New energy certificates

This applies from May 2021 for existing buildings

The optimally insulated building envelope - e.g. with mineral wool - is the most important step towards greater energy efficiency.

The Building Energy Act (GEG), which came into force in November 2020, places the focus on a more comprehensive consideration for buildings in existing stock. As a consequence, new requirements for energy certificates will apply from May 1, 2021.

Owners of small residential buildings with up to four residential units, for which the building application was made before November 1, 1977, and which were also not energetically modernized afterwards, are obliged to prove the energetic demand and thus also the overall building quality with the so-called energy demand certificate. For all other residential buildings, a so-called energy consumption certificate is sufficient. Until now, this could be determined simply and inexpensively from the consumption figures of the past three years. Because in such a way determined energy data depend however strongly on the user behavior and betray little over the energetic quality of the building, the legislator readjusted.

The energy consumption document of identification must designate starting from 1. May 2021 the energy balance of the building in more detail. For this the building must be examined locally, documented with photos and modernization measures recommended. This provides a good overview of the deficiencies and potential energy savings of an existing building.

The new GEG and the associated new energy performance certificates and recommendations for modernization show that many aspects must be meaningfully intertwined in order to achieve long-term sustainable savings of energy and CO₂ in buildings. Homeowners who are planning to renovate their residential property anyway can now benefit twice over if they have their new energy consumption certificate drawn up together with an individual renovation roadmap (iSFP).

The state will pay up to 80 percent of the costs for the iSFP drawn up by an energy consultant. At the same time, you also get a well thought-out, optional action plan for the economic energy renovation of the building.

Source: FMI Fachverband Mineralwolleindustrie e.V. / Delia Roscher