The amended Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD, 2018/844), mentions that energy performance requirements defined by governments in all EU countries should optimize health, indoor air quality and comfort levels, but doesn’t specify how to achieve satisfactory Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and harmonise indoor comfort requirements across Member States.

Renovation is an opportunity to improve the indoor air quality and the comfort and quality of life for building occupants, while at the same time achieving a high energy performance. When defining renovation strategies, the objective should be to reduce the energy consumption of buildings without compromising comfort, health and wellbeing of people using them, in a way that optimises both building and societal costs. IEQ can become a driving force for energy renovation and proper implementation across Europe, which in turn triggers the need towards a cost-optimal methodology. The amendments to the EPBD (2018/844) have sparked a change in the right direction, but strong action and implementation is needed at Member State level.

The paper presents how the EPBD is an opportunity to promote healthy and comfortable indoor environments, gives recommendations on how Member States can integrate health and IEQ in national renovation strategies and EPCs, as well as ensure comprehensive compliance and quality control and finally integrate IEQ in inspections, commissioning, performance assessments and the cost-optimal methodology.

To know more on the topic, check the report and the briefing of the same series.