Major renovations mean work on a building’s envelope and/or its technical systems, with costs exceeding 25% of the taxable value, excluding the land it sits on, according to an ordinance drafted by the Romanian Government and obtained by MEDIAFAX. During a major renovation, building owners/administrators may install alternative energy production systems, as long as it is technically, functionally and economically feasible.
The act says that, to obtain building authorization, aside from being required to meet minimal energy efficiency criteria, a developer will have to carry out a study on the viability of using alternative high-efficiency energy systems. These can be decentralized systems using renewable energy sources, centralized heating/ cooling systems, heat pumps or cogeneration systems. This study will become mandatory next year.
“New buildings, delivered after December 31, 2020, will be buildings with energy consumption close to zero. New buildings owned/ administered by public authorities and delivered after December 31, 2018 will be buildings with energy consumption close to zero,” says the document. A building with close to zero energy consumption will have very high energy efficiency; its energy needs will be almost zero or very low, covered mostly by energy from renewable sources.
The act also says the building energy efficiency certificate will be required for buildings under construction, to be sold or let, or to undergo major renovations. This certificate, valid for ten years, contains data on the building’s energy consumption and CO2 emissions, which allows the investor/ owner/ administrator to compare and evaluate its energy performance. The document will have to make recommendations to reduce energy consumption further.
Sale/ rental contracts signed without an energy certificate will be considered null and void. Sale/ rental advertisements will also be required to provide information on the energy efficiency class, total energy consumption and CO2 emission index.
Energy certification and auditing is carried out by auditors authorized by the Ministry of Regional Development.
The act says that, in order to limit energy consumption and CO2 emissions, authorized experts will carry out regular inspections of heating systems equipped with boilers that use non-renewable fuel. After an inspection, the experts will draw up a report recommending alternatives to the heating system.
Failure to observe all these obligations will attract fines of 2,500-20,000 lei (EUR580-EUR4600).
Except for the study on alternative heating systems for new buildings, all these changes will enter force 60 days after the ordinance is published in the Official Journal. From that time, investors and designers will have to take steps to ensure that, starting with December 31, 2020, every new building will have close to zero energy consumption.