Slovakia: energy efficiency in buildings

Property owners, investors and developers will be affected by new law to improve the energy performance of buildings. These involve:

• a unified system of calculating energy performance
• minimum energy performance requirements
• compulsory energy performance certification

Calculating performance

Under the new law, buildings are classified into categories from A to G according to energy performance and carbon dioxide emissions. Performance is defined by reference to actual or estimated energy consumption for standard usage such as heating, hot water, cooling, ventilation and lighting.

Some buildings are exempt, including monuments, places of worship, industrial buildings and temporary buildings. Non-exempt buildings are classified into:

1. single-family houses of different types
2. apartment blocks
3. offices
4. education buildings
5. hospitals
6. hotels and restaurants
7. sports facilities
8. wholesale and retail trade service buildings
9. other types of energy-consuming buildings

Minimum performance

Minimum performance standards apply to new buildings and to existing buildings after major renovations. An exemption applies by major renovations where it is not technically, functionally or economically feasible to meet the performance standards. Alternative energy systems (such as combined heat and power and renewable energy sources) must be considered for all new buildings with a total useful area larger than 1000m2 from a technical, environmental and economic standpoint.

Certification

Certification will be compulsory from 1 January 2008 onwards whenever a building is sold, leased, built or undergoes a major renovation, and voluntary in all other situations. Energy certificates may only be issued by duly licensed and qualified entrepreneur. The certificates are valid for 10 years or (if sooner) until the building undergoes structural alterations affecting its energy performance.

Certification carries responsibilities, which are subject to state supervision and a penalty for non-observance. They apply to building owners and to administrators of property owned by the state, higher territorial units, municipalities, flat cooperatives and associations of flat and non-residential premises owners in apartment blocks. The responsibilities are to:

• retain the energy certificate throughout its term
• pass it on to the new owner on sale
• provide the lessee with a certified copy of the certificate on letting the property
• conduct regular inspection of boilers and air-conditioning systems
• regulate heating supplies after major renovations
• arrange hydraulic calibration of the heating system after any intervention into the thermal insulation or energy equipment
• place an energy tag in the building in a spot accessible to all users.

Law: Act No. 555/2005 Coll. on energy efficiency of buildings

EU legislation: EU Directive 2002/91/EC dated 16 December 2002