Energy Performance Certificates
Labelling in society and new buildings
Time: Fri 2026-03-06 13.00
Location: Stora konferensrummet, M108, Brinellvägen 23, Campus, public video conference [MISSING]
Language: Swedish
Subject area: Civil and Architectural Engineering, Building Technology
Doctoral student: Camilla Hjortling , Byggteknik och design
Opponent: Professor Thomas Olofsson, Umeå universitet
Supervisor: Professor Folke Björk, Hållbara byggnader
QC 20260216
Abstract
Energy Labeling Buildings – A commentThis thesis investigates energy regulation in Sweden and its consequences forenergy efficiency in buildings.The first study and article contribute to defining the current energyconsumption baseline for buildings in Sweden. The data used for the analysisare extracted from the database of the Swedish National Board of Housing,Building and Planning and consists of 186,021 measured energy performancecertificates issued for commercial buildings (355 Mm2), collected during2007–2015.The results from that study for certain building types, construction periods,climate zones and energy use are presented. Building codes have influence onthe building’s energy performance. When new building codes have beenadopted and energy performance requirement have been stricter the measuredenergy consumption has been lowered compared to buildings built earlier.New buildings have nevertheless often higher energy consumption thanstipulated by the building code.The first Swedish Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) that were studiedwere quite reliable because they were based on energy bills and not ontheoretical calculations. This has now changed and are now aligned with EUregulation.The second article and study focuses on the Swedish building code regardingthe energy consumption of buildings, and the calculation of which should beincluded in a building permit. The energy performance certificate (EPC) of abuilding documents the actual energy performance, which provides anopportunity to compare the actual energy consumption with what was plannedand what was built. Here, this comparison is done for buildings in the city ofStockholm raised in the period from 2010 to 2015.
The first observation in this second study was that in official listings as thetaxation register, the EPC database and the building permits, data files aremissing. It would be useful to coordinate and develop the collaborationbetween different authorities and develop a national database with thisinformation.
However, for the buildings with summited documents the mean energyconsumption according to the EPCs is close to what has been requested in thebuilding code. So, in general, the building code is fulfilled.
When the energy consumption according to the EPC is lower than planned, theexplanation relates to changes or miscalculation in Atemp, erroneousventilation flow in calculations or that the EPCs are only based on calculations.For commercial buildings, such as restaurants, server halls, and sport facilitieswith various internal loads, there should be a focus on the total energy demandin building as one unit with the operations in the unit. The EPC should offer anopportunity for follow-up on the planned energy performance.