The European Parliament has approved the green houses directive called “Energy Performance of Building Directive” (epbd). It is the first go-ahead for energy efficiency in buildings across Europe. The directive is part of the EU package fit for 55 with which Europe pursues the objectives of reducing CO2 by 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.
THEfinal approval is still far away and the text may be subject to change. The document will now be subject of the trialogue, i.e. the negotiation with the Council and the European Commission before returning to the plenary. Only once the process has been completed will the definitive version of the new directive be reached, which once in force, will have to be ratified by the member states, probably not before 2025. But the path, to a large extent, has been traced, and the direction of travel is that of an acceleration on the CO2 containment program aimed at reducing global warming. It will impose essential interventions on buildings, responsible for 40% of total emissions. Here then is one vade mecum on the directive approved by the European Parliament: what it provides for, what changes, who is in and who is out, what sanctions and bans it introduces.
Green houses: what the directive provides
They are included in the document standards which promote the renovation of existing buildings and the construction of new energy efficient buildings. The goal is to reduce energy use in the EU building sector by 2030 and make it carbon neutral by 2050.
The text states that all residential properties they will have to be included in the energy class E by January 2030, XNUMX, while they will subsequently have to switch to class D by 2033. The new buildings they will have to be zero-emissions, already, starting from 2028. The public real estate instead they will have to reach the same classes, respectively, by 2027 and 2030. Already, however, starting from January 2026, the obligation to implement the Zeb (zero emission buildings) for new buildings occupied, managed or owned by public entities. Since the transposition of the directive, the solar they will become mandatory in all new public buildings and new non-residential buildings. An exemption is provided only for buildings undergoing renovation for which the limit is 2032.
The directive also imposes the prohibition to use fossil fuel heating systems, such as gas boilers. The concessions in force (such as the eco-bonus) will be used for the purchase of hybrid appliances and those certified to operate with renewable gases, such ashydrogen. To improve the energy efficiency of homes, the required interventions, in addition to the introduction of solar panels, will be new air conditioning systems, the thermal coat and more effective thermal insulation.
Case Green: what is energy classification and how does it change
Le energy classes they are a unit of measurement by which the energy consumption of a single building is established. It is organized into classes ranging from Class A, the most efficient, up to Class Gthe most polluting. The degree of pollution of the building can be deduced from belonging to the Class. There energy certificationa is drawn up by a qualified technician who takes into account the architectural characteristics of the building, the elevations, the climatic zone, the facing of the individual facades, the type of heating and everything that can affect energy consumption. Today the Ape (Energy Performance Certificate) is in force but could undergo variations.
Italy, and the other European countries, each have their own energy classification. However, the directive introduces a classification drawn up directly by the European Union. Thus, Europe's goal is to harmonize energy classes at EU level, in order to ensure "that the efforts of all member states are comparable". Italy, as a first move, will therefore have to remodulate the classes to adapt them to European legislation: it is therefore possible that some houses will have an energy classification different from the current one. To take into account the different starting situations between countries, in the classification of energy efficiency, the class G should correspond to the 15% of the worst energy performing buildings in each Member State.
Case Green the exemptions: who is in and who is out
There are expected derogations from the directive. Some properties will be exempt from the interventions and among these there are:
- single-family homes of less than 50 square meters
- second homes used less than four months a year or with an expected energy consumption of less than 25%
- buildings located in historic centres
- buildings bound by the Cultural Heritage
- churches and places of worship
- buildings owned by the Armed Forces or the Central Government and intended for national defense purposes.
Possible exemption for public social housing, if the redevelopment works would increase rents disproportionately, compared to the savings achievable in energy bills.
Each country can exempt up to 22% of total real estate (approximately 2,6 million properties) but this derogation cannot be applied after 1 January 2037. Countries will also be able to revise the minimum performance standards of residential buildings for reasons of economic and technical feasibility of the renovation works and for reasons linked to the availability of skilled labour.
Case Green: the situation in Italy
Italy is particularly backward on the energy efficiency of buildings. In our country, more than 75% of the properties built was built before the entry of the legislation on energy saving. According to the Reed data, in Italy about 35% of the properties are in class G, and 25% in F: about 3 out of 4 houses are today in classes lower than D (according to our classification which, however, we recall will not be the same as adopted by the directive). There are more than 8 million buildings, out of a total of about 12,5 million, which today would need interventions.
The European directive, in this first phase, provides for the obligation to intervene only on 15% of the most polluting buildings which in Italy corresponds to approx 1,8 million buildings in class G. According to ANCE estimates, “40 billion would be needed to redevelop residential properties alone, to which 19 billion should be added for the energy redevelopment of instrumental buildings. The amount of investments exceeds that enlivened by the superbonus, which in two years has channeled 62 billion of works on about 360 thousand buildings including condominiums, single-family houses and independent units ". And with a very high rate of intervention since, to stay on schedule, more than 150.000 redevelopment interventions will have to be carried out every year.
Green houses: no penalties but a ban on selling a house
At the moment the directive does not provide for sanctions in case of non-renovation of the buildings. Eventually, governments will introduce fines.
A starting from 2030 however, if you are not in compliance with the energy class it will no longer be possible to sell or rent a house. From 1 January 2030, therefore, no sale for Class G properties and from 2033 for those in Class E. The energy certificate will be mandatory for all buildings and properties built, sold, renovated or rented, even in the event of renewal of the lease.
Green houses: incentives and bonuses
The incentive system – tax deductions – to improve the energy efficiency of buildings (the so-called ecobonuses) has constantly changed over the years. Enea has therefore created a deduction poster which commendably sums them all up. The tax deduction percentages (therefore the discount directly from the tax) go 36% to 85%, which can be spread over 5 or 10 years depending on the case.
Also, for encourage home purchases with low emissions the State, with the 2023 Budget Law, has started the bonus green houses. The bonus consists of a 50% personal income tax deduction against the purchase of an energy class A or B house between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023. The tax relief is divided into 10 constant installments starting from the year in which the expenses were incurred and in the following 9 tax periods.
