Is it correct that an EPB standard can be adopted in a country with some of its content replaced by national procedures?
If a country adopts an EPB standard, it can make use of the specific degrees of freedom given in Annex A of that standard (template for national choices). These choices are introduced to accommodate national/regional differences in climate, building tradition, policy and user behaviour. This is what is known as the National Annex or National […]
What happens with Annex A and Annex B if a National Annex or National Datasheet is published?
Annex A and B are part of the standard and will remain part of the standard. In addition to this, a National Standards Body or a Member state can decide to publish a National Annex or National Datasheet. These are separate documents, based on the template in Annex A, with content that may or may […]
How do standards deal with innovation?
International standards in general are a valuable tool for facilitating cross-border trade and knowledge exchange, thus stimulating the implementation of novel technologies. Standards promote innovation, because they consolidate the latest knowledge into agreed assessment procedures and it is the policy of both ISO and CEN to periodically update their standards. The set of EPB standards […]
Are there specific guidelines about how to fill in a National Annex to an EPB standard?
For filling in a National Annex or National Data Sheet following the template given in Annex A of each EPB standard, you find guidance in the general introduction of the Annex A itself. Note that, for the same EPB standard, different National Annexes or National Data Sheets may be prepared, each for a different purpose. […]
Is it possible to have different National Annexes or National Data Sheets for the same EPB standard, depending on the application?
Yes, see FAQ “Are there specific guidelines about how to fill in a National Annex to an EPB standard?“ 2022-04-02
Do the EPB standards contain energy performance (EP) requirements?
As a general rule, CEN and ISO standards as such do not impose any regulation. Laws and regulations may refer to standards, because standards provide harmonized specifications (e.g. terminology, key characteristics) and harmonized methods for tests or calculations. The EPB standards contain methodologies to assess the EP, and specifications of EP characteristics, including EP indicators, […]
Most EPB standards allow specific national or regional input data, provided the template given in Annex A of the standard is respected. Is it allowed to refer to tables or formulas instead of a single default value?
Yes. For instance a value depending on the application or depending on specific conditions or year of construction. As long as the result is a value for the required input data. Read more on flexibility / national choices 2019.07.22
Which organisations are developing National Annexes? Where does the funding, requirements or initiatives come from?
The responsible organizations for publishing National Annexes are the National Standards Bodies and/or the national or regional authorities. Preferably it should be the National Standards Body (NSB). See FAQ Are all National Annexes and National Datasheets publicly available? for an extensive explanation of the different options. The actual development of the National Annexes for the […]
Why are the technical reports not integrated in the EPB standards? It would make the combined document less expensive.
The correct understanding and application of EPB-standards requires extensive informative clarification such as: reason for the choices made in selecting methods; intended use of the different methods; correct evaluation of data input; information to those responsible for national implementation. If the informative content is mixed with the normative content, the standards may become confusing and […]
What is the difference between a National Annex and a National Data Sheet?
Each country/region can make a specific set of choices, according to the template of Annex A of a given EPB standard, for the assessment of the energy performance. Or different sets, depending on the application. Once this template of Annex A is filled in with the national data and choices, it can be published. If […]