New Methodology for Energy Performance Certification (EPC) of Buildings at European Level: The U-CERT Project

Buildings account for a sizable portion of worldwide GHG emissions. Enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings is critical for decarbonizing the EU. To have a meaningful impact on buildings' direct and indirect emissions, it is critical to design thorough, accurate, meaningful, and user-friendly assessments and certification schemes. This document discusses a system for calculating the energy performance of buildings that is entirely compliant with Italian legislation and EPB Standards. The thesis compares the Energy Performance Certificate and Assessment developed under the Horizon 2020 U-CERT Project to those described by Italian law. The comparison begins by introducing the two distinct methodologies and then applying them to a case study involving a residential building. During the comparison several discrepancies between the two methodologies were examined in further detail and then quantified through the use of case study analysis. One of the most significant distinctions between the two methodologies explored is between the hourly approach, proposed by U-CERT and in the new EPBD proposal as minimum requirement for Energy Performance Assessments in each European country, and the monthly approach, required by Italian law, for developing a study of a building’s energy performance and obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate. The final goal is to emphasize the importance of an uniform European Energy Performance Certification framework for all Member States, as well as an hourly calculation methodology that enables the assessment of the dynamic behaviour of buildings, technical systems, and grid exchanges, more and more impactful.