The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is a European Union directive that was first introduced in 2002 and has been updated several times since then. The directive aims to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the EU, with the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
The EPBD requires EU member states to establish minimum energy performance standards for new and existing buildings, and to ensure that energy performance certificates (EPCs) are available for all buildings. EPCs provide information on the energy efficiency of a building and are required for all buildings that are sold or rented.
Additionally, the EPBD requires that all new buildings constructed after 2020 should be nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs), which means that they should have a very high level of energy efficiency and that any energy they do require should come from renewable sources.
Similar legislation exists in other countries as well. For example, in the United States, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 established minimum energy efficiency standards for federal buildings and set energy efficiency standards for residential and commercial buildings. The state of California has also established its own energy efficiency standards for buildings, known as Title 24.
In Canada, the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) sets minimum energy efficiency requirements for new construction and major renovations of commercial, institutional, and residential buildings. The NECB is updated every five years to reflect advances in building technology and energy efficiency.
In Australia, the National Construction Code (NCC) includes energy efficiency requirements for new buildings and major renovations. The NCC is updated every three years and includes provisions for insulation, lighting, and heating and cooling systems.
Overall, many countries have similar legislation aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Passive House certified projects generally perform significantly better than the minimum energy efficiency requirements of Australia. The National Construction Code (NCC) includes energy efficiency requirements for new buildings and major renovations, which are known as the Building Code of Australia (BCA) energy efficiency provisions.
The BCA energy efficiency provisions set minimum requirements for building fabric insulation, glazing performance, lighting efficiency, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) efficiency. However, the Passive House standard requires much more stringent energy performance requirements than the BCA energy efficiency provisions.
For example, the BCA energy efficiency provisions require a minimum 6-star energy rating for residential buildings, which represents a moderately high level of energy efficiency. In contrast, the Passive House standard requires a heating and cooling demand of no more than 15 kilowatt-hours per square meter per year, which is roughly equivalent to a 10-star energy rating.
Passive House buildings achieve their high level of energy efficiency through a combination of features such as superior insulation, high-performance windows and doors, airtight construction, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. These features allow Passive House buildings to maintain a comfortable indoor environment with very little energy input.
While Passive House certification is not required by law in Australia, there is growing interest in energy-efficient building design and construction, and many architects and builders are choosing to pursue Passive House certification for their projects. In some cases, Passive House buildings in Australia may even be able to achieve net-zero or even net-positive energy performance, which means they produce more energy than they consume.