FAQ

As is the case for buildings along the municipal public domain, buildings along the State road (national road and State-managed road) must, within the framework of the building permit application procedure, comply with the municipal urban planning regulations on setbacks.

For constructions located in the vicinity of the State public domain at a distance of 25 metres from a national road (N) or at a distance of 10 metres from a State-managed road (CR), established from the property line, a road permit is required from the Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure. As part of a road permit, provisions regarding the setbacks of buildings in relation to the road will be applied. These may differ from the setbacks set by the municipalities.

With regard to building permits, the municipalities systematically check that buildings are set back from the municipal public domain or plot boundaries.

As a rule, the planning regulations for setbacks are regulated by the municipalities in their General Development Plan (Plan d’Aménagement Général, PAG) or in the Special Development Plans (Plans d’Aménagement Particulier, PAP).

For municipalities whose PAG has not yet been adapted to include current legislation, the planning regulations relating to setbacks are still included in the written part of the PAG or in the building regulations. For these municipalities, the measurement of setbacks in the event of energy retrofitting is set out individually, by municipality, in those documents.

On the other hand, for those municipalities whose PAGs have been completely revised since 2011, the Grand Ducal Regulation that is the basis for the applicable definitions provides that the building setbacks are to be measured without the additional insulating layer in the case of an energy retrofit.

In both cases, the municipalities can include derogation mechanisms in their regulations in order to promote energy retrofitting, for example through a reduction in the minimum setback to be observed.

Since 1 January 2017, every new construction of a residential building in Luxembourg must be a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) in terms of energy consumption. As a rule, the NZEB corresponds to the AAA energy classes. However, certain conditions relating to the construction location may cause variations in these energy classes.

Architects and consulting engineers, whose profession is defined by the law of 13 December 1989 organising the professions of architect and consulting engineer, as well as all experts approved by the Ministry of the Economy, can issue energy performance certificates

• 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.

The obligated parties have a certain degree of freedom in their choice of energy efficiency measures. In order to guide their services, they can achieve energy savings either through standardised measures or specific measures. The standardised measures set out different example cases and set flat-rate energy saving values for the following families of measures:

•  Thermal envelope of buildings (walls, windows, roofs, slabs)
• Heat production
• Mechanical ventilation
• Household appliances
• Office equipment
• Lighting
• Transversal industrial techniques (motors, pumps, ventilation, compressed air, boilers, refrigeration)
• Management energy
• Transport (replacement of cars).

Energy efficiency measures not included in the catalogue of measures are to be considered as specific measures, which cannot be accounted for by the obligated parties in case of certain calculation principles and if no standardised measures are applicable.