Working to deliver the next generation of Energy Performance Certificates

Would home buyers welcome a new rating that shows how comfortable or how smart their new home is? What about a more detailed picture of the cost and benefits of potential energy saving measures? Or a rating of the potential to connect the building to a district heating network?

That’s what we’ll be discussing at an Energy Saving Trust webinar on Wednesday 24 March, focused on the future of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

We’ll present research on new ratings that could be used to report on a building’s:

• smartness
• comfort
• district heating readiness

We’ll also discuss how recommendations from EPC assessments could be made more specific and detailed.

The webinar will be presenting research from the X-tendo project, which is aiming to develop ‘next generation’ features that can be used alongside EPC systems internationally.

As part of X-tendo, Energy Saving Trust is working with energy agencies in eight other countries to develop and test new tools and methodologies linked to EPCs. The ‘next generation’ features include indicators of the smartness of buildings’ energy systems, outside air pollution, building comfort and the potential for connection to a district heating system.

The recommendations for energy saving measures on EPCs are quite broadly worded; the certificate is not intended to give a detailed assessment. So, X-tendo is also looking at how more detailed and specific recommendations could be provided alongside the certificate. In Scotland, as part of the X-tendo project, Energy Saving Trust will be testing this new approach to recommendations.

The webinar will focus on these exciting areas of X-tendo, and how they could be relevant in the UK. Other project features (to be discussed at a future event) focus on maximising the value of EPC databases, using EPCs to link to financing options, and supporting the development of ‘one stop shop’ energy advice.

A frequently expressed concern about EPCs is that they don’t report on how much energy the building really uses, only a modelled estimate. The final X-tendo workstream focuses on how real energy use data can be provided to building occupants, alongside EPC data.

The X-tendo project will run until 2023, and we expect it to have an influence globally. Beyond Europe, a growing number of countries are adopting EPCs as a key tool to decarbonise their building stock.

*While we hope policy makers will be interested in our findings, X-tendo is a research project and should not be taken as an indication of the direction of government policy around EPCs in Scotland or in any other part of the UK.