New tool makes EPC rating for non-residential buildings possible

Alpha IC develops tool to assess the energy performance and classification in EPC classes of non-residential buildings

The Taxonomy Regulation currently offers different compliance paths in the different economic activities for the real estate industry to achieve taxonomy compliance over a significant contribution for a building. The path currently most frequently pursued in the market represents the environmental goal "climate protection". For this purpose, the economic activity "7.7 Acquisition of and ownership of buildings" must be classified into EPC classes (Energy Performance Certificate) or a percentage classification of primary energy (consumption or demand) in the national or regional building stock. In Germany, EPC classes or energy efficiency classes exist only for residential buildings. These can be read off the energy performance certificate. For office buildings and other non-residential buildings, on the other hand, there is neither a standardized EPC classification nor a government-published database to benchmark one's own building against the national or regional building stock. This prevents a uniform rating.

In line with the current EU ISO 52000 series of standards, Alpha IC GmbH has now developed a tool to classify the overall energy efficiency of a non-residential building as shown in the energy performance certificate into an EPC rating or energy efficiency class. For this purpose, the EPC tool is fully aligned with the classification methodology of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP and is applicable to demand and consumption certificates. The non-residential building is then classified into efficiency classes A to G. Thus, the central requirements of the EU taxonomy according to the ANNEX I supplementing Regulation (EU) 2020/852 as well as the requirements contained therein for the economic activity "7.7 Acquisition of and ownership of buildings" can be fulfilled.

As part of our EU taxonomy (pre)audit, we prepare an EPC rating for you in accordance with the requirements of the EU Buildings Directive (EPDB), as has been standard practice for residential buildings since the introduction of the first energy performance certificates.

Im Rahmen unserer EU-Taxonomie(vor)prüfung erstellen wir für Sie ein EPC-Rating gemäß den Vorgaben der EU-Gebäuderichtlinie (EPDB), wie es bereits bei Wohngebäuden seit Einführung der ersten Energieausweise üblich ist.

Our guiding principles for using the tool:

• The primary requirement in the "Substantial Contribution" of the "Climate Change Mitigation" environmental goal, as well as the secondary requirement in the "Do No Significant Harm"(DNSH) criterion of the other environmental goals, can be evaluated for "Acquisition of and Ownership of Buildings" in a standard-compliant manner
• The tool is applicable to all use types of non-residential buildings: Office buildings, commercial units, logistics halls, educational buildings, institutional buildings and many more
• A valid demand-based or consumption-based energy certificate must be available for the assessment
• The tool can be applied to all existing buildings (with construction until 31.12.2020) since the 2009 Energy Saving Ordinance: EnEV 2009, EnEV 2014, EnEV 2016 and GEG 2020
• Correct consideration of the primary energy factors of the electricity mix valid at that time. The assessment is also used by Alpha IC on request in the context of an ESG due diligence and thus offers added value in consideration of a holistic ESG approach
• The results of the tool were validated by a renowned German institute on the basis of a representative sample.

Feel free to contact us for your taxonomy-compliant project implementations or if you have any further questions about ESG: