Building energy perfor­mance certifi­cates

Would you like to certify your property’s efficiency with an energy perfor­mance certificate?

Benefit from our know-how for an accurate assessment of energy quality and cost-effective, future-oriented renova­tions to your property.

Energy efficiency is becoming increas­ingly important, both for environ­mental protection and reducing operating costs. Energy perfor­mance certifi­cates play a key role in this, as they rate a building’s energy quality from A (very efficient) to G or H (ineffi­cient), depending on the country. This classi­fi­cation enables owners, tenants, and buyers to assess the actual energy consumption and/or modeled energy demand accurately. It also helps them make informed decisions when buying, selling, or renting properties and planning measures to improve energy efficiency.

Switzerland: Cantonal building energy perfor­mance certificate (GEAK) – A concept with three variants

The standard GEAK product

The standard GEAK product is a four-page energy perfor­mance certificate that assesses your building’s current energy status. It classifies buildings into three main energy efficiency categories:

1. Building envelope efficiency
   As a key factor for heat demand, the building envelope encom­passes all aspects that contribute to thermal insulation – from the insulation of the walls, roof, and floors to windows, thermal bridges, and the shape of the building.
2. Overall energy efficiency
   This holistic assessment includes heating require­ments and the efficiency of the build­ing’s technical instal­la­tions, including heat production and hot water needs. Electricity consumption and self-production are also considered, with the use of renewable energy sources leading to a higher rating.
3. Direct CO₂ emissions
   Based on the energy sources used and instal­lation efficiency, the amount of CO₂ emitted by your building for heating and hot water production is recorded (roughly compa­rable to Scope 1 emissions according to the Green­house Gas Protocol [GHGP]). A building that causes no direct CO₂ emissions achieves the top score (A). Upstream emissions, such as electricity gener­ation and district heating, are not taken into account in the classi­fi­cation.

GEAK Plus

GEAK Plus is an in-depth analysis for owners planning energy-related building improve­ments. This compre­hensive report supple­ments the standard GEAK with an assessment of different renovation options, consid­ering both the impact on energy consumption and cost-effectiveness. GEAK Plus prior­i­tizes and coordi­nates struc­tural measures, offers an overview of costs, and provides infor­mation on possible subsidies and available energy sources on site. In many cantons, the prepa­ration of the GEAK Plus is finan­cially subsi­dized, as it is often necessary when applying for energy-related renovation subsidies.

GEAK Neubau (new building)

GEAK Neubau is a key planning tool that sets energy efficiency targets for new buildings based on planning values, thus contributing to optimized operation and improved use. It remains provi­sional until officially accepted by certified GEAK experts. After completion, the energy class achieved is recorded and published in a GEAK report.

Further infor­mation can be found on the GEAK homepage.

In France, energy perfor­mance certifi­cates are required by law to classify the energy consumption and efficiency of buildings and make them available to potential buyers or tenants.

Since the 2021 reforms, the French DPE has included compre­hensive climate protection aspects. It also provides a concise overview of energy consumption and offers recom­men­da­tions for improvement.

Demand certificate

• Basis: Technical analysis of the building, its insulation, window quality, and heating system. 
• Advantage: Independent of user behavior, and thus offers an objective and compa­rable energy efficiency assessment. 
• Disad­vantage: More complex to draw up, requiring detailed calcu­la­tions and a building inspection. 

Consumption certificate

• Basis: Actual energy consumption data from the last three years. 
• Advantage: No detailed building analysis required. 
• Disad­vantage: Consumption data depends on individual user behavior and provides little infor­mation about the struc­tural and technical condition of the building. As a result, future tenants or owners can draw few conclu­sions about its renovation needs.