EPBD directive and the future of gas boilers

The European Parliament adopted its position on the EPBD with 343 votes in favor, 216 against and 78 abstentions. Support for the directive came primarily from the Greens (100% support), whose MEP Ciaran Cuffe was the draft's rapporteur, as well as the Social Democrats and most of the Liberal club. The largest faction in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, was deeply divided (51 in favor, 58 against, 48 abstentions), with the European conservative right voting against.

The next difficult stage will be the trilogues, which are likely to begin in late April. Given the politically controversial - due to the cost to consumers - nature of the directive, negotiations are likely to drag on into the fall.

The directive comprehensively regulates the energy performance of buildings and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in the Union, with the goal of achieving zero-carbon building stock by 2050. The European Union recognizes the important role of the buildings sector in total European emissions, and the lack of success to date in reducing emissions in this area.

The directive is very extensive in nature, so the following summary is selective. So what does the EPBD cover from a homeowner's perspective?

• Do 2050 r. wszystkie budynki w Unii muszą uzyskać charakter bezemisyjnych. Oznacza to budynek mieszkalny o całkowitym zużyciu energii pierwotnej na poziomie <65 kWh/m2/rok, wykorzystujący energię wyłącznie odnawialną generowaną lub składowaną w miejscu zużycia, z lokalnej społeczności energetycznej lub z efektywnego systemu ciepłowniczego lub chłodniczego - Art. 2 ust. 2.
• Member states will define new energy efficiency classes for buildings in order to modernize the worst-performing buildings (E-G). Letter A will correspond to zero-emission homes, letter A+ to buildings that will consume no more than 15 kWh/m2/year. The letter G is to correspond to the 15% of buildings in the national stock with the worst performance when the scale is introduced - Article 16, paragraph 2.
• From 2024 , member states will not be able to subsidize the replacement of heat sources with fossil fuel boilers - Article 15, paragraph 10.‍
• As of 2028 , all new buildings are to be zero-emission (2026 - all public buildings) - Article 7, paragraph 1.
• From the entry into force of the directive's provisions, a country will not be allowed to ‍use fossil fuel heating systems in new buildings and those undergoing major renovation, with hybrid heating systems, boilers certified to run on renewable fuels and other technical building systems that do not exclusively use fossil fuels not being considered fossil fuel heating systems - Art. 7(4a) and Art. 8(3b). In doing so, member states are to take into account operating conditions and ensure the use of equipment that meets the criteria for the highest available energy efficiency classes, which will be defined in the new eco-design regulation - Art . 11 (1).
• From 2029, new residential buildings and from 2033. - retrofitted must be equipped with solar energy installations if technically, functionally and economically feasible - Art. 9a (3).

The directive thus allows the use of gas boilers certified to work with renewable fuels, as well as hybrid heating systems. New and retrofitted buildings will not be allowed to use heat sources powered solely by fossil fuels.

The entry into force of the directive now requires agreement on the content adopted by the European Parliament with the Council of the European Union.

More extensively on the topic of the future of gas boilers was discussed during a webinar entitled What about these boilers? organized by the Polish Liquid Gas Organization on February 28, 2023.

Photos: © European Union 2023 - European Parliament