The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU provides impulses to increase the energy performance of buildings and - through the implementation of the Directive - generates significant energy know-how in the buildings sector.
40 % of the European Union's total energy consumption goes to buildings, a figure that is set to increase as the sector expands. Reducing energy consumption and using renewable energy in the building sector are therefore considered as essential measures to reduce energy dependency and greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union.
The data stored in the EPCDB can be used for statistical purposes as well as for evaluations relevant to environmental or energy policy. They thereby make a considerable contribution to the evaluation of energy sustainability and climate protection.
According to the Building and Dwelling Register Act (BDR Act), (Federal Law Gazette I No. 9/2004 as amended by Federal Law Gazette I No. 1/2013), Statistics Austria has to set up a separate database (Energy Performance Certificate Database) as part of the Buildings and Dwellings Register for the electronic registration of energy performance certificates. Thereby Statistics Austria operates as a service provider. It is up to the federal provinces to decide whether the registration by the issuers of energy performance certificates has to be carried out directly in the central energy performance certificate database (EADB) or in a separate federal province database. If the regulations of the federals states require a registration and data recording to the federal province database it must be ensured that this information is also transmitted to the central energy performance certificate database.
The range of attributes recorded in the EPCDB is based on the OIB Guideline 6, Energy Saving and Thermal Insulation, and is continuously adapted to the currently valid version. It covers both energy performance certificates according to the Energy Performance Certificate Presentation Act as well as those that have to be submitted for the building permit.
The data recorded in the EPCDB are connected to the Address, Building and Dwelling Register (ABDR). This makes it possible to provide the keys required for a unique assignment to an object (building or usage unit) as well as using other relevant data from the ABDR. Furthermore, this also ensures that energy certificates are only issued for actually existing buildings and with legally valid addresses assigned by the municipality.