In Europe, 40 percent of all consumed energy is used in buildings, which is why the European Union places special emphasis on the energy efficiency of residential buildings and public institutions. The introduction of energy performance certification is mandatory for all member states.

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Why is this needed?

If you purchase a household appliance or technical device, you can see its energy rating, which informs you about how economical or wasteful the given device is. The same was introduced for properties, so that if someone wants to buy a property, they can have adequate information about how efficient the energy consumption of their chosen property is.

The aim of the regulation is to reduce the energy consumption of buildings in the long term, for which the certificate, as an authentic information carrier, is one of the best incentive tools.

At the end of June 2008, the Hungarian government decree 176/2008 on the certification of the energy performance characteristics of buildings was also published in Hungary. The decree regulates in which cases, by whom, and under what conditions the certificate must be prepared, who can prepare it, and how much the certification costs. From January 1, 2009, an energy certificate is mandatory for the occupancy and rental of newly built properties.

For existing properties, a certificate must be prepared from January 1, 2012, upon sale or rental.

The certificate primarily informs you about the expected annual energy consumption based on the technical condition of the given building (insulation, heating system, heat losses). If more energy is needed to operate our apartment – i.e., for heating, cooling, and water heating – than what the current technical requirements prescribe, then our property falls below category “C”; if less is needed, it can receive a better “A+”, “A”, or “B” category.

Who can prepare a certificate?

Certification can be performed by certifiers registered in the register of the Hungarian Chamber of Engineers or the Hungarian Chamber of Architects. To issue the certificate, the specialist must conduct an on-site inspection to record the data on which the rating will be based.

During the survey, the specialist examines: the size of the cooling surfaces, thermal bridges, the thermal technical parameters of walls, floors, ceilings and openings, the ventilation of the building, and the heating, ventilation, and hot water systems.

The energy rating of the building is determined based on the on-site data collection and a predetermined calculation methodology. The calculation is usually assisted by software, so we can receive the rating of our home within a few days.

 

The most common cases when an energy performance certificate is required:

  • For the occupancy permit of newly built residential properties,
  • For the transfer of ownership of an existing building or independent functional unit for consideration (sale)
  • For renting out an existing building. (In the case of renting out an independent functional unit, a certificate must be issued for rental contracts concluded after December 31, 2015.)
  • In the case of a publicly used, state-owned building with an official function and a useful floor area larger than 500 m2.

    • In which cases is a certificate not required? (most common cases)

  • for a building with a useful floor area smaller than 50 m2 (in the case of condominium apartments, a certificate is of course required even for apartments smaller than 50 m2)
  • for a building with an agricultural function
  • for a building with a workshop function
  • for a building intended for use shorter than 4 months per year
  • for a building planned for use of at most 2 years
  • for a building with a religious function
  • for a building declared protected by legislation

    • Furthermore, a certificate does not need to be prepared in these cases either:

  • for a new building in the case of transfer of ownership prior to the occupancy permit (notification)
  • if an owner who already has a partial ownership in the same property acquires an additional ownership share for consideration
  • in the case of a gift (the transfer of ownership is not for consideration)

    • What to do with the certificate, who should it be given to, how many copies are made?

    The certificate is prepared in one copy, as this document belonging to the property is always in the possession of the current owner. You must hand this over to the new owner in front of the lawyer at the latest when signing the purchase agreement. The lawyer will record the handover in the contract together with the certificate’s identifier. Once this is done, you have fulfilled your obligations as defined in the government decree. The certificate is preserved in digital form for 10 years, so it can be made available to you at any time later – upon request.

    What are the rating classes?

    The energy performance must in all cases be characterized by the percentage ratio of the total energy performance indicator of the examined building and the total energy performance indicator of a reference building that has the same geometric dimensions and function, just meets the minimum requirements.energy-performance-certificate-800x600

     

  • A+ <55 Highly energy efficient
  • A 56-75 Energy efficient
  • B 76-95 Better than requirement
  • C 96-100 Meets requirement
  • D 101-120 Approaching requirement
  • E 121-150 Better than average
  • F 151-190 Average
  • G 191-250 Approaching average
  • H 251-340 Poor
  • I 341< Bad

    • Let’s look at three examples:

    A+: This letter designation characterizes the most energy-efficient buildings. These consume the least energy. Passive houses also belong here, but buildings with worse indicators than passive houses can easily fit into this category.

    C: According to current standards, a building with a worse category cannot obtain a building permit. This is the minimum that every builder must meet. The decree considers this as the base (100%), and compares the indicators of other classes to it. For example, the total energy performance indicator of an “A” category building is 56-75% of that of a “C” energy class building.

    F: Average Hungarian building.

    How long is the certificate valid?

    The certificate is valid for 10 years.

    (Except if, during this period, a renovation affecting the energy performance of the building has been carried out, or the reference value that forms the basis of the rating has changed due to a change in legislation)

    The certification process:

    • On-site survey, if necessary: obtaining plans, identifying structures
  • identifying building mechanical systems
  • performing building energy calculations
  • preparing the certificate, formulating improvement recommendations

    • Why is it worth having a certificate prepared?

    From the energy performance certificate, you can find out what energy costs to expect, and based on the specialist’s recommendation, you can determine what energy efficiency upgrades are worth considering. If you have the certificate prepared as a seller, it will become clear whether it is worth carrying out upgrades before the sale, with the aim of increasing the property’s price. A higher energy rating specified in the advertisement increases marketability. A proper energy expert opinion prepared by a specialist increases trust.

    It is in the buyer’s interest to request the certificate, as this way they receive information about the expected energy costs. When choosing between multiple properties, this can help with the decision. Within a condominium, there can be a difference of several categories between individual apartments, between the energy rating of a protected intermediate apartment and a corner apartment. This naturally also reflects in the energy bills. It is therefore important to know that the certificate can be prepared for the entire building, but it can also be prepared per apartment.

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