization of chilled water pump operation to reduce HVAC energy consumption

• Actual building energy performance and HVAC system have been simulated. • Optimal control is developed to optimize chilled water pump operation by integrated ANN and GA method. • ANN model has successfully modeled the dynamic relationship between pump operation, indoor temperature, and weather conditions. • Optimization of chilled water flowrate could reduce pump energy consumption by 51.11%. Energy consumption in building has been increasing significantly due to higher demand on cooling system. It consumes a large share of total building energy usage. A proper operation control strategy for this system promises the large energy saving. This paper proposes the optimization of chilled water pump operation to improve the cooling system efficiency in a building. The method is developed by combining the artificial neural network and genetic algorithm. This study aims to develop a control method that can determine the optimal chilled water flow rate to absorb the heat on cooling system during the operation. The building energy performances are modeled using EnergyPlus software, while the control strategy is developed in MATLAB. Input output data sharing between MATLAB and EnergyPlus is performed by BCVTB (Building Controls Virtual Test). The dynamic optimization of chilled water flow rate is carried out continuously during real time operation. The developed control performance has been tested under various operating condition including variable outdoor temperature, sudden change of load condition, and different indoor temperature set point. The results show that the optimization of chilled water flow rate on large cooling system could reduce the energy consumption of chilled water pump as 51.11%.

Understanding the progress of sustainable urban development through energy performance

The development of energy efficient buildings has been identified as a crucial part of the challenge to reach climate targets. Energy performance requirements are one of the most concrete and actionable parts of the sustainability program of urban development processes. However, after construction, there is often a lack of evaluation and follow-up of the energy performance requirements for the buildings, which limits the understanding of the state and progress of sustainable urban development processes and the ability to capture lessons learned related to energy performance. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into how the actual energy performance of buildings relates to the development process of an urban district that has been developed with a high sustainability profile. The urban district of Kvillebäcken (Gothenburg, Sweden) is used as a case study. The results of this paper contribute to a better understanding of the efficiency of the energy performance requirement as a tool during the urban development process, taking the actual energy performance of the buildings as a starting point.

Energy performance assessment of semi-transparent photovoltaic integrated large-scale railway stations among various climates of China

Semi-Transparent Photovoltaics (STPVs) have received increasing popularities as they conform to the architectural design trend of large-area glass curtain walls and expand the application scenes of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs). However, their high sensitivities toward extreme thermal and radiation climate conditions as well as the potential key integration scenario--skylights for large footprint buildings, have rarely been highlighted. Meanwhile, in context of the low energy glass application consensus as well as varieties of commercial module typologies with diverse photo-thermal-electrical properties, designers are still in lack of key understandings regarding actual energy performances and appropriate design solutions of STPV integrations upon diversed climate conditions. In this work, the actual energy-saving disparities, occasioned by distinct climate conditions of both thermal design and solar radiation resources, have been investigated in detail through simulation validations over representative large footprint railway station building prototypes. 14 representative cities covering most concerning climate zones, as well as seven STPV modules based on different PV technologies or featured photo-thermal-electrical properties had been examined for their climate responsivenesses. All engaged cities have been re-grouped from the new perspective into four categories (Low, Medium, High, Ultra-high energy-saving beneficial) with corresponding energy-saving rates (ESRs) (<15%, 14%∼20%, 20%∼22%, >24%) to reveal their true energy-saving beneficial potential levels. Design strategies on basis of applicable integration scenarios as well as appropriate module properties and typologies have been proposed corresponding to each reclassified city categories, to achieve the best conjugated energy-saving effects. This research can provide essential knowledge for finalizing STPV integration designs under the premise of a best energy-saving performance, in response to diversified and complicated climate conditions.

An enhanced framework for next‐generation operational buildings energy performance certificates

The improvement of the energy performance of buildings is identified as one of the core challenges toward achieving a carbon-neutral built environment. In the 2018 recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the European Commission has emphasized the need for improved schemes, to ensure the best possible evaluation of the actual energy performance of buildings, taking into consideration all the parameters related both to their construction and operation. Significant research efforts have been designated in this area, to identifying the additional information required to not only improve the energy performance certification process but also to provide more thorough reports to end-users. To increase comprehension, awareness, and thus genuine involvement, cutting-edge digital technologies are expected to be used. The research project entitled “Next-generation Dynamic Digital EPCs for Enhanced Quality and User Awareness” (D^2EPC GA 892984) introduces a comprehensive approach to next-generation Energy Performance Certificates that addresses the main challenges and gaps in buildings' energy assessment process, by introducing additional layers of information for the assessor and the user. A non-exhaustive list of the novel set of Energy Performance Certificates indicators, proposed in D^2EPC includes energy, smart readiness, wellbeing, comfort, financial, and sustainability related indicators. In this study, aspects of employing advanced digital solutions, like Building Information Modelling and Geographical Information Systems for the certification process are also demonstrated, through a well structured, high-level, detailed representation of the next-generation Energy Performance Certificates system architecture. This framework elaborates on individual components and their interaction, toward delivering the envisioned final enriched cloud-based platform, that will enable dynamic Energy Performance Certificates based on (near) real-time field data. This study aspires to initiate the discussion within the scientific community of buildings' energy assessment on the required practices for digitizing and enriching the certification process of buildings, in compliance with Industry 4.0 practices.