Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - Additional Burden On Real Properties’ Owners Or Welcomed Measure?

Proposed EPC is not mandatory for all buildings

An energy performance certificate is a document, valid up to 10 years, with information on the energy performance of a building (or a part of it) and recommendations for cost effective improvements to that performance.

Following the Directive 2010/31/EU, the present Slovenian Energy Act and relating regulations stipulate that an EPC is in principle mandatory for newly-built buildings, lease (to a new tenant for a year or longer) or sale of buildings, or for public buildings with an area over 500 m2 (respectively 250 m2 from 9 July 2015), in which the EPC must be clearly displayed. An EPC is not required for buildings protected under cultural heritage regulations or those used as places of worship and for religious activities. Similarly, an EPC is not mandatory for industrial buildings and storage facilities, as well as for specific non-residential agricultural buildings, buildings with a floor plan of less than 50 m2,or simple construction works.

Where an EPC is mandatory, the property owners must ensure that the relevant EPC information is included when advertising the real properties for sale or lease. From 24 February 2015, owners will have to submit the EPC to their counterparties no later than at the signing of the respective agreements. If not, a fine in the amount of EUR 250 for advertising without the EPC and, respectively, EUR 300 for not providing it with the transaction is applicable.

Booming business for experts

As a public document, the EPC shall be issued by an authorized organization and carried out by a licensed expert. The register of authorized organizations is published by Slovenia's Ministry for Infrastructure.

The basis for an EPC is documentation that reflects the building's actual state. The experts also need to perform data analysis of the building and its energy use, and – except where expressly not required – an examination of the building and its facilities. The prices for EPC assessments are currently still regulated. E.g. depending also on the volume of work and provided documentation, the costs for an EPC for an apartment of 60 m2/single-unit house of 200 m2/smaller apartment building are ca. EUR 200/250/1,000, respectively. The average...

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