Building performance indicators and IEQ assessment procedure for the next generation of EPC-s

¹ Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
² Center For Energy Efficiency EnEffect, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
³ Valencia Institute of Building, 46018 Valencia, Spain
⁴ Spanish Technical Association of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ATECYR, 28043 Madrid, Spain
⁵ SAS TIPEE – Plateforme technologique bâtiment durable, 17140 Lagord, France
⁶ Comfort Consulting Ltd, 2310 Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary
⁷ AiCARR - Associazione Italiana Condizionamento dell’Aria Riscaldamento Refrigerazione, 20125 Milan, Italy
⁸ HIA - Huygen Engineers & Consultants, 6167 Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands
⁹ Division of Building Services and Energy Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden
¹⁰ AIIR - Asociatia Inginerilor de Instalatii - Filiala Valahia, 021414 Bucharest, Romania
¹¹ Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland
¹² Smart City Center of Excellence, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia

^* Corresponding author: karl-villem.vosa@taltech.ee

Abstract

In the current implementation of EPC-s, the assessment focus is purely on the energy consumption data. For the next generation of EPC-s, new performance indicators are proposed to address relevant building performance aspects, such as sustainability, productivity and market value. These indicators would enable evidence-based decision-making processes and facilitate the delivery of renovation triggers. Within the EPC framework, the problem is not the availability of such performance indicators, but the assessment effort required. Only easily available data can justifiably be introduced to bulk EPC-s, either as direct complementary input or as a performance indicator. Availability of such data was analysed from case studies that included EPC-s from 11 EU member states, mainly non-residential buildings. Analysed data included relevant HVAC information such as ventilation air flows, heating and cooling set-points and installed power, but also output data, such as EPC classes, net and primary energy need and GHG emissions. Based on our findings, we outlined two different development paths - one for existing buildings and one for new buildings and major renovations. Two categories of complementary indicators to energy are proposed – IEQ and power indicators.