How to stay compliant with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)

All you need to know about EPBD

This year there will be new legislation in your country that will affect the buildings you work with every day. A new EU directive called the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, or simply EPBD, is coming to your country. Here’s an overview of what it means to your business and how you can turn it around from an unwelcome bureaucratic chore to a real business opportunity.

The buildings where we live, sleep and work account for 40% of worldwide energy consumption. That's a big number! The good news is that the potential to save energy in buildings is huge – 75% of buildings in the EU are inefficient. If we optimized the heating systems in Europe's buildings, we could save EUR 67 billion on the energy bills of European residents by 2030. That's 82 million cars worth of CO₂! And it's right at the heart of what you do as an installer: optimizing heating systems.

The buildings where we live, sleep and work account for 40% of worldwide energy consumption. That's a big number! The good news is that the potential to save energy in buildings is huge – 75% of buildings in the EU are inefficient. If we optimized the heating systems in Europe's buildings, we could save EUR 67 billion on the energy bills of European residents by 2030. That's 82 million cars worth of CO₂! And it's right at the heart of what you do as an installer: optimizing heating systems.

What do you need to do?

It's mandatory to install self-regulating temperature devices (e.g. thermostatic valves) in every room when you change the heat source. When you fit a new heat source, for example a boiler, you should check whether thermostatic radiator valves are installed and retrofit them if necessary. This is because the boiler cannot control the heating in the individual rooms, so you need a thermostatic radiator valve in each room to make sure the rooms are not overheated or underheated. Don’t know which thermostatic valve to choose? See the options from our selection
Get the benefits of balancing the system before you leave. Don't forget to balance the system as well. If the heat is not distributed evenly across the system, you will leave your customer with rooms that either get too hot or too cold, or perhaps noisy radiators. That means callbacks! You can avoid all this by simply balancing each radiator. Check out how the Danfoss Installer App can help you make the calculations for each radiator quickly and easily. Besides better comfort, a properly balanced system will help your customer save energy.
Don't forget to communicate the benefits to your customer. You should see this as an opportunity to sell more of your expertise as an installer. The EPBD is the perfect occasion to recommend better quality products and installations that provide improved comfort and energy savings. Be sure to inform your customer of these attractive benefits. Change the conversation from disappointment in the extra expense line on the bill to an opportunity to obtain a much better comfort experience and more energy savings. The payback time for adding thermostatic radiator valves is less than two years with an average household.