Is the tailor recommendation useful? Policy suggestions to upgrade the EPC recommendation report

Abstract

The Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) have asked to Member States (MSs) to include an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) every time a dwelling is sold, rented or built. Additionally, the EPC must include a report that contains a list of recommended measures for improving their energy performance in a cost-effective way. Considering that the Directive does not directly mandate investments or any increase in renovation activity, building owners remain the single decision-makers to invest or not. Due to this, the recommendation list of measure is one of the main tools that can actually encourage building owners to perform renovation activities, avoiding the implementation of sub-optimal investments and preventing lost opportunities. The latest update of the directive, introduced in June 2018, has its main purpose to support and further reinforce the renovation of existing buildings. Despite this, the recommendation reports have not been modified and the latest evaluation of the directive states that it is not performing as expected. Little information can be found about it, either in the academic or institutional level. The article aims to provide a better understanding of the barriers that the energy recommendations report faces in its current state and proposing measures that can be uses to overcome these issues.