FAQ

Since 1 January 2017 (date of the energy consultant's invoice), thermal insulation must meet energy efficiency and durability criteria. The energy efficiency criteria correspond in substance to those of the previous PRIMe House scheme and are expressed in four energy performance standards.

The durability criteria refer to the environmental quality and nature of the thermal insulation, as well as the way in which it is attached.

Environmental quality is defined by the environmental impact of insulation materials assessed using the environmental indicator I_eco12.

The Ministry of the Economy regularly checks the calculations. The experts concerned can therefore be reported to the Ministry of the Economy or to Klima-Agence.

The deviations must be documented and the main contractor must be notified of them. The municipality has the right to request additional calculations and/or documentation. The "as built” EPC indicates whether the minimum requirements have been met despite the deviations once the building is completed. As with any non-compliance with the building permit, the municipality can demand that the construction work required to ensure compliance with the EPC be carried out during the construction period and call the police if necessary.

The municipality has the right to request the "as built" EPC from the main contractor. Other measures may also be envisaged, for example the introduction of a deposit system. According to one Grand Ducal Regulation, municipalities even have the possibility of prosecuting the main contractor (sanctions enshrined in the Law of 5 August 1993 on the rational use of energy, as amended).

The municipality can itself decide on the consequences to be imposed on the main contractor/planner/construction company in the event of a breach of the legal requirements. In principle, a breach of these obligations can be treated in the same way as a breach of the distance rules or surface area coefficients.

• Demolition: sale of a ruin or a building that does not have a heating installation and which will be demolished after purchase.
• Inheritance or gift.

• New building: any building that is subject to a building permit application. (A feasibility study concerning the use of renewable energies should be appended to the building permit application.)
• Extension of an existing building.
• Modification of an existing building (building permit required), if the surface area of the modified element of the thermal envelope exceeds the surface area of the same existing element (walls, windows, roof, etc.) by 10% and if the modification has an impact on the energy performance of the building. (Issuance of an energy performance certificate for the new planned situation.)
• Substantial alterations to an existing building (without a building permit), if the surface area of the altered element of the thermal envelope exceeds the surface area of the same existing element (walls, windows, roof, etc.) by 10% and if the alteration has an impact on the energy performance of the building. (Issuance of an energy performance certificate for the new planned situation.)
• Change of owner or tenant.
• Demolition: sale of a building that will be demolished after purchase, if the building has a heating installation, exterior walls and a roof.
• Modification of technical facilities, if the modifications of these technical facilities exceed €1,500 (for a single-family house) or €3,000 (for a multi-family house).

The energy performance certificate is a regulatory obligation, therefore no subsidy is provided for its establishment.
The energy performance certificate is issued according to precise rules set out in the amended Grand Ducal Regulation of 30 November 2007 on the energy performance of residential buildings. It is valid for 10 years from the day of its issue. The issuance of an energy performance certificate and the information it contains shall not result in any direct obligation for energy retrofitting.

The energy performance certificate (EPC) or energy passport is the quality label that defines the energy performance of a residential building. The certificate provides information on the energy efficiency of residential buildings and thus allows comparisons to be made with other residential buildings. Thus, even without technical knowledge, the consumer can assess the energy quality of a residential building.