Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
The EU energy performance mandate.
The EPBD sets binding energy performance requirements across all 27 EU member states. New builds, renovations, and large existing buildings are all in scope. Each country implements it in its own way, but the direction is the same: lower consumption, verifiable data, and automation at scale.
What it requires
Four requirements that cover the full building lifecycle.
The 2024 EPBD recast tightened timelines and added stricter standards. These are the core obligations for commercial real estate.
Energy Performance Certificates
EPCs are mandatory for all buildings at the point of sale or rental. They rate energy efficiency from A to G using a country-specific methodology. New builds must achieve high EPC ratings before occupation.
Near-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB)
All new builds in the EU must meet near-zero energy standards. Most member states define this as below 50 kWh/m² per year for non-residential buildings, with renewable energy covering remaining needs.
Building Automation (BACS)
Non-residential buildings with HVAC systems above 290 kW must install building automation and control systems. The system must monitor energy consumption, detect anomalies, and generate periodic reports.
Metering and Reporting
Verified, metered consumption data is required to issue EPCs, prove BACS compliance, and meet periodic reporting obligations. Estimates and manual records do not satisfy audit requirements under the 2024 recast.
Across Europe
Every member state, its own rules.
The EPBD is transposed into national law by each EU member state. Thresholds, calculation methods, and enforcement bodies all differ. These are the frameworks for Rhino's core markets.
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Belgium
EPB/PEB · BEN
Implemented at regional level. Flanders (VEKA): BEN standard for near-zero energy new builds. Brussels (Bruxelles Environnement): NZEB requirements under CoBrACE. Wallonia: own Energy Decree. All three regions issue EPCs.
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Denmark
BR18 · Energimærkning
Building Regulations BR18 enforce NZEB-level standards. Energimærke (energy label) scale runs A2020, A2015, A2010, B through G. The Danish Energy Agency oversees certification and enforcement.
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France
RE2020 · DPE
RE2020 replaced RT2012 and adds life-cycle carbon limits alongside NZEB thresholds. DPE (Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique) rates A to G. ADEME manages the national DPE database.
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Germany
GEG · Energieausweis
GEG (Gebäudeenergiegesetz) replaced EnEV and mandates NZEB. Energieausweis currently rates A+ to H, transitioning to the harmonized EU A–G scale as EPBD 2024 is transposed. BMWK oversees.
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Greece
KENAK · ΠΕΑ
KENAK sets NZEB targets for all new builds. ΠΕΑ (Πιστοποιητικό Ενεργειακής Απόδοσης) is mandatory for all transactions and renovations. Managed by YPEN and supported by CRES.
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Ireland
Part L · BER
Part L of the Building Regulations sets NZEB requirements. BER (Building Energy Rating) rates buildings from A1 to G. SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) manages the certification system.
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Italy
APE
APE (Attestato di Prestazione Energetica) rates buildings from A4 to G. NZEB standards apply to all new builds since 2021. ENEA manages compliance data through the national SIAPE database.
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Netherlands
BENG · GACS · NTA 8800
BENG standards for new builds (mandatory since 2021, NTA 8800 methodology). GACS (Gebouwautomatiserings- en controlesysteem) required for non-residential buildings with HVAC above 290 kW since January 2026. RVO and Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning oversee.
Read the GACS guide
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Poland
WT2021 · Świadectwo
WT2021 technical conditions define NZEB thresholds. Świadectwo Charakterystyki Energetycznej (energy performance certificate) is mandatory for all transactions. Central registry: CEEB. Ministry of Development and Technology oversees.
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Portugal
RECS · REH · SCE
RECS covers commercial and services buildings; REH covers residential. SCE certificates are issued by ADENE (Agência para a Energia) and are mandatory for sales, rentals, and new construction.
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Spain
CTE HE · CEE
CTE HE (Technical Building Code, energy saving section) mandates NZEB for new builds. CEE (Certificado de Eficiencia Energética) is mandatory for all sales and leases. MITECO provides national guidance and registries.
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Sweden
BBR · Energideklaration
Boverket Building Rules (BBR, currently at edition 31) set energy performance limits for new builds. Energideklaration is required for new construction and all property transactions. Boverket manages the national system.
All 27 EU member states have EPBD-aligned national frameworks. The countries above represent Rhino's core markets in Western and Central Europe. Additional country implementations (Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Luxembourg, and others) follow the same EPBD structure with national variations on calculation methods and EPC scales.
Rhino's role
The data layer EPBD compliance runs on.
EPC assessors, BACS auditors, and CSRD disclosures all need the same thing: verified, complete consumption data per building. Rhino delivers it automatically.
01
Metered data for every EPC requirement
Rhino collects electricity, gas, water, and heat consumption across your portfolio at meter and submeter level. Updated every 15 minutes. The data feeds directly into EPC evidence packages and energy audit submissions without manual compilation.
02
BACS monitoring out of the box
For buildings subject to BACS requirements (including GACS in the Netherlands), Rhino provides the monitoring layer: consumption per energy carrier per system, anomaly detection with operator alerts, and automated periodic energy performance reports. No additional BACS middleware required.
03
No infrastructure overhaul
Rhino connects to your existing smart meters via software (P1, WMBus, BACnet) or installs its own compact hardware alongside existing meters. No rewiring, no new metering infrastructure. Operational within days of commissioning.
What Rhino covers
All utilities
Electricity, gas, water, heat. Every EPBD-relevant energy carrier in a single platform.
35+
Countries active. Rhino operates across EU markets from Amsterdam to Warsaw.
15 min
Default data granularity. Continuous metering, not monthly estimates.
Common questions
EPBD for commercial real estate, answered.
The EPBD requires EU member states to enforce Energy Performance Certificates for all buildings at the point of sale or rental, set near-zero energy standards for new builds and major renovations, and require building automation and control systems in large non-residential buildings with HVAC capacity above 290 kW. It also requires renovation roadmaps and minimum energy performance standards for the existing building stock. The 2024 recast tightened timelines and added stricter NZEB definitions.
A Near-Zero Energy Building has a very high energy performance, with remaining needs covered largely by renewables. Under the EPBD, all new buildings must be NZEB-compliant. For most member states, this means primary energy consumption below 50 kWh/m2/year for non-residential buildings, though thresholds are set nationally. The NZEB requirement for all new buildings entered force in 2021 across most of the EU. Major renovations that change more than 25% of building envelope area also trigger NZEB standards in many countries.
The EPBD and CSRD operate in parallel. CSRD requires companies to disclose energy consumption and carbon emissions across their real estate portfolio under ESRS E1. EPBD sets the building-level performance standards that underpin those disclosures. A portfolio with EPC-rated buildings provides the verified energy performance data that CSRD reporting requires. Rhino serves both: it automates the metered consumption data CSRD needs, and provides the monitoring infrastructure EPBD BACS requirements mandate.
The EPBD is an EU directive that each member state must transpose into national law. BENG (Netherlands), RE2020 (France), GEG (Germany), and equivalent national frameworks are the instruments that implement EPBD requirements domestically. They share the EPBD's core structure, but differ in calculation methodology, energy performance thresholds, EPC rating scales, and enforcement bodies. The Netherlands' GACS requirement, for example, is the Dutch implementation of the EPBD's Article 14/15 building automation requirement. If you operate across multiple EU markets, you are subject to multiple national implementations simultaneously.
Rhino provides the metered consumption data that EPBD compliance depends on. It collects electricity, gas, water, and heat data from across your portfolio via smart meter connections and its own hardware, without requiring infrastructure changes. That data is used for EPC evidence, BACS monitoring, periodic energy reporting, and CSRD disclosures. For Dutch portfolios, Rhino meets the full technical specification of the GACS regulation (monitoring per energy carrier, anomaly detection with alerts, multi-year data retention, periodic reports) out of the box.
EPBD compliance starts with accurate data.
Your EPC assessor, BACS audit, and CSRD disclosure all depend on the same thing: verified, complete consumption data per building. Rhino delivers it automatically, across all utilities, without changing your infrastructure.
Further reading
From the Rhino blog.
