Implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy performance of buildings

In forceEnergia & ImpiantiLegge/DecretoCogente● In review

Summary

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Italy's framework law on the energy performance of buildings. It transposes the European EPBD directives and defines minimum requirements for new and renovated buildings, the Energy Performance Certificate, nearly zero-energy buildings and the rules for operating and inspecting heating systems, referring limit values to implementing decrees.

Scope of application

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It applies to new and existing buildings, public and private, and to their technical systems: design of new constructions, major renovations and energy upgrading works, performance certification upon construction, sale and lease, and the operation and inspection of heating systems. Article 3 sets out specific exclusions: among others, listed buildings only insofar as compliance would alter their character or appearance, industrial and craft buildings heated by their production process, non-residential agricultural buildings, isolated buildings with a usable floor area below 50 m² and places of worship. It concerns designers, energy certifiers, builders, owners, tenants and system managers.

In depth

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What it governs

Legislative Decree 192/2005 is Italy's framework law on the energy performance of buildings. Born to transpose Directive 2002/91/EC (EPBD), it has been deeply rewritten over time — first by Decree-Law 63/2013, converted into Law 90/2013, which transposed Directive 2010/31/EU, then by Legislative Decree 48/2020, which transposed Directive (EU) 2018/844 — to the point that its current title cites all three directives. The decree defines criteria, methodologies and tools to improve the energy performance of the building stock: minimum requirements for new buildings and for those undergoing works, energy performance certification, operation, maintenance and inspection of heating systems, requirements for certifiers, controls and penalties.

It is a "two-storey" piece of legislation: the decree sets principles, definitions and obligations, and refers numerical values to implementing decrees. The main one is the Ministerial Decree of 26 June 2015, the so-called "minimum requirements" decree, which establishes calculation methodologies and performance limits — transmittances, performance indices, efficiencies — through comparison with the reference building, a building identical in geometry and use but with predefined energy parameters.

The levels of intervention

The system grades requirements by the extent of the works. New constructions — including demolition and reconstruction and significant extensions — must meet the full performance package, including the nearly zero-energy obligation. A first-level major renovation affects more than 50 per cent of the gross heat-loss surface of the envelope together with the replacement of the heating system: requirements are verified on the whole building. A second-level major renovation affects more than 25 per cent of the heat-loss surface: requirements apply to the portion concerned. Below these thresholds the works qualify as energy upgrading: verifications are limited to the individual components and elements involved.

The limit values associated with each level are not in the decree: they are set in the Ministerial Decree of 26 June 2015 and its updates, to which this sheet refers without reproducing their tables.

The Energy Performance Certificate

Article 6 governs the APE (Energy Performance Certificate), which in 2013 replaced the former energy certification document. It is mandatory for new buildings and for those undergoing major renovation, upon sale, transfer for consideration and new lease contracts; the energy class must be stated in sale and rental advertisements. The certificate is valid for a maximum of ten years, conditional on compliance with the energy-efficiency checks of the systems recorded in the system logbook, and lapses if works change the building's class.

The national certification guidelines — also updated by a decree of 26 June 2015 — define the single national template and the ten-class scale, from A4, the most efficient, to G. The certificate is drawn up by qualified professionals under Presidential Decree 75/2013 and feeds the national information system SIAPE, managed by ENEA.

nZEB and the European trajectory

Article 4-bis sets the destination: from 1 January 2019 new public buildings, and from 1 January 2021 all new buildings, must be nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) — very low energy demand, covered to a very significant extent by renewable sources. The operational definition, with reinforced parameters and renewable-integration obligations, sits in the Ministerial Decree of 26 June 2015 and in the renewables legislation. The decree thus belongs to the European trajectory towards the decarbonisation of the building stock by 2050, supported by the national long-term renovation strategies.

The consolidated text of the decree in force, with the amendments layered over time, can be consulted free of charge on Normattiva at the official source indicated on this sheet.

Key points

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Framework law on energy performance in buildings: it transposes the European EPBD directives (2002/91/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2018/844/EU) and refers limit values to implementing decrees.
Requirements graded by level of intervention: new construction, first- and second-level major renovation (thresholds of 50% and 25% of the heat-loss surface), energy upgrading.
EPC mandatory for new construction, major renovations, sale, transfer for consideration and new leases; the energy class must appear in commercial advertisements.
The EPC is valid for a maximum of ten years, conditional on the energy-efficiency checks of the systems, and ranks buildings in ten classes from A4 to G.
Nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB): mandatory from 1 January 2019 for new public buildings and from 1 January 2021 for all new buildings.
It governs the operation, maintenance and inspection of heating systems, with obligations for owners and system managers (system logbook, periodic efficiency checks).
Limit values (thermal transmittances, performance indices, efficiencies) are set in the Ministerial Decree of 26 June 2015 on minimum requirements and its updates, verified with the reference-building method.

Frequently asked questions

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When is the EPC mandatory?

For new buildings and those undergoing major renovation, and upon sale, transfer for consideration or a new lease contract. The energy class must also appear in commercial sale and rental advertisements.

How long is an EPC valid and when does it lapse?

Maximum validity is ten years, provided the energy-efficiency checks of the systems recorded in the logbook are complied with. It lapses earlier if works are carried out that change the energy class of the building or unit.

What do the energy classes from A4 to G indicate?

They are the ten-class scale defined by the 2015 national guidelines: they measure the overall energy performance of the property in non-renewable primary energy, from A4 (most efficient) to G (least efficient), by comparison with the reference building.

What is an nZEB and since when is it mandatory?

A nearly zero-energy building has a very low energy demand, covered to a very significant extent by renewable sources. It is mandatory for new public buildings since 1 January 2019 and for all new buildings since 1 January 2021 (Article 4-bis).

What is the difference between first- and second-level major renovation?

The first level affects more than 50% of the gross heat-loss surface of the envelope together with the replacement of the heating system, and requires verification on the whole building. The second level affects more than 25% of the heat-loss surface, with requirements applied to the portion concerned.

Where do I find the transmittance and performance limit values?

Not in Legislative Decree 192/2005: the numerical values are in the Ministerial Decree of 26 June 2015 on minimum requirements and its updates, which also define the calculation methodologies and the reference-building method. Always check the version of the implementing decree in force.

Who can draw up an EPC?

Professionals qualified under Presidential Decree 75/2013: certified technicians independent of the property being certified. Certificates feed the national SIAPE information system, managed by ENEA, and the regional energy registers.

Is Legislative Decree 192/2005 still in force after the "green homes" directive?

Yes. Directive (EU) 2024/1275 (EPBD IV) has been in force since 28 May 2024 with a transposition deadline of 29 May 2026, but until the Italian transposition decree is adopted, Legislative Decree 192/2005 remains the national reference in force.

Glossary

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APE — Attestato di Prestazione Energetica: Document describing the energy performance of a building or unit and assigning its class; mandatory upon construction, sale, new lease and major renovations.
Edificio a energia quasi zero (nZEB): Very high-performance building with very low energy demand, covered to a very significant extent by renewable sources produced on site or nearby.
Ristrutturazione importante: Works affecting more than 25% of the gross heat-loss surface of the envelope: first level (more than 50% with replacement of the heating system) or second level.
Riqualificazione energetica: Works below the major-renovation thresholds: minimum requirements apply only to the building components and systems involved in the works.
Edificio di riferimento: Virtual building identical to the real one in geometry, orientation and use, but with energy parameters predefined by the Ministerial Decree of 26 June 2015: it is the benchmark for verifying minimum requirements.
Indice di prestazione energetica globale (EPgl): Annual primary energy required for the building's energy services per unit of usable floor area (kWh/m² per year); its non-renewable component determines the EPC class.
Attestato di qualificazione energetica (AQE): End-of-works document, certified by the works director, declaring the performance requirements achieved by the building; it does not replace the EPC, which is drawn up by an independent professional.
Superficie disperdente lorda: Envelope surface separating the conditioned volume from the outdoors, the ground and unconditioned spaces: it is the quantity against which the 25% and 50% intervention-level thresholds are measured.