Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings

The directive obliges Member States to put in place measures that are expected to reduce energy consumption and the burden on the environment. Within these measures, two things need to be highlighted with regard to certification:

1. In order to make buildings comparable, the method of calculating the energy consumption in each Member State should be developed.
2. The activities of the certifying staff and the conditions for obtaining a license for the activity should be regulated. The directive only sets out the guidelines. The regulations, methods and requirements needed to comply with them have to be developed individually by each country.

9/2023. (V. 25.) ÉKM Hungarian Ministry’s Regulation on the Energy Performance of Buildings

176/2008. (VI. 30.) Hungarian Government Decree on the Certification of Energy Performance of Buildings

According to the decree, an energy certificate must be issued for the building from 1 January 2009, when the new building is put into use, until it is authorized for use. In the case of an existing building, certification was voluntary until 31 December 2011.

During certification, the overall energy performance of the building should be compared with the requirements and should be classified on that basis. The calculation should be based on the combined consumption of the building and the mechanical systems.

An important element of the certification process is the proposal made by a specialist. It draws attention to what changes and upgrades should be made, what their expected results are, and what new energy category the building can advance to.