Energy Regulation in Europe – Where to Begin?
As of 2023, the global average temperature rose to 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization, making it the warmest year ever recorded. This continues a trend established over the last decade, where each year since 2015 has ranked among the hottest on record.
Clearly, Global warming is here, and as part of international efforts to fight it, many countries have adopted regulations that facilitate a reduction in energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Europe is leading the charge in these efforts, and one focus point is HVAC systems.
Accounting for up to 70% of buildings’ energy consumption, HVAC system optimization is crucial in reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability.
This article will review key energy regulations across Europe that are shaping the HVAC industry, namely France's BACS and Tertiary Decrees, Germany's GEG 2024, Belgium's Article 11.1/1.2 and EPB standards, the Netherlands' GACS, and Spain’s CAE. We will conclude with strategies to help facility and energy managers achieve compliance swiftly and efficiently.
France: Tertiary & BACS Decrees
The Tertiary Decree sets mandatory goals for owners and operators of buildings, public or private, whose cumulative area occupied by commercial activities is greater than 1000 m² to significantly reduce their energy consumption by 2050.As outlined in the decree, this can be accomplished in two ways:
- A relative reduction of energy consumption compared to a base year: A decrease of 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040, and 60% by 2050. The baseline measurement year cannot be earlier than 2010.
- An absolute energy consumption value by 2050: meeting an energy consumption value set by the regulator based on new buildings of the same category (structure, occupancy levels, type of tenants, and other factors), expressed in absolute terms of kWh/m²/year.
Germany: GEG 2024 (Building Energy Act)
The GEG 2024, also known as the Building Energy Act, mandates a reduction of total building emissions by 55% no later than 2030 with 1990 serving as the baseline. Under the act, a particular focus is placed on heating and cooling systems.The regulation is enforced by energy performance certificates that must be made available to prospective building tenants or buyers and specifically calls for the following measures to ensure HVAC system sustainability:
- New heating systems installed in buildings, starting January 2024, must be powered by at least 65% renewable energy.
- Non-residential buildings with HVAC systems exceeding 290 kWh in nominal capacity must have automated systems in place that meet specific DIN (German Institute for Standardization) standards.
Belgium: Article 11.1/1.2 & EPB Standards
Article 11.1/1.2, which is part of the broader EPB (Energy Performance of Buildings) framework, was created to stimulate energy efficiency, energy saving, and the use of renewable energy sources as part of efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.Key requirements include:
- Non-residential buildings with heating and/or cooling systems exceeding 290 kWh in nominal capacity must have building automation or management systems by the end of 2025.
- In Flanders, buildings are required to consume less than 300-400 kWh/m² per year by 2028.
The Netherlands: Governmental Agreement on Climate and Sustainability (GACS)
The GACS (Governmental Agreement on Climate and Sustainability) framework aims to improve the energy efficiency of buildings so that all newly constructed properties in the Netherlands will be emission-free by 2030 and all existing buildings will become emission-free by 2050. From 2026, all non-residential buildings with HVAC systems exceeding 290 kWh in nominal capacity must meet GACS standards. An essential GACS requirement involves the installation of a building automation or management system that can:- Register, maintain, analyze, and adjust energy consumption.
- Automatically test energy efficiencies, detect performance problems, and suggest improvements.
- Allow various building systems and devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other.
Spain: CAE System
With the stated goal of achieving a 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency across Spain, the CAE, or Certificado de Ahorro Energético System, was created to incentivize energy saving. HVAC systems are a key focus due to their significant energy usage.Under Spain’s CAE regulations, certain organizations, including electricity and gas marketers, wholesale petroleum product operators, and wholesale liquefied petroleum gas operators, are legally required to meet annual energy-saving obligations. Obligated parties have two options to meet their requirements:
- Contributing to the National Energy Efficiency Fund (FNEE), which finances energy efficiency initiatives.
- Purchasing Energy Savings Certificates (CAEs), which can fulfill up to 65% of their annual obligations by 2024. These certificates represent verified savings achieved by third parties.
How Can a Building's HVAC Energy Consumption Be Reduced?
HVAC system usage patterns can heavily impact energy use. A temperature set point that is too low or too high. A meeting room left with its AC running overnight. A clogged condenser that hardly cools the refrigerant and has to work additional hours at a higher intensity. All these situations, and many others, can quickly increase energy usage.Here are some ideas on how to optimize HVAC system energy usage while ensuring the comfort of tenants:
- Establishing policies that ensure efficient HVAC use by limiting systems’ activity to hours and spaces that require cooling and heating.
- Limiting unit controls to the functions and range required for each space and tenant while ensuring the system works at its optimal capacity. This is done by preventing a setpoint for temperatures that are far beyond the normal range, restricting user settings changes when systems should be inactive (e.g., weekends), and not allowing local thermostats from changing setpoints outside working hours.
- Enacting continuous monitoring to ensure that HVAC systems remain in optimal working conditions: ensuring efficient energy performance.
- Using a power consumption monitoring system that alerts when consumption levels exceed pre-defined peak/expected consumption. This can be done at the building level and up to the specific indoor unit level.
- Making sure systems are maintained regularly to prevent accelerated wear and increased consumption.
- Increasing awareness – letting tenants observe their HVAC use patterns and discover how they impact energy consumption. Periodic reports can reveal irregularities, which can be quickly addressed to reduce energy consumption.
Meet European Energy Regulations With CoolAutomation
Whether by connecting your HVAC systems to an existing BMS or our dedicated cloud solutions, CoolAutomation can help you meet European energy regulations quickly, simply, and seamlessly.BMS Integration
A BMS may already be installed in your building, or you may be planning to install such a system to meet regulations. Whichever the case, integrating HVAC systems with a BMS can be a complex, time-consuming process.
As each HVAC manufacturer has a dedicated, proprietary communication protocol, setting up a connection with BMSs requires unique expertise and a lot of wrangling. This is an expensive and lengthy process that, unfortunately, also tends to be unreliable.
Happily, there are ways to simplify the process. Using CoolAutomation’s universal HVAC gateways, which are natively compatible with all major HVAC and building management system brands, integration becomes a simple, reliable, plug-and-play process.
Cloud-Based HVAC System Control, Management and Diagnostics
Energy savings and regulation compliance are made even easier with CoolAutomation’s cloud-based HVAC system monitoring, management, and diagnostic solutions, which provide a set of tools designed to streamline this process.One key feature is the ability to perform comprehensive energy audits. Using our cloud suites, you can collect data on individual indoor unit consumption and operational parameters, such as setpoints, working hours, and modes. This data can be audited periodically and monitored throughout the year.
Our solutions can also generate routine reports, which offer building and energy managers insight into different HVAC system runtimes, site temperatures, modes of operation, and more.
These reports and audits enable long-term energy analysis and optimization, supporting the creation of informed operating policies across different building spaces.
For centralized management, CoolAutomation provides remote tools that facilitate the regulation of multiple HVAC systems from a mobile device or office desktop, using a single interface to set schedules, lock local thermostats, and limit setpoints: eliminating the need for manual adjustments.
Taking automation and remote management to the next level, our predictive maintenance tools continuously track technical parameters, detect abnormal, energy-intensive behaviors, and issue alerts that allow energy and site managers to quickly address problems before they escalate. This not only helps optimize energy consumption, but also prevents system wear and increases its longevity.
Conclusion
The drive for energy efficiency in Europe is not just about meeting regulatory requirements—it’s about creating a more sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible future. As major contributors to building energy consumption, HVAC systems are central to this effort. Regulations like Germany’s GEG 2024, France’s BACS and Tertiary Decrees, Belgium’s EPB Standards, the Netherlands’ GACS, and Spain’s CAE system demonstrate a collective European commitment to reducing emissions and encouraging innovative energy-saving measures.By implementing smart HVAC solutions and integrating HVAC systems with BMSs, commercial and residential buildings can meet regulations while achieving significant cost savings.