Green homes: class D buildings by 2033

Class E residential buildings by 2030 and class D by 2033, while all new buildings built from 2028 must be zero emissions.

The EU Parliament has approved the new directive which will lead to only zero-impact buildings by 2050. But the definitive text is still far away. Here's what it predicts and how it could impact most Italian real estate.

All new buildings constructed from 2028 they will have to be zero emissions, And as early as 2026, new buildings used or managed by the public and those owned by public bodies will have to do so. Also from 2028, new buildings will have to be equipped with solar technologies but only if technically functional and economically feasible. By 2032, the new emissions requirements should also be respected by existing residential buildings only if they are undergoing major renovations.

These are the main established terms of the Energy Performance Directive (EPBD) just approved by the European Parliament. The objective is to increase the rate of renovation of energy inefficient buildings and improve information on energy performance. The proposal establishes new parameters also for the classification of the energy performance of buildings.

Renovating your home: you have to wait for a national plan

What does the European Parliament's approval of this directive imply?

In fact, each Member State will be able to establish a national restructuring plan adapting it to the needs of the individual country. We are therefore still far from the definitive text and there are many the possibilities for derogation for individual countries.

The directive also indicates specific exceptions for buildings of artistic, historical and religious value, second homes and those with a surface area of ​​less than 50 square metres. Furthermore, states will be able to ask the European Commission to evaluate exemptions that take into account the particularities of the real estate assets of each country (monuments, buildings of particular architectural or historical value, public or social housing, etc.), technical problems, lack of materials or excessive costs for the works. In fact, in the presence of particular requirements, it will be possible to adapt the new objectives according to the economic and technical feasibility of the renovations and the availability of qualified manpower.

A single classification is needed in Europe

To understand the real impact of this provision it is necessary to know that, to date, each Member State has its own particular energy classification different from that of other States, consequently, the requirements to achieve class D in Italy are different from those necessary to achieve the same class in another Member State.

The Directive provides the unification of classifications in different European countries, and this also means that the modification interventions required by the law could have a smaller scope than that hypothesized by reasoning on the classification parameters currently adopted in Italy.

Buildings at least in class E by 2030 

To accompany the directive, the Commission has put it on paper a road map to follow to make properties more efficient in the lower energy classes. Residential buildings will have to reach at least energy performance class E by 2030 and D by 2033. Non-residential or public buildings will have to reach the same classes by 2027 and 2030 respectively.

Each Member State will be able to identify and communicate any cases and technical problems that may prevent a property from moving up the energy class with the possibility, for those cases, of reaching a level "technically possible" even if lower than that established by the directive.

We need certain times and incentives

For the European Commission, starting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a fundamental step to achieve thegoal of zero emissions by 2050; and buildings are responsible for more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, given that three-quarters of buildings are inefficient from an energy point of view. 

However if you think that in Italy approximately 60% of the buildings are now in class F and G, it is clear how impactful even just the move to class E will be for many families. To move up a class, in fact, it is necessary reduce energy consumption by approximately 25%: reduction that can only be achieved with interventions such as thermal coat, replacing the fixtures or replacing the boiler with a new condensing one. What is certain is that the expense of having more sustainable buildings it must not burden citizens' pockets, for many of whom the house represents the only asset or source of income.

Therefore, adaptation alone is welcome if accompanied by easily accessible incentives. Furthermore, owners must be able to sell and rent properties easily presenting the certification of the state of fact where the property is located at the time of sale or rental; it will then be up to the buyer to carry out the work taking advantage of the incentives. It remains clear that the market itself will enhance the buildings who have adjusted their energy class, penalizing those not yet efficient. 

It therefore needs to be clearly defined times and methods at the EU level and then in Italy going hand in hand with the promotion of certain and lasting incentives. We therefore need to proceed with a clear strategy and not with last minute extensions or continuous technical and fiscal regulatory changes with each budget law. Only in this way will it be possible to face this challenge by involving citizens and improving our country.