The EPBD and its revisions in 2010 and 2018 strengthened the provisions related to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) by setting out that the Member States have to provide information to owners and tenants on the purpose and objectives of EPCs, energy efficiency measures and supporting financial instruments through accessible and transparent advisory tools. The recent Renovation Wave Communication published by the European Commission in October 2020, suggested reinforcing existing EPC frameworks, including improving the data gathering, storage and overall quality.

On this line, the new report by the H2020 project X-Tendo underlines that, to fully unlock the full potential and benefits of EPCs, the existing certification regimes at Member State level have to be properly implemented and endorsed, supported by well-functioning management, control and monitoring mechanisms. Also, they have to encourage a more open approach to data sharing and access. The analysis shows that big step forward can be done without involving additional building assessments tools, rather by better handling and using EPC data.

For each of the five features addressed (EPC databases, building logbooks, tailored recommendations, financing options and one-stop shops), X-tendo describes the status quo, end-users’ needs, and the potential for this feature to be further developed and implemented within certain countries.

Some of the findings revealed by the status quo and user needs analysis show for example that although some data is missing or difficult to access, there is a wealth of information which could already be linked to the logbook; in addition, in terms of targeted recommendations, homeowners are most interested in estimated renovation costs but, in most countries, EPC software are not linked with cost databases.