Energy performance certification
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, transposed to local legislation and in force since January 2, 2009, requires that dwellings which are to be transferred either through sale or rent have to be assessed by a qualified building energy...
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, transposed to local legislation and in force since January 2, 2009, requires that dwellings which are to be transferred either through sale or rent have to be assessed by a qualified building energy performance assessor and a certificate issued. This certificate eventually has to be registered with the Building Regulations Office. From the last parliamentary question number 22124, according to Minister George Pullicino no certificates were registered in 2010. A certificate will eventually carry a registration fee of €75 which will be paid to the Building Regulations Office (PQ 20382).
Recently I spoke and discussed the software and methodology behind it with engineers in order to better understand the outcome of the assessment which will eventually be shown on the energy performance certificate. Every Maltese citizen needs to understand the importance of the certification and more than that, the benefits which one assumes behind the recommendations following the assessor’s report. For this reason a case study of a maisonette (with no fitted space heating or cooling) was undertaken. Some parameters detailed in the advisory report and which “should” improve the energy performance by reducing the energy use and consequently the carbon dioxide emissions, were changed as a test case. The following results “should” and “have” been obtained.
Following the results which “have” been obtained and the thousands of euros spent to prepare the methodology and software, I suggest that the experts should re-evaluate the methodology in order to ensure that the certificates issued give the true picture of the situation and more importantly the recommendations in the advisory report which “should” be correct and “should” improve the energy use as well as reducing the carbon dioxide emissions.
As stated in the conferences and seminars delivered by the ministry to engineers, architects, estate agents and developers (PQ 8617), there will be negative repercussions if the energy performances certificates are not correct!
| Parameter changed | “should” | “have” |
| Introducing an external shading for the glazed inputs | Improve the energy use and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions | Increased the energy use and carbon dioxide emissions |
| Improving the external shading factors on roofs and external walls | ||
| Reduced the g-value for glazed inputs |