Improving Energy Performance Assessment and Certification Schemes by Tests (IMPACT)

Today there is a great potential for energy saving in the existing building stock. Implementation of an energy certification scheme can contribute to the exploitation of this potential. The new EU Building Directive commits member states to an obligatory energy certification scheme from January 2006. In practise, existing schemes have been reported to have barriers for example regarding quality assurance, use of the scheme and communication to building owners.

The purpose of IMPACT is to counteract these barriers by carrying out a number of tests in practice. In Denmark the main objective are to develop strategies to promote the certification depending on the type of ownership and different apartment types and to test the energy certificate for the different types of apartment for achieving the greatest yield of the investment. A test certification of about 100 apartments including quality control and interviews with users and owners is carried out.

SBi is subtask leader of WP1 and WP2.4. In WP1 experience on existing certification schemes is compiled and analysed. Then the different drafts for testing of new certification schemes should be discussed and optimised. 

In WP2.4 the Danish energy-labelling scheme for apartments will be tested and analysed.