Energy efficiency ratings aren’t actually predicting energy efficiency

This disparity between how buildings are designed and what their actual emissions are is widespread in the UK, according to recent findings from the Better Buildings Partnership, which analyzed 2020 self-reported energy data provided for more than 1,100 commercial properties.

The problem: Just because buildings meet some of the most prized environmental building design standards doesn’t mean they’ll meet emissions goals. One thing is clear for both ratings systems: Many individual buildings have turned out to be far less energy-efficient than their ratings indicate. at the University of Bath. “In fact, there's often very little connection between modeled energy use and actual energy use of the building. Even in brand new buildings we struggle to make predictions.”

Unfortunately, Energy Performance Certificates rely on potential energy efficiency, not how much energy the building emits each year. There are alternatives, known as Display Energy Certificates , which provide a year-by-year snapshot of a building’s energy usage, but they’re not required for private buildings.

An Energy Performance Certificate is issued by an energy assessor, who will visit a building for about one to two hours to measure factors like the property’s dimensions, ventilation systems, heating, lighting and the construction materials used. In particularly complex cases, computer modeling may be used and multiple certificates may need to be issued.

Working around the rhythms of the natural world and the tempo of the building is essential, says Crowe. In the work-from-home era, it may be more economical to keep employees at home during particularly hot or cold periods, as managing extremes is an energy-intensive business. Leaders at the US Green Building Council have made a related argument for why LEED-certified buildings sometimes have higher overall energy use: Green buildings are simply in higher demand. “Anecdotally, we sometimes hear that renovated green buildings often are used much more than previously,” Green Building Council Senior Policy Counsel Elizabeth Beardsley told Utility Dive.

The UK government has committed to move to a performance-based approach for some buildings, including a “new and innovative” performance energy rating for large commercial buildings, but is still fleshing out the details. It is also pledging to make improvements to Energy Performance Certificates. “EPCs will need to move from a reflection of the features of a building to a true measure of ‘in use’ building performance,” reads an EPC action plan from September 2020.

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