Source book on Guidelines for better enforcement of quality of the works. QUALICHeCK report

Report, 2017

The energy performance of buildings has become a major boundary condition for new buildings but, increasingly for existing buildings as well. At the European level, the EPBD has been the major driver. Whereas the original EPBD was not imposing to the Member States a requirement level to be achieved, the EPBD recast imposes cost-optimal requirements and for new buildings from 2019/2021 onwards the level nearly-zero energy buildings (NZEB).

Of course, one should aim for not only good energy performance but also good quality of the works, as good quality of the works is the precondition for high building energy performance. There can be many reasons for poor quality of the works. Within the context of the QUALICHeCK project, there was a strong focus on compliance frameworks and enforcement, but there might be much lighter and easier to implement approaches, which will also receive broader societal support.

In practice, various studies, including studies carried out in the framework of QUALICHeCK have highlighted that it is not evident to assume that the quality of the works is compliant with expected results. Often the declared EPC of a building is better than what is achieved in reality, due to faults during the construction process. This results in not only a loss of investments but also a decline in energy performance caused by poor quality of the works. To enforce the quality of the work is one of the low hanging fruits on the way to cost efficient high performance buildings.

In this context, this source book intends to analyse the conditions for compliance and the reasons for non-compliance of the quality of the works in buildings: how to make sure that the work on a building is compliant, and thus that the minimum energy performance requirements are met and/or that the owner or tenant is well informed.

To achieve a good compliance of the quality of the works, a three-step approach has been identified:
1. To obtain compliant quality of the works and to prove that they are compliant, there should be clear procedures to obtain and prove the quality of the works,
2. There should be clear (legal) procedures about how to decide on non-compliance of the quality of the works, and how to decide on related actions,
3. There should be effective control and sanctioning mechanisms to be applied in case of non-compliance of the quality of the works.

This source book describes this three-step approach with examples and references to other documents from the QUALICHeCK project, which provide more details.

Different ways to check compliance are described, together with the ways to define penalties so that they are effective, proportionate and dissuasive. The importance of political will and societal support is also emphasised. The way to handle innovative products and systems and the economic impact of compliance are also discussed.

The source book provides guidance and support for compliant quality of the works and will be useful to all stakeholders interested in improving energy performance of new and existing buildings.