The EU directive on energy performance in buildings requires that Ireland put in place a system for producing energy performance certificates for its building stock. The directive obliges member states to ensure that an energy performance certificate is made available to the tenant or potential owner, when a building is constructed, sold or rented out.
The European Commission has mandated the European Committee for Standardisation to devise common standards for the calculation of the energy rating of buildings and it is expected that these standards will form the basis for each member state to draw up energy rating mechanisms suitable to their individual climates. In order to meet with this obligation as well as transposing the EU directive into national legislation, a working group has been set up to look at all aspects of the scope of the EU directive. This working group comprises representatives from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government as well as officials from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and representatives from Sustainable Energy Ireland.
The question of how to introduce the energy performance certificate for a building is being considered by the working group and will take into consideration the findings of the European Committee for Standardisation when they become available.