Implementationof the EPBD in

1. Introduction

In The Netherlands, the implementation ofthe Energy Performance of BuildingsDirective (EPBD) falls under the jointresponsibility of:

> the Ministry of the Interior and KingdomRelations;

> the Netherlands Enterprise Agency(RVO.nl), which implements the nationalEPBD legislation in The Netherlands andis also in charge of managing thecertification schemes, the training andaccreditation of experts and compliancechecking, as well as a central register tostock all certificates;

> the National Governmental InspectionAuthority IL&T (“Inspectie Leefomgeving& Transport”), in charge of control andenforcement, and along with others, ofpolicing the quality of accredited expertsand checking the presence of valid EnergyPerformance Certificates (EPC) for saleand rental, as well as of obtaining thepermits of use for new residences;

> certification institutions, in charge ofpolicing the quality of independentexperts active in the labelling of non‐residential buildings.

The EPC system has been in place since2008 and more than 2.3 million EPCs havebeen registered under this legislation. InDecember 2012, the government decidedto implement a new, much more consumerfriendly system for owners of residences.This new system was developed in 2013and 2014 and has been operational sinceJanuary 2015. Legislation for the new

certification system became effective on1 January 2015. Changes in theaccreditation system for experts for thenew EPC for residential buildings were alsoimplemented in January 2015.

This report presents an overview of thecurrent status on the implementation andthe plans for the evolution of the EPBDimplementation in The Netherlands. Itaddresses certification and inspectionsystems, including quality controlmechanisms, training of Qualified Experts(QE) and information campaigns and otherissues.

In September 2013, a national EnergyAgreement (“Energie Akkoord”) was signedby more than 40 market participants andother stakeholders. The targets for energyefficiency and use of renewable energy inbuildings in this agreement are in line withthe requirements of the EPBD. Until 2020,the EPC of 300,000 existing residences willbe improved by two energy grades in theenergy performance scale. The stock ofthe social housing sector will be renovatedto the level of energy class B on average.In the private rental sector, 80% of theexisting houses will be improved to aminimum of energy class C. After 2020,newly built residences have to reach theNearly Zero‐Energy Building (NZEB)standard. The signatures of many keyorganisations endorsing these objectives isclear evidence that there is broad supportfor the market uptake of an energy‐efficient and energy‐neutral buildingenvironment in the future ofThe Netherlands.

AUTHORHans van Eck,NetherlandsEnterprise Agency(RVO)

NATIONAL WEBSITESwww.rvo.nl, www.energielabelvoorwoningen.nl

www.zoekuwenergielabel.nl, www.energielabel.nlwww.rvo.nl/onderwerpen/duurzaam­ondernemen/gebouwen/energielabel­installatiekeuringen/storing­en­onderhoud

www.rvo.nl/initiatieven/overzicht/27008www.rvo.nl/onderwerpen/duurzaam­ondernemen/gebouwen/energieneutraal­bouwen/publicaties

www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/energielabel­woningen­en­gebouwen

STATUS IN NOVEMBER 2015the Netherlands

2. Current status ofImplementation of the EPBD

I. ENERGY PERFORMANCEREQUIREMENTS

I.i. Progress and current status

Energy performance requirements havebeen in place for new buildings in TheNetherlands since 1995. They are updatedon a regular basis, moving towards NZEBtargets for 2020 (Figure 1).

The change towards more demandingrequirements took place as a result of so‐called ‘tightening studies’. These studiesincluded an analysis of the marketpenetration of energy efficiencymeasures, renewable energy applicationsand energy‐efficient heating and coolinggenerators. They also took into accountthe cost‐effectiveness of these measuresand their impact on indoor climate andoccupant satisfaction. The tighteningstudies were carried out by consultingcompanies and supervised by the RVO onbehalf of the Ministry of the Interior.During the studies, all stakeholders wereinformed about the results and couldcomment on them, to ensure thatpractical experiences with energy savingmeasures are taken into account.

The so‐called Energy PerformanceStandard (EPN), established in 1995, wasreplaced in July 2012 by a new standard,the Energy Performance Standard forBuildings (EPG) that replaced both theexisting residential and non‐residentialstandards.

In 2011 and 2012, a study was performedby a consulting company supervised by the

RVO on behalf of the Ministry of theInterior, to establish cost‐optimalminimum requirements for existingbuildings. These requirements came intoeffect in 2013‐2014. The mainrequirement for the energy performanceof new buildings is the energyperformance coefficient.

The energy performance coefficientcalculation is part of the building permitapplication. A project developer has todemonstrate full compliance with theenergy performance requirements toreceive a building permit for a newbuilding or a major renovation. Permitsare checked and issued by localmunicipalities before construction.

Monitoring and enforcement is carried outby the regional environmental services.

Municipalities are also responsible forcompliance checking during construction.In case of non‐compliance, they issue a‘cease‐work’ order that remains validuntil the requirements are met. As such,there are no financial penalties. Buildingsthat do not comply do not get built and ifbuilders deviate, construction is ceaseduntil it is in line with the permit.

Every year, a sample is drawn by the RVOto check if all permits are in line with thelegal requirements.

If the permits are not in line with thelegal requirements, the RVO will reportthis to the municipalities who will takelegal action.

The minimal energy performance (MEP) fornew buildings is defined as the energyperformance coefficient (in Dutch 'Theenergieprestatiecoefficient'). Thisindicator is based on the estimated total

Figure 1:Change over time of

the energyperformance

coefficient in newbuildings (future

plans are notincluded because theenergy performance

coefficient will nolonger be used as an

indicator for NearlyZero­Energy

Buildings).

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primary energy consumption of a buildingbased on a series of indicators, e.g.,heating, ventilation and lighting, adjustedto the useful floor area and the renewableenergy produced by the building. Thisindicates the building energy performancein MJ/m2. The quotient of the building’scalculated annual primary energy needsand the allowed primary energyperformance (Table 1) provides the energyperformance coefficient. The calculationof the energy performance coefficient ismandatory for all new buildings and forlarge renovations in houses and offices.

New buildings and major renovations thatare required to have a building permitalso have to meet minimum requirementsfor building components, e.g., the R‐valueof walls, roof and floor, and the U‐valueof windows and doors. A major renovationis any building in which more than 25% ofthe envelope will be renovated.

For minor renovations, there are onlyminimum requirements for the R‐value ofwalls, roof and floor, and U‐value ofwindows and doors. In such cases, noenergy performance calculation orbuilding permit is required.

I.ii. Format of nationaltransposition and implementationof existing regulations

Since the oil crisis in the 1970s, TheNetherlands applied minimumrequirements for the thermal quality ofthe building envelope. The requirement ofthe energy performance coefficient wasintroduced in 1995 (see Table 1 for 2015values). The minimum requirements forindividual building components are listedin Table 2.

The energy calculation method for newand existing buildings is defined inStandard BS 7120 that is in line with theCEN standards. This calculation of theprimary energy consumption of a buildingis based on monthly climate data that isadjusted for physical processes with ashorter timeframe, e.g., solar gains andheat accumulation. The calculation of thethermal quality of the building envelopeincludes thermal bridges, ventilation andair infiltration, hot water use, efficiencyof heat and cold generators, renewableenergy used both in and near the building,and the contribution of passive energy,

Table 1:Required maximumenergy performancecoefficients for newbuildings since1 January 2015 and,after cost­optimalstudies, for non­residential buildingssince 1 July 2015.For residentialbuildings, an energyperformancecoefficient of 0.4means approximately50 – 65 kWh/m2.year.

Table 2:Minimumrequirements forbuilding components.

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lighting and daylighting. Shading causedby the building itself is included. Shadingby other buildings is not taken intoaccount.

I.iii. Cost­optimal procedure forsetting energy performancerequirementsCost‐optimal calculations for determiningthe energy performance coefficient fornew residential and commercial buildingshave been performed in The Netherlandssince 1995 (Table 3). In 2015, theminimum requirements in TheNetherlands (Table 1) comply with thecost‐optimal requirements for newresidences as well as for all types ofcommercial buildings.

The minimum requirements for existingbuildings applying to major renovations,alterations of technical building systemsand measures for the envelope have beenin place since 1 July 2013.

I.iv. Action plan for progressiontowards Nearly ZeroEnergyBuildings (NZEBs)The energy performance coefficient hasbeen tightened on 1 January 2015, as anintermediate step to reach the NZEBlevel. The next step will be to placedemands on primary energy consumptionand the share of renewable energy up tothe NZEB level. In March 2015, a first

proposal for these requirements for newbuildings was shared with stakeholders(Table 4) and sent to the parliament inJuly 2015.

The study on the cost optimality inaccordance with Article 5 of the EPBD isplanned for 2018.

The Dutch government supports aprogramme from intermediaryorganisations, aimed at preparing themarket players for increased demands toreach the NZEB level for new buildingswith 300 K€/year.

In 2016, the organisations will start a newprogramme under the name ‘ZEN’ (i.e.,‘very energy efficient new buildings’) toprepare the market players for tighteningNZEB requirements in 2020. This will alsobe supported by the Dutch government.The RVO will maintain a database withenergy efficient examples[1].

Furthermore, the Dutch governmentsupports the “Energiesprong” and the“Stroomversnelling”. The“Energiesprong” (energy jump) is aninitiative that aims to reach very energyefficient renovations in both the privateand social housing sector. They aresupported with 45 M€. From the yearlyreport “Energiesprong” 2014, nearly 130zero‐energy‐bill houses have beenrealised. The “Stroomversnelling” (whitewater) aims to renovate 111,000 social

Table 3:Cost­optimal rangesin The Netherlands.

[1] www.rvo.nl/initiatieven/overzicht/27008

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housing buildings and 50,000 privately‐owned houses to the level of the net zero‐energy bill.

Laws and legislation are adapted toenable owners to get a refund(“Energiepresetatievergoeding”) in caseof renters for this reduced energy bill.This solves the problem of the splitincentive, in which the costs of energyefficiency measures are the responsibilityof the building investor or owner, whereasthe benefits of a lower energy bill goexclusively to the tenants. Unless thesecosts are recouped from the tenants, theowner should not be liable for investing inenergy efficiency measures.

Figures and statistics on existing NZEBs

In 2014, the RVO carried out studies ofthe top 30 energy‐efficient homes and thetop 15 energy‐efficient schools andoffices. Some of them already meet therequirements for the proposed definitionof NZEB. A complete overview of thenumber of existing NZEBs in TheNetherlands is not yet available.Monitoring will start in 2016. The numberof NZEBs will gradually increase to 100%after the implementation of thelegislation regarding these buildings asper 1 January 2021.

I.v. Implementation of the EnergyEfficiency Directive (EED) regardingbuilding renovation and theexemplary role of public buildingsThe targets for energy efficiency and useof renewable energy in buildings in theEnergy Agreement are in line with Article4 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED).Until 2020, the energy label of 300,000existing residences will be improved by2 classes. The stock of the social housingsector will be renovated to energy labelclass B on average. In the private rentalsector, 80% of the existing houses will beimproved to a minimum energy label classC. After 2020, newly built residences haveto reach NZEB standards.

Table 4: Proposed requirement for NZEB.

Figure 3: Example of NZEB: The gardens of Sion.

Figure 2:The ‘Trias Energetica’design principle forNZEBs.

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For Article 5 of the EED, the Dutchgovernment has chosen the ‘default’approach to ensure that 3% of the totalfloor area of heated and/or cooledbuildings owned and occupied by itscentral government is renovated eachyear, and 2% of energy savings per year isreached.

This will be realised through sustainableprocurement, optimising and tuning ofenergy installations and deep renovationonce every 20 years. The total savingsduring the period of 2014 – 2020 will be700 TJ (100 TJ/year) for the buildingsowned by the Government BuildingsAgency. In the period of 2009 – 2019 anadditional savings of 600 TJ (60 TJ/year)will be reached for the real estate ownedby the Department of Defence. The totalsavings are estimated at 160 TJ/year.

The Netherlands makes no exceptions forhistorical buildings and buildings ownedby the armed forces. Concerning Article5.7, ‘Encouraging other bodies to followcentral government's exemplary role inbuilding renovations’, The Netherlandshas placed this responsibility within theumbrella organisation of municipalities, asconfirmed in the national EnergyAgreement.

II. REQUIREMENTS FORTECHNICAL BUILDINGSYSTEMS (TBS)

In The Netherlands, there are norequirements for separate energyefficiency measures for Technical BuildingSystems (TBS). Instead, the total buildinghas to reach a level of efficiency,indicated in the energy performancecoefficient. This way, builders anddevelopers are given the freedom tochoose the most cost‐efficient solution asregards the envelope and the TBS of thatparticular building. This approach givesfreedom in the design and stimulates

technical innovation. Products that arenot yet integrated into the officialcalculation method are tested to establishthe performance that leads to inclusion inthe method. An independent commissionof experts has to approve the results ofthe test before official publication.

This concerns the performance of systemsand products in the area of heating, hotwater, Air‐Conditioning (AC), and largeventilation systems.

II.i. Encouragement of intelligentmetering

Following a positively evaluated nationalcost‐benefit analysis and small‐scaleexperience phase, the Dutch parliamentagreed in 2014 to introduce a smart gasand electricity meter to all homes andsmall businesses by 2020. The distributionsystems operator is responsible foroffering smart meters, grants access forthe metering data to the energy supplier,and is the responsible party for collectingand validating the metering data for otherthird parties upon customer request. Thehighest benefits associated with the smartmeter rollout appear to go to thecustomer, as the advantages of energysavings and efficiency improvements inthe market largely benefit the customer(see Figure 4 for electricity). Therefore,part of the rollout strategy is toencourage the consumer to opt for asmart meter with detailed meter readingsand to use it as efficiently as possible.Furthermore, the smart meters areconsidered a significant contributor to afuture smart grid system.

III. ENERGY PERFORMANCECERTIFICATES (EPCs)REQUIREMENTS

III.i. Progress and current statuson sale or rental of buildings

Overview and administration system

The EPC was introduced in theNetherlands in 2008. The system workedwell between 2008 and 2013, when morethan 2.3 million EPCs were registered.The Energy Agreement of 2013 states thata simple and affordable EPC plays animportant role in meeting the energysavings targets in the built environment.In June 2014, the House of Parliamentagreed on a new EPC system that givesindividual residence owners directfeedback on the energy achievements oftheir home. It was thus more cost‐effective: an EPC for a house should cost

Figure 4:Share of main benefits

associated withelectricity smartmetering rollout.

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the Dutch citizen no more thanapproximately 25 €. Sanctioning is part ofthe new system that is operational since1 January 2015 and carried out by theIL&T, the National GovernmentalInspection Authority.

After this decision, the RVO developedthe new EPC for residential buildings incooperation with stakeholders. It consistsof a user‐friendly web‐based tool whereprivate residence owners can apply for anEPC for their house. Since 1 January 2015,all residential building owners (in total4.5 million) received a temporary EPC(calculated on the basis of the nationalcadastral data) by mail. This certificategives an indication of the energyperformance of the residence. The ownercan digitally add or change information tothe intake data of the Dutch cadastre onwhich the preliminary EPC is based. Thisdata is trustworthy, so the owner only hasto add limited modifications. Bothexisting and new data are checked by aQE (“energiedeskundige”) who is incharge of producing the definitive EPCregistered in the RVO database.

The Dutch energy performance certificationprocess for residential building ownerscomprises the following 4 steps:

> Step 1. Owners receive a temporary EPC,which indicates the energy performanceof the residence based on cadastral data(area, date of construction, buildingtype, quality of insulation of floors, roofand walls, and systems for heating, hot‐water and renewable energy).

> Step 2. The owner can change or addextra information on energy measuresand select a QE who has to approve thechanges on the website. The ownershave also to provide evidence of themeasures taken, such as invoices andphotos.

> Step 3. The QE checks the uploadedchanges and documents, beforeapproving the definite EPC.

> Step 4. Finally, based on this approval,the new EPC is registered at RVO.nl.

The final EPC is based on a nationalcalculation method that takes intoaccount the measures taken by the ownerfor the residence. The EPC is valid for10 years and is mandatory if a residence issold or newly rented.

The EPC is mandatory when renting orselling:

> residences and apartments;> mobile homes as permanent residences;> recreational residences that are used for

more than 4 months per year, or with an

expected energy use of more than 25%of the energy use when in permanentuse;

> buildings with living spaces combinedwith non‐residential use (calculated asone building).

The IL&T checks the availability of theEPC when owners sell or rent out theproperty. If there is no final EPC, theowner receives a fine of a maximum of405 €. Owners receive a warning inadvance, giving them the opportunity toobtain an EPC before receiving the fine.In the period of January to March 2015,more than 9,000 owners received anotification that they have to obtain anEPC within 3 months. To date, no fineshave been issued.

The system is transparent for both buyerand seller because a certain amount of

Figure 6: Infographic presenting an overview of the energycharacteristics of a house which must be checked by the property ownerand where the evidence has to be uploaded.

Figure 5:Infographicdescribing the 4steps of the Dutchlabelling process forresidential buildingowners: 1) login,2) uploaded proof,3) validation by arecognised expertand 4) registration.

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residence characteristics is checked. Abuyer can therefore easily verify thedeclared energy characteristics. Thebuyer, when identifying mistakes, cantake legal action against the seller. Aresidence owner in The Netherlands isobliged to provide the correct data aboutthe residence when selling. The buyer orthe buying brokers have a research duty,and the seller or the selling broker anotification duty (as stated in the DutchCivil Code).

How flats are certified in apartmentbuildings

Apartment blocks cannot be certified asone single building. For individualapartments, it is possible to use areference, provided that the apartmentshave similar characteristics.

Format and content of the EPC

The EPC is based on an elaboratecalculation method, which is determinedby the Dutch Normalisation Institute NEN.It is supported by market partners. Thereis much information available about theDutch residential stock (land registry ofthe RVO) at the cadastre.

In the former system, more than 150building characteristics had to be insertedin the calculation method. Only expertswere able to provide this data. In the newsystem, there are only 20 buildingcharacteristics which the owners canprovide themselves. The web toolincludes how‐to explanations, texts andinstruction films and was testedextensively before its launch.

EPC activity levels

The EPC system has been in place since2008 and more than 2.3 million EPCshave been registered under thislegislation. Under the new scheme,425,463 EPCs were registered in theperiod of 1 January 2015 to 1 November2015. This gives a total of approximately2.7 million EPCs.

The Netherlands had an average of300,000 registered EPCs/year in theperiod until 1 January 2015. With the newsystem, this number is expected to reachan average of 460,000/year. Furthermore,there are more than 600,000 uniquevisitors to the web tool. This indicatesthat there will likely be an increase inthis figure in the near future.

Typical EPC costs

With the introduction of the new EPCsystem, where QEs can upload theevidence, the costs for the EPCsignificantly decreased. The costs for theresidence owners amount 10‐40 €,whereas the costs with the formercertification system were around 250 €for residential buildings andapproximately 1,000 € for a non‐residential building.

Assessor corps

After the owner has changed the data anduploaded the evidence, they select a QE.There are around 200 certified companiesin The Netherlands, with around 844accredited QEs for residential buildings,

Figure 7:Energy performancecertificate front page

and advice page.

Figure 8: Number of registered EPCs over the period of 2007 – 2015.

Figure 9: EPCs produced via the web tool, per class.

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and 150 for non‐residential buildings. Inthe former system, exams were organisedby CITO, the Dutch evaluation Centre[2].This is still the case for non‐residentialbuildings.

Since 1 January 2015, experts forresidential buildings (“Erkend DeskundigeEnergielabel Woningbouw”) must meetthe requirements of the former system orpass a new simplified exam. The exam isorganised by SVMNIVO[3], the exam centrefor housing. In addition, experts mustfollow a training course from RVO.nl tolearn how to operate the web tool. Thenumber of accredited QEs will increase inthe near future, as 2,100 persons haveapplied for accreditation.

Compliance levels by sector

According to data collected by the LandRegistry and Mapping Agency at thebeginning of 2015, 68% of sold houses andnon‐residential buildings had an EPC atthe moment of sale. A 2015 study carriedout among housing corporations revealedslightly higher compliance rates for rentedbuildings than for sold ones.

Quality Assurance (QA) of EPCs

In The Netherlands, the quality assurance(QA) system for residential buildings waschanged on 1 January 2015. Until thatdate, a system with certified energylabel companies was operational. Since2015, the IL&T is in charge of policingthe quality of the accredited experts. Inthe new system for residential buildings,the IL&T conducts random checks onexperts and gives fines. The IL&T hasaccess to the RVO database thatcomprises the updated entries, evidenceand expert assessments. The QEs have tounderpin their conclusions with concretearguments. This data is also included inthe RVO database. The RVO also checkswhether QEs comply with therequirements of being visible in the webapplication. Among other things, theymust have clear pricing and mention thatthey are members of the guarantee fund.

If the experts do not comply with theconditions given by the RVO, they receivea formal request to adapt within 3 weeks.If they fail to do so, they will be blockedby the web tool and can no longer issueEPCs until the required adaptations aremade.

In 2015, a total of 365 experts havereceived a notification from the RVO.More than 300 of them now live up to theRVO standard.

In 2014, a total of 1,429 EPCs werechecked by 4 certification institutes. Ofthese, 6% of residential buildings did notcomply with the quality criteria. For non‐residential buildings the non‐compliancerate was 11.1%.

The experts involved have received anotification from these certificationinstitutes and they will be checked nextyear. The experts will be responsible forthe costs of these extra controls. If thissituation repeats itself, the experts willlose their licence. In 2013, 3 experts havelost their licence as a result of this andthey are excluded from the activitiesrelated to EPCs. Reports for 2014 are notyet available.

III.ii. Progress and current statuson public and large buildingsvisited by the public

Overview

The Human Environment and TransportInspectorate of the Ministry forInfrastructure and the Environment haschecked the compliance rate with therequirement for visibility of the EPC inpublic buildings (municipality, provinceand government buildings) in 2014.

The IL&T can give owners of suchbuildings a financial penalty in case ofnon‐compliance. To date several ownersof public buildings have received awarning of non‐compliance with therequirement for public display of the EPC.They are given a 6 months period tobecome compliant and will be checkedagain after this period.

Format and content of the EPC

The display of the EPC is similar to thefront page of the EPC used for sale andrent, which comprises of the energy labelclass, address and an overview of measuresto enhance the energy performance of thebuilding (Figures 10 and 11).

EPCs are updated every 10 years or afterrenovation of the building.

[2] www.cito.nl[3] www.svmnivo.nl

Figure 10:Example of an EPCon display in a publicbuilding.

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Activity levels

The obligation to display the EPC hasbeen mandatory since 2008. In 2015,1,183 public buildings have beenidentified and 584 of them have beenchecked. Of those, 245 buildings had notyet made an EPC visible. Another 380public buildings will be inspected in 2016.

Costs

The costs for calculating the EPC for non‐residential buildings vary between 150 €and 1,000 € according to the size of thebuilding (approximately 0.5 €/m2). Costsfor display are excluded.

Assessor corps

There are approximately 200 certifiedcompanies with about 150 QEs for issuingEPCs for non‐residential/public buildings.The register can be found online atwww.qbisnl.nl (Figure 12).

QEs have to apply within the dispositionsof the National Standard BRL 9500.Certification Institutes assess thecompetence of the candidates and theinternal quality assurance of theorganisation before accreditation isgranted (Figures 13, 14, 15).

Quality Assurance (QA) of EPCs

In the non‐residential sector, thecertification institutes perform randomchecks and take follow‐up action. This hasled to the removal of a small number of QEs.

Evaluations show that QEs make mistakesbecause of the complex methodology used tocalculate the energy rate. The consultants’organisation FEDEC agreed to organise extrainformation workshops and other actions toimprove the quality of the QEs.

III.iii. Implementation ofmandatory advertisingrequirementIf a building is sold, the energy label mustbe included in the advertisement. Thepresence of the EPC is checked by the IL&T.

Of all houses sold in The Netherlands, 80%are advertised on the site of the realestate chain, Funda. The remaining 20%are sold through agencies or ways otherthan Funda, in most cases without anadvertisement. On the Funda website(Figure 16), the preliminary EPC ispresently shown in 100% of the cases,along with the characteristics of theproperty. Only 18% of the advertisementsshow the final EPC. The obligation topublish the final EPC is only mandatory ifan EPC already exists. In many cases,house owners have not registered theirfinal EPC when the advertisement is

Figure 13:Overview of Dutch

certificationinstitutes.

Figure 12:Web tool for

qualified experts.

Figure 11:Front page to be

displayed.

Figure 14:Inspection

guidelines forqualified experts.

Figure 15:Information on how

to follow the trainingand exam

requirements.

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published. This explains the relatively lownumber of final labels in advertisements.

Furthermore, citizens can also find labelinformation of specific buildings atwww.zoekuwenergielabel.nl (Figure 17).

III.iv. Information campaignsBefore 2015, several activities to promotethe EPC were undertaken via a specificwebsite, television and/or mediacampaigns.

In the period between January and March2015, 4.5 million residence owners thatdid not have an EPC received a letter witha temporary energy label for theirresidences. The intention of this initiativewas to make them aware of the energyperformance of their property and theopportunities to improve it, as well as oftheir obligation to have a definitive EPCwhen selling or renting their house. Theobligation related to the labels was alsocommunicated through social media andother national and regional publicchannels. A call centre was set up with astaff of over 40 employees to answerquestions. Municipalities developedadditional awareness campaigns andorganised local information desks.

III.v. Coverage of the nationalbuilding stockThere are 7,587,028 residential buildingsin The Netherlands. At the end of 2014,33% of these residential buildings had anEPC (2,499,336 units).

For the public sector, as defined in theEPBD, it is not possible to estimate thecoverage yet since there are no centraldata or statistics available regarding thenumber of public buildings.

Since the introduction of the new energylabelling system (January ‐ November2015), more than 435,000 new EPCs wereregistered. More than 600,000 homeownershave visited the web tool in 2015 and arein the process of registering their EPC.

Figure 16:Funda website.

Figure 17:Public informationwebsite.

Figure 18:EPCs for residentialunits in 2014.

Table 5.EPCs for residentialunits by type in2014.

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IV. INSPECTIONREQUIREMENTS – HEATINGAND AIR­CONDITIONING (AC)SYSTEMS

In The Netherlands, mandatoryinspections for gas‐fired heating systemswith more than 100 kW and for non‐gas‐fired heating systems with more than20 kW are in place. This obligation isregulated in the Activities Decree andActivities Regulations. For gas‐firedheating systems between 20 kW and100 kW, The Netherlands has opted forthe alternative approach.

There has been a mandatory inspectionsregime for AC systems in place since1 December 2013. This comprises amandatory inspection for systems largerthan 12 kW. Private homes are excludedfrom this regime because there are veryfew such systems in houses.

IV.i. Progress and current statuson heating systems

Overview, technical method andadministration system

Compliance with the inspections of heatingsystems is carried out by themunicipalities. The actual inspection iscarried by companies with a SCIOScertificate. SCIOS stands for Foundation ofCertification Inspection, Maintenance, andCombustion (Activities Regulations, Article3.7m, paragraph 4). The certificate showsthe abilities of the company and theemployees. An online list of approvedinspection companies is available on theSCIOS website[4]. The inspection frequencyis indicated in Table 6.

For small systems (< 100 kW), inspectionactivity only starts in 2016.

Gas‐fired systems of 20‐100 kW are usedfor heating in more than 5 million homes(over 90% of the existing housing stock).The Netherlands has opted for a system ofvoluntary inspection and maintenance,combined with energy‐saving advice forthese systems, described later in thisreport.

Arrangements for assurance, registrationand promotion of competent persons

The ‘Activities Decree’ (part of the DutchEnvironmental Protection Act) includes

regulations for inspection andmaintenance of gas‐fired heating systemsabove 100 kW and non‐gas‐fired heatingsystems above 20 kW (Activities Decree,Article 3.7, paragraph 4, 3.10p andActivities Regulations, Article 3.7m). Theperiodic inspection ensures safe operationas well as optimum combustion andenergy efficient functioning. The risks ofair pollution (CO, NOx, SO2, particulatesand CxHy), explosion and energy waste areaddressed. An inspection includes thesystem for the supply of fuel andcombustion air, the exhaustion ofcombustion gases and the adjustment forcombustion efficiency (ActivitiesRegulations, Article 3.7, paragraph 3).The holder of the combustion plant shallkeep the final report available for theauthority.

The SCIOS inspectors record their findingsin the inspection report. The supervisor ofthe competent authority (usuallymunicipalities) checks if inspections havetaken place and if reports are available.The municipalities can access the SCIOSdatabase where all inspections arerecorded via a secure web application.

Enforcement and penalties

The inspection for gas‐fired heatingsystems larger than 100 kW and for non‐gas‐fired systems larger than 20 kW iscarried out under the SCIOS certificationscheme. If inspections fail to meet theSCIOS standards, they lose their licence.Inspection reports, including the adviceon energy saving, are registered in acentral database and randomly checkedby SCIOS and OK‐CV. Data of the numberof inspections and their results is notavailable for large systems (> 100 kW).

Alternative measures for gas‐fired heatingsystems between 20 kW and 100 kW

The proportion of systems with regularmaintenance is already high atapproximately 90% in 2011, but it hasdecreased in recent years, partly as aresult of the economic crisis. Moreover,the quality of the performed maintenanceand inspections varies. For these reasons,in collaboration with the branches, a newquality label developed in 2015 was puton the market, called OK‐CV(www.ok‐cv.nl). Regular maintenanceunder OK‐CV is combined with aninspection and savings advice.

A communication and marketing campaignamong contractors was conducted in 2014.From 2015, licenses are issued tocontractors. The government supports thedevelopment and communication of OK‐CV.

[4] www.scios.nl

Table 6:Inspection frequencyfor heating systems.

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The quality of the assessment is carriedout by the OK‐CV organisation that hasdeveloped a database with all results ofinspections. If inspectors fail to meet theOK‐CV standards, they lose their licence.

IV.ii. Progress and current statuson AC systems

Overview, technical method andadministration system

Since 1 December 2013, the mandatoryfive‐yearly inspection of AC systems withan output of more than 12 kW wasofficially published in the official journal‘Staatscourant’ (Publication Staatscourant2013 ‐32499).

Building owners are responsible for theinspection. The inspection is carried outby inspectors who have obtained an EPBDA or B certificate that describes thequality and required skills of thecraftsmen who carry out the inspection.

Inspectors with an EPBD A or B certificateare accredited to inspect AC systems witha cooling capacity of, respectively,< 45 kW or > 45 kW. Courses and examsfor these certificates are available. Theinspector has to hand over the inspectionreport to the owner or tenant of thebuilding. This report includes the resultsof the inspection and recommendationsfor cost‐effective improvement of theenergy performance.

At least 1,500 professionals have obtaineda certificate for the inspection of ACsystems until 2015. This number is stillgrowing.

Accredited inspectors who passed theexam are registered in the RVO database,which complies with the Data ProtectionAct. The list of accredited inspectors ispublished on the RVO website.

The IL&T carries out random checks toverify that the mandatory inspection hasbeen performed. Owners who did nothave an inspection performed currentlyget 6 months to do so. If they fail to meetthe requirement, they can get a fine of upto 20,250 €.

The IL&T also carries out random checksto determine if the inspections reportsmeet the requirements. If a report doesnot live up to quality standards, theowner will get a formal notification fromthe IL&T stating that they have 6 weeks toacquire a new, improved inspectionreport. If owners do not comply, they willbe placed in default and they will be finedas if they had not had an inspectionperformed in the first place, at amaximum of 20,250 €.

Accredited inspectors have to take a newexam every 5 years. If they fail, they willbe removed from the RVO database.Inspection figures for 2014‐2015 are notavailable.

Promotional activities

A protocol for AC inspections wasdeveloped in 2014 and tested in 2015 as apilot programme in the city of The Hague.The outcome of this pilot wascommunicated throughout The Netherlandsand directed to non‐residential buildingowners. There are about 4,000 buildings inthis city which are likely to have an ACsystem. This is 10% of the total buildingstock with AC systems > 12 kW. Homes areexcluded because AC systems are notcommonly used in Dutch houses. In TheNetherlands, the percentage of homes withAC systems is between 10 and 15%.

Figure 19:Informationcampaign for OK­CV.

Figure 20:Presentation of thefirst OK­CV certificateby Minister Blok.

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The RVO has launched a special websitewith information on the inspectionprocedures. A communication plan wasdeveloped to inform building owners ofthe obligations. Articles and news itemswere published in several professionalmedia outlets. The remaining activities inthe communication plan will be carriedout from the end of 2015 onwards.

3. A success story in EPBDimplementation

The introduction of the new EPC in TheNetherlands has changed the landscape ofthe Dutch built environment. While theprevious EPC was merely technical andexpensive and suffered resistance amongthe Dutch population, the new simplifiedEPC has empowered citizens to directlyinfluence their energy use. The practicaladvice has given building owners concretesteps for improvement. The new EPC hasbecome a marketing tool instead of atechnical process. It is motivating forowners to improve the energy level oftheir houses and get a new EPC. A goodlevel is perceived as an indicator for goodquality and an added value. This is alsorecognised by banks and other financialinstitutions and has influencedmortgaging. Banks are investigating ifthey can offer lower interest rates forbetter EPCs from 2016 onwards. The EPChas supported builders and installers intheir pursuit of energy efficiency as a newor renewed market. New market offershave sprung up from different companiesthat offer integral solutions forhomeowners and buildings to upgradetheir EPC. The long‐term experience ofDutch professionals with integral solutionscontributes to an increased demand. Thevoluntary agreement of the partners inthe ‘Energy Accord’ gives a central placeto improvements of the EPC as a vehicleto reach the 2020 objectives. This broadsupport has contributed to higherinvestments in energy efficiency andrenewable energy.

The results of the simplified web‐basedapproach since its introduction in January2015 until December 2015 are:

> 4.5 million houses got a letter withinformation about the EPC and apersonal pre‐setting in the EPC web tool;

> 2,150 trained QEs, of which 851 workingwith the web tool;

> costs are kept low because ofcompetition, with an average of 25 €per EPC;

> over 630,000 individual log‐ins;> over 510,000 registered EPCs.

4. Conclusions, future plans

In general, The Netherlands hasimplemented the Energy Performance ofBuildings Directive.

For the near future, a number ofmeasures are foreseen to stimulateenergy efficiency in the buildingenvironment. The focus is on theapplication of alternative high efficiencysystems during major renovations. Extraattention will be given to enlarge theeconomic value of the EnergyPerformance Certificate (EPC) during theselling and buying process of houses andbuildings. Also, the market for energyefficiency will be further developed.

Measures currently running at the end of2015 are:

a) ‘SDE+’: subsidy scheme for investmentsin renewable energy systems such asgeothermal systems and bio‐basedinstallations;

b) ‘EIA’: tax reduction for investments ininnovative sustainable energy systemsbased on an EPC indicator;

c) possibilities for an extra mortgage forprivate investment in extreme energyefficiency measures (zero energy bills)up to a maximum of 25,000 €;

d) ‘National Energy saving Fund’ (NEF):cheap loans for energy saving measuresfor private owners (300 M€);

e) ‘STEP’: subsidy for social housingcorporations for investment in energyefficiency (400 M€) based on EPCimprovements;

f) ‘Funds for the Energy Saving RentalSector’ (FEH): cheap loans for extremeenergy efficient renovations (75 M€);

g) ‘Energie Prestatie Vergoeding’: socialhousing corporations that rent housesor apartments with a ‘zero energy bill’can oblige the occupants to pay acontribution to the energy investments.This overcomes the barrier of the splitincentive.

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The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does notnecessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor theEuropean Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the informationcontained therein.

The content of this report is included in the book “2016 – Implementing the EnergyPerformance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) Featuring Country Reports”,ISBN 978‐972‐8646‐32‐5, © ADENE 2015

More details on the IEE Programme can be found atec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent

This individual report and the full 2016 book are available atwww.epbd‐ca.eu and www.buildup.eu

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