Published: 2014-01-27
Key Benefits:
Passed 30.08.2012 Annex 68
| 22.01.2014 | RT I, 24.01.2014, 3 | 27.01.2014 |
This regulation is enacted in accordance with subsection 72 of section 3 of the Building Act of the Republic of Estonia.
(1) This regulation establishes minimum requirements for the energy performance of buildings, including low energy buildings and nearly zero-energy buildings.
(2) This scope of this regulation extends to new buildings with indoor climate control and to existing buildings with indoor climate control that undergo major renovation.
(3) The requirements are to be applied in respect of the following residential buildings according to the purpose of use of the building:
1) small residential buildings (single-family homes, two-apartment buildings or terraced houses);
2) multi-apartment buildings (residential buildings with three or more apartments, including buildings of social welfare institutions and residence halls, excepting terraced houses).
(4) The requirements are to be applied in respect of the following non-residential buildings according to the purpose of use of the building:
1) office buildings, libraries and research buildings;
2) business buildings (accommodation buildings, food service buildings, service buildings, excepting office buildings and commercial buildings);
3) public buildings (entertainment buildings, excepting the buildings of a zoological park or botanical gardens; sports buildings, excepting indoor ice rinks and riding halls; museum and library buildings, excepting libraries; excepting terminal buildings);
4) commercial buildings and terminal buildings;
5) educational buildings (excepting pre-school institutions for children);
6) pre-school institutions for children;
7) healthcare buildings (hospitals and other treatment buildings, excepting buildings of care institutions).
(5) Compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance of buildings that are not listed in subsections 3 and 4 must be verified according to the purpose of use of the most similar type of building, relying on the competence required for determining the minimum requirements for energy performance and having regard to the requirements set out in this regulation.
(6) The types of building mentioned in subsection 71 of section 3 of the Building Act are excluded from the scope of application of this regulation.
(7) Where a building has several purposes of use, each building unit that has a particular purpose of use and whose heated area exceeds 10% of the total heated area of the building is to be assigned an energy performance indicator that corresponds to the particular purpose of use. Building units whose area falls below 10% of the total area of the building are, regardless of their purpose of use, included in other units of the building. Building units whose area falls below the 10% threshold are treated as areas of standard use within the purpose of use of the building unit that they functionally belong to. The maximum permitted energy performance indicator of the building is the weighted average of the energy performance indicators which are calculated with respect to the different use-purpose units of the building on the heated area basis.
(8) The minimum requirements for energy performance are established in respect of the building as a whole. For the purposes of calculating the energy performance indicator, in addition to the envelope of the building and its utility systems, the local energy generation systems (such as solar collectors and panels, wind turbines, combined heat and power producers) which are located within the building or on the building site and which feed into the building are regarded as constituent elements of the building. Utility systems (such as district heating) which are connected to an energy network, up to the connection point to the energy network, are regarded as constituent elements of the building.
(1) The terms in this regulation are defined as follows:
1) major renovation – renovation is deemed to be major if the costs of modification of the building’s envelope elements and the modification or replacement of the building’s loadbearing or stiffening elements, or the modification of the building envelope and the building’s utility systems or parts thereof, or the complete replacement of a utility system, exceed one quarter of the average building cost of a construction work that is equivalent to the construction work which is being renovated;
2) technical systems – the heating system and the system of hot household water including the corresponding heat sources, the ventilation system, the cooling system, lighting and the systems which generate heat or electricity locally and are included in the energy calculations in accordance with this regulation;
3) indoor climate control – use of energy for the purpose of ensuring the quality of indoor air, including maintaining, increasing or reducing indoor temperature, in compliance with the ventilation and ambient temperature requirements established in this regulation, and for the purpose of lighting according to the building’s standard use;
4) heated area – net area of rooms with indoor climate control;
5) building leakage rate – the parameter that characterises the air tightness of the building envelope and that is determined by means of an air tightness test at a pressure difference of 50 Pa. The building’s average leakage rate [m3/(h m2)] is expressed per square metre of the building envelope. The area of the building envelope is calculated on the basis of the internal dimensions of the building.
(2) The terms used in this regulation in relation to energy performance and energy calculation are defined as follows:
1) exported energy – the heat or electricity that is generated within the building or on the building site and that is not used in the building but is fed into energy networks;
2) local renewable energy – the heat or electricity generated from solar, wind, water and geothermal energy sources within the building or on the building site. In the case of heat pumps, the renewable energy harvested from the energy source is taken into account in the energy calculation according to the heat pump’s coefficient of performance;
[RT I, 24.01.2014, 3 – entry into force 27.01.2014]
3) delivered energy – the electricity obtained from power networks or the heat obtained from district heating networks in kilowatt-hours per annum (kWh/y) or the energy content (in kilowatt-hours) of fuel which is obtained from fuel suppliers and which is used to cover the building’s annual total energy use in so far as this is not covered by local renewable energy. Any fuel obtained from the building site is deemed to constitute delivered energy;
4) total energy use (kWh/y) of the building – use of heat and electricity by the technical systems required for indoor climate control, the heating of household water and the operation of electrical equipment, excluding local renewable energy (excepting heat pumps). The building’s total energy use includes all energy losses of the technical systems, including heat sources and the distribution systems of local energy generation, and the conversion of energy (e.g., coefficient of performance of a heat pump or of a refrigeration plant, the use of cogeneration or fuel cells);
5) primary energy – the amount of primary energy from renewable and non-renewable sources which is required for the generation of one kilowatt-hour of delivered energy, including any losses involved in harnessing an energy source and in the generation, transmission and distribution of energy;
6) energy source conversion factors – factors which take into account the use of primary energy required for the generation of delivered energy and the environmental impact involved;
7) specific use – the annual energy use in kilowatt-hours per square metre of heated area of a building [kWh/(m2 y)];
8) total weighted specific use of energy fed into energy networks – the sum of the products, calculated separately for each energy carrier, of the energy fed into the corresponding energy network and the energy source conversion factor;
9) total weighted specific use of delivered energy – the sum of the products, calculated separately for each energy carrier, of the delivered energy and the energy carrier conversion factor;
10) standard use of a building – the normal use of a building in relation to the verification of compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance. The determination of the standard use takes into account the building’s purpose of use, its outdoor and indoor climate, the time during which the building and its technical systems are used, and heat gains;
11) energy performance indicator [kWh/(m2 y)] – total weighted specific use of delivered energy utilised in the course of standard use of the building, less the weighted specific use of energy fed into energy networks;
12) total specific heat loss of the building envelope per square metre of heated area [W/(m2K)] – total specific heat loss via the building envelope per square metre of heated area of the building at a temperature difference of one degree Celsius between indoor and outdoor temperature. The specific heat loss is an aggregate of the heat losses that result from conduction and infiltration through the building envelope;
13) energy need – the electrical and thermal energy (without taking into account system losses and conversions from one energy type to another) required for indoor climate control, the heating of household water, lighting, and the operation of equipment. The energy need comprises: energy need for space heating, space cooling, the heating of ventilation air, the cooling of ventilation air, ventilation, the heating of household water, lighting and the operation of equipment;
14) validated software – the indoor climate and energy calculation software that has been validated on the basis of a reference calculation in accordance with a corresponding standard or method. For the purposes of this regulation, the following standards and methods are accepted as a basis for validating software: the European (EVS-EN), ISO, ASHRAE and CIBSE standards and the IEA BESTEST method, or an equivalent generally recognised method;
15) building of cost-optimal level of energy performance – a building the limit value of whose energy performance indicator ensures, over the building’s lifecycle, the minimum level of the building’s global costs as composed of the construction costs and annual energy, maintenance and operation costs (calculated by means of the investment equation for determining the present value of a 30-year life cycle in the case of residential buildings and 20-year lifecycle in the case of non-residential buildings).
(1) The minimum requirements for energy performance for buildings to be constructed or buildings which are undergoing major renovation are the limit value of the building’s total energy use and other requirements established in this regulation, which are applicable in accordance with the purpose of use of the building and which take into account its technical parameters.
(2) When designing a building, the compliance of the building with the minimum requirements for energy performance is assessed on the basis of the building’s building design documentation.
(3) The minimum requirements for energy performance are expressed as the energy performance indicator and the other requirements established in this regulation. The energy performance indicator is the total weighted specific use of delivered energy consumed in the course of standard use of the building, less the weighted specific use of energy fed into energy networks. The energy performance indicator reflects the building’s overall energy use for indoor climate control, for the heating of household water and the operation of household appliances and other electrical equipment, and it is calculated per square metre of the building’s heated area under standard use.
(4) The energy performance indicator of a building to be constructed may not exceed the following ceiling values:
1) in small residential buildings, 160 kWh(m2 y);
2) in multi-apartment buildings, 150 kWh(m2 y);
3) in office buildings, libraries and research buildings, 160 kWh(m2 y);
4) in business buildings, 210 kWh(m2 y);
5) in public buildings, 200 kWh(m2 y);
6) in commerce buildings and terminals, 220 kWh(m2 y);
7) in educational buildings, 16 0 kWh(m2 y);
8) in pre-school institutions for children, 190 kWh(m2 y);
9) in healthcare buildings, 380 kWh(m2 y).
(5) The energy performance indicator of a building undergoing major renovation may not exceed the following ceiling values:
1) in small residential buildings, 210 kWh(m2 y);
2) in multi-apartment buildings, 180 kWh(m2 y);
3) in office buildings, libraries and research buildings, 210 kWh(m2 y);
4) in business buildings, 270 kWh(m2 y);
5) in public buildings, 250 kWh(m2 y);
6) in commerce buildings and terminals, 280 kWh(m2 y);
7) in educational buildings, 20 0 kWh(m2 y);
8) in pre-school institutions for children, 240 kWh(m2 y);
9) in healthcare buildings, 460 kWh(m2 y).
(6) Where the exterior walls along the entire perimeter of the building are constructed from logs with a diameter of at least 180mm and are not insulated, the limit values of energy performance indicators set out in subsections 4 and 5 may be multiplied by the coefficient 1.1.
(7) Where a new building or a building that is undergoing major renovation complies with the minimum requirements for energy performance, that building is deemed to be a building of cost-optimal level of energy performance.
(1) Where, in accordance with section 18 of this regulation, the simplified method is used for proving compliance with the limit value of the energy performance indicator, the aggregate specific heat loss of the building’s envelope per square metre of heated area may not exceed the following limit values:
1) where the main source of energy for the building’s heating system and the hot household water system is a geothermal heat pump – 1.0W/(m2K);
2) where the main source of energy for the building’s heating system and the hot household water syst em is an air-to-water heat pump – 0.75W/(m2K);
3) where the main source of energy for the building’s heating system and the hot household water s ystem is a wood pellet boiler – 0.75W/(m2K);
4) where the main source of energy for the building’s heating system and the hot household wat er system is district heating – 0.75W/(m2K);
5) where the main source of energy for the building’s heating system and the hot household water system is a gas-fuelled condensing boiler – 0.6W/(m2K).
(2) Where the exterior walls along the entire perimeter of the building are constructed from logs with a diameter of at least 180mm and are not insulated, the limit values of energy performance indicators set out in subsections 4 and 5 may be multiplied by the coefficient 1.2.
(3) If the main source of energy for the building’s heating system and the hot household water system has not been listed in subsection 1, the simplified method for proving compliance with the limit value of the energy performance indicator is not applied and compliance with the limit value of the energy performance indicator is proved by using the calculation method.
(1) The ventilation systems must be equipped with a heat recovery unit whose temperature ratio is at least 0.8.
(2) The maximum permitted specific fan power of the ventilation system is 2.0W/(1/s).
(1) A low energy building is a building that is characterised by sound engineering solutions, that is built according to the best possible construction practice, that employs solutions based on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and that is not expected to generate electricity locally from a renewable energy source.
(2) The energy performance indicator of a low energy building may not exceed the following limit values:
1) in small residential buildings, 120 kWh(m2 y);
2) in multi-apartment buildings, 120 kWh(m2 y);
3) in office buildings, libraries and research buildings, 130 kWh(m2 y);
4) in business buildings, 160 kWh(m2 y);
5) in public buildings, 150 kWh(m2 y);
6) in commerce buildings and terminals, 160 kWh(m2 y);
7) in educational buildings, 12 0 kWh(m2 y);
8) in pre-school institutions for children, 140 kWh(m2 y);
9) in healthcare buildings, 300 kWh(m2 y).
(1) A nearly zero-energy building is a building that is characterised by sound engineering solutions, that is built according to the best possible construction practice, that employs solutions based on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and whose energy performance indicator is greater than 0 kWh(m2 y) but does not exceed the limit values established in this section.
(2) The energy performance indicator of a nearly zero-energy building may not exceed the following limit values:
1) in small residential buildings, 50 kWh(m2 y);
2) in multi-apartment buildings, 100 kWh(m2 y);
3) in office buildings, libraries and research buildings, 100 kWh(m2 y);
4) in business buildings, 130 kWh(m2 y);
5) in public buildings, 120 kWh(m2 y);
6) in commerce buildings and terminals, 130 kWh(m2 y);
7) in educational buildings, 9 0 kWh(m2 y);
8) in pre-school institutions for children, 100 kWh(m2 y);
9) in healthcare buildings, 270 kWh(m2 y).
A net zero-energy building is a building whose energy performance indicator is 0 kWh(m2 y). Delivered energy may be imported to a net zero energy building if this is set off by energy fed into energy networks.
(1) The following energy carriers have the following conversion factors:
1) fuels based on renewable energy sources (wood and wood-based fuels and other biofuels, excep ting peat and peat briquettes)– 0.75
2) district heating– 0.9
3) liquid fuel (he ating oils and liquefied gas)– 1.0
4) natural gas– 1.0
5) so lid fossil fuels (coal, etc.)– 1.0
6) peat and peat briquette– 1.0
7) electricity– 2.0
(2) The energy content of a fuel is calculated on the basis of its calorific value. The relevant calorific value is the lowest calorific value given by the supplier of the fuel or the data that are issued on the basis of subsection 73 of section 3 of the Building Act and that have been obtained on the basis of the methodology for calculating energy performance.
(1) In energy calculations, the outdoor air flow rate of the ventilation systems of new buildings or buildings that are to undergo major renovation must correspond to the values specified in subsection 4 during the building’s service life. The outdoor air flow rate means the minimum required outdoor air flow rate per square metre of the building’s heated area. In the case of a variable volume ventilation system, the limit rate of outdoor air flow as established in subsection 4 may be used as the maximum air flow rate of the room.
(2) In multi-apartment buildings in which the supply and exhaust rate of ventilation air in separate apartments may be controlled separately, the supply air flow rate must be at least 0.42 l/(s m2) during the building’s service life.
(3) The energy calculation uses the heating and cooling settings listed in subsection 4. In the case of partially heated rooms, the energy calculation uses the heating set-point listed in subsection 4 as the indoor temperature.
(4) The following requirements apply in respect of the supply air flow rates of the ventilation system and the set-points of indoor temperature used in the energy calculation:
| Purpose of use of the building | Outdoor air flow rate l/(s m2) | Heating set-point (°C) | Cooling set-point (°C) |
| Small residential buildings | 0.42 | 21 | 27 |
| Multi-apartment buildings | 0.5 | 21 | 27 |
| Office buildings, service buildings, libraries and research buildings | 2 | 21 | 25 |
| Commerce buildings and terminals | 2 | 18 | 25 |
| Business buildings, excepting commerce buildings and service buildings | 1.5 | 21 | 25 |
| Public buildings, excepting sports facilities and libraries | 2 | 21 | 25 |
| Sports facilities, excepting indoor swimming pools | 2 | 18 | 25 |
| Indoor swimming pools | 2 | 22 | 25 |
| Educational buildings | 3 | 21 | 25 |
| Healthcare buildings | 4 | 22 | 25 |
(1) The requirement for summertime indoor temperature is regarded as complied with if, during the period from 1 June to 31 August, the indoor temperature does not exceed the limit temperature (the cooling setting) referred to in subsection 4 of section 10 by more than 150 degree hours (°Ch) in residential buildings and by more than 100 degree hours (°Ch) in non-residential buildings referred to in subsections 4 and 5 of section 1. In the case of educational and research buildings (excepting pre-school institutions for children, buildings of research institutions and methodology institutions and other educational and research buildings), the time period concerned extends from 1 May to 15 June and from 15 August to 30 September, and the buildings are presumed to be closed from 15 June to 15 August. The cooling period may in some buildings be longer than the period referred to above, but this will not be taken into account for the purposes of verifying compliance with the summertime indoor temperature requirement. The energy need for cooling and the energy use of the cooling system are calculated in respect of the entire cooling period.
(2) In order to prevent the overheating of rooms, passive cooling solutions should be preferred over active cooling systems, that is, the overheating of rooms should be prevented by using architectural and structural solutions (e.g., sun control, appropriately dimensioned and positioned glass surfaces, the orientation of the building with respect to the cardinal directions and other objects, the use of massive structural elements), and night-time cooling by means of ventilation. Space cooling driven by the opening of windows is not taken into account for the purposes of verifying compliance with the summertime indoor temperature requirement, except in the case of residential buildings.
(3) In the event that the operation of a cooling system is required in a building in order to comply with the summertime indoor temperature requirement, the corresponding energy calculation must include the energy need related to space cooling and the calculation of the energy use of the cooling system. Where a cooling system is installed in the building in accordance with the corresponding design documentation, the summertime indoor temperature calculation referred to in subsection 1 is not required.
(4) In non-residential buildings that lack a cooling system, compliance with the summertime indoor temperature requirement is proved by performing a simulation calculation based on standard room types. Where necessary, the simulation calculation may use a cooling set-point which is lower than that set out in subsection 4 of section 10, in order to compensate for indoor temperatures that, due to temperature adjustment, are higher than the set-point.
(5) In residential buildings, compliance with the summertime indoor temperature requirement may be proved by performing a simulation calculation based on standard room types or by using simplified tools designed for that purpose, such as graphs. Small residential buildings are exempt from proving compliance with the summertime indoor temperature requirement by means of the simulation calculation provided all of the following conditions are simultaneously met:
1) on the exterior walls of the building that face west and south, window surfaces with an area of over one square metre use solar protection glass with a shading coefficient g ≤ 0.4 or other similar solutions achieving an equivalent effect;
2) in living rooms and bedrooms, the glazed area of the windows that face west and south amounts at most to 30% of the total area of the westward and southward exterior walls of the room;
3) in living rooms and bedrooms, the surface area of openable windows is equivalent to at least 5% of the floor area of those rooms.
(1) The building envelope must be permanently airtight and sufficiently insulated. When determining the insulation suitable for the building, the factors to be taken into consideration are the energy performance requirements, the maintenance of a comfortable indoor temperature, and the avoidance of mould and condensation on thermal bridges, inner surfaces and structural elements.
(2) In order to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature in the building, the thermal transmittance of its envelope in general may not exceed 0.5 watts per metres squared kelvin [W/(m2K)]. Where the doors or windows have a higher thermal transmittance value, a comfortable indoor temperature must be ensured by a heating solution.
(3) When selecting the insulation, the aim should be to ensure that the construction work achieves a high energy performance level. The following values may be used as an initial target when selecting the solutions for the envelope of a residential building:
1) thermal transmittance of exterior walls 0.12–0.22 W/(m2K);
2) thermal transmittance of roofs and floors 0.1–0.15 W/(m2K);
3) thermal transmittance of windows and doors 0.6–1.1 W/(m2K), while the final selection must aim to reduce the length of the building’s perimeter and consider its heating and ventilation solutions.
(4) The following values may be used as an initial target when selecting the solutions for the envelope of a non-residential building:
1) thermal transmittance of exterior walls 0.15–0.25 W/(m2K);
2) thermal transmittance of roofs and floors 0.1–0.2 W/(m2K);
3) thermal transmittance of windows and doors 0.6–1.1 W/(m2K), while the final selection must aim to reduce the length of the building’s perimeter and consider its heating and ventilation solutions. In addition to the above, free heat must be taken into account when determining the optimum level of insulation.
(5) In general, the average leakage rate of the building envelope may not exceed one cubic metre per hour and per square metre of the building envelope [ m3/(h m2)]. In order to avoid the risk of moisture convection, the critical junctions of the building’s structural elements (such as the junctions of walls, the foundation and floors, of walls and the roof, the seams of the vapour or air barrier of the warm roof, pass-throughs) should be made as airtight as possible.
(6) The average leakage rate of the building envelope may not exceed the value used in the energy calculation performed to prove the building’s compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance.
(1) The utility systems must be designed and installed such as to guarantee their long life and efficient operation within the optimum operational range. Unnecessary heat losses should be avoided by properly insulating the piping and the heat storage systems.
(2) In general, the required quality of indoor air is to be ensured by forced air ventilation. Efficient heat recovery solutions, low pressure-drop piping and other ventilation system components, as well as reasonably high-efficiency fans and control devices are to be used to achieve a good energy performance of the ventilation system.
(1) Where units of new buildings with indoor climate control, or units of existing buildings with indoor climate control that undergo major renovation are intended to be used separately and may have different owners or may, in accordance with the law, be leased for a fee, the heating system that services such units must be designed to include devices that must be actually installed and that make it possible to determine the energy use of those building units for the purpose of heating.
(2) Devices that make it possible to determine the energy use of a building unit for the purposes of heating are not required to be installed where:
1) the occupant of the building unit lacks the technical means to adjust the energy use in that building unit;
2) due to the engineering solution of the building, the activities of the occupant of the building unit have no significant impact on the energy use related to the heating of the building;
3) the installation of the devices that make it possible to determine the energy use of the building unit for the purpose of heating is not economically sound or technically possible).
(3) Where it is intended to forgo the installation of devices which make it possible to determine the energy use, the reasons for this must be set out in the technical description of the heating and ventilation system submitted as part of the building design documentation that is annexed to the application for a building permit.
(1) The energy calculation determines the building’s aggregate energy use in relation to indoor climate control (heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting), the heating of household water and the operation of electrical equipment (such as home appliances and other electrical equipment used in the household, office or the building). The use of delivered energy, exported energy, and the energy performance indicator of the building are calculated on the basis of the result of the energy calculation.
(2) The use of heat and electricity are treated separately in all stages of the energy calculation and in the presentation of the results of that calculation.
(3) The energy calculation includes at least the following stages:
1) the calculation of the summertime indoor temperatures (except in buildings for which a cooling system is to be designed and installed in the building);
2) the calculation of the energy need, comprising the calculation of the energy need related to space heating, of the heat recovery from ventilation air and of the energy need related to the heating of ventilation air, which must also include the energy use required to prevent frost growth on the heat exchanger, and the calculation of the energy need related to the heating of household water and to space cooling;
3) the calculation of the electricity use of the ventilation system;
4) an approximate calculation concerning the heating system, based on the efficiency of the heat source or the performance coefficient of the heat pump, and on the electricity use of any auxiliary devices;
5) the approximate calculation concerning the cooling system, taking into account the condensate and heat losses of the cooling system and the production of cold;
6) the calculation of the electricity use of the electrical system on the basis of the parameters given in respect of the use of lighting and electrical equipment;
7) presentation of the calculation results in accordance with the procedure specified in the methodology for calculating the energy performance of buildings.
(4) The energy use of utility systems (e.g., cooker hoods, fume cupboards, heating systems for pool water, server rooms, freezer chambers, cold counters, industrial kitchen equipment) or electrical equipment (e.g., elevators, electrical door openers, outdoor lighting, outdoor heated areas, different heating cables for frost protection, outdoor sockets) not listed in this regulation is not included in the energy calculation.
(5) The energy calculation to prove the building’s compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance is performed following the method for calculating the energy performance of buildings adopted in accordance with subsection 73 of section 3 of the Building Act.
(1) The energy calculation is performed in order to prove the building’s compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance and/or in order to draw up the energy performance certificate. The results of the calculation, obtained following the procedure specified in this regulation are applicable for both purposes.
(2) The results of the energy calculation that show compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance are included in the building design documentation annexed to the application for a building permit in respect of a new building or a building to undergo major renovation. During the building process, the owner must make sure that the building design documentation is not altered in a way that would result in the minimum requirements for energy performance no longer being complied with. If any changes that significantly influence the building’s energy performance are made to the building design documentation, a new energy calculation is performed in order to verify compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance.
(3) In order to issue an energy performance certificate for a building that is to undergo major renovation, the energy calculation is performed in accordance with the procedure specified in this regulation.
(1) The calculation software employed for the performance of energy calculations must have the following functionalities:
1) dynamic calculation of the building’s thermal exchange;
2) a climate processing module that allows the software to import the data of the Estonian test reference year for energy calculations at the original level of detail and that calculates the values of solar radiation on surfaces and the shadow zones for each hour;
3) modelling of the heat recovery in a ventilation system;
4) use of true indoor temperature values in calculations;
5) possibility to enter the input parameters for the energy calculation following the method for calculating the energy performance of buildings adopted in accordance with subsection 73 of section 3 of the Building Act;
6) the software must be validated in accordance with the relevant standard or method.
(2) Any calculation software that complies with the requirements stated above may be used for the performance of energy calculations.
(3) The energy calculation concerning residential buildings without a cooling system may also be performed by simplified software that carries out calculations on a monthly basis or on the basis of degree days.
(1) Compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance is proved by performing the relevant calculations or by using the simplified method of proving compliance. The simplified method of proving compliance may be used in the case of buildings whose code in the list of purposes of use established in accordance with subsection 5 of section 26 of the Building Act starts with 1110 (residential buildings with one apartment) or 1121 (residential buildings with two apartments) or 11221 (terraced houses).
(2) Where compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance is proved by performing the relevant calculations, the building’s energy performance indicator is calculated in relation to its standard use. The energy performance indicator is calculated by adding up the products, by type, of delivered energy (i.e., electricity used, district heating and the energy content of the fuel consumed) and the conversion factor of the corresponding energy carrier. From the result of this calculation is subtracted the sum of the products, by type, of the energy quantity exported into the relevant network and of the conversion factor of the corresponding energy carrier. The use of delivered energy and the energy exported into the energy networks is calculated in accordance with the requirements established in this regulation.
(3) When compliance with the minimum requirements for energy performance is proved on the basis of the simplified method, the energy performance indicator is not calculated. In that case, compliance with the limit value of the energy performance indicator is proved following the requirements set out in sections 4 and 5 of this regulation.
(4) The summertime indoor temperature is checked in types of room in which the heat gain is the greatest (rooms that are located on the south or west side of the building and that have large glazed surfaces may be presumed to fall in this category) or in which the occupants may be expected to be present on a continuous basis. In residential buildings, the summertime indoor temperature calculation is performed with respect to at least one living room and one bedroom meeting these criteria. In other buildings, the summertime indoor temperature calculation is performed with respect to all room types (e.g., open and closed office rooms, classrooms), selecting for the purposes of the calculation from each type a room that meets the criteria.
(1) Where the application for the building permit is submitted before 9 January 2013, whereas the building permit is issued after that date, the requirements established in this regulation are not to be applied.
(2) Where the building permit for a building with indoor climate control that is used by or that belongs to a government agency or a local authority is issued and the building is erected after 31 December 2018, the building’s energy performance indicator must not exceed the limit values established with respect to nearly zero-energy buildings.
(3) Where the building permit for a building with indoor climate control is issued and the building is erected after 31 December 2020, the building’s energy performance indicator must not exceed the limit values established with respect to nearly zero-energy buildings.
[RT I, 24.01.2014, 3 – entry into force 27.01.2014]
The Government of the Republic reviews the minimum requirements for energy performance at least once every five years. In conducting the review, technological progress in the building of construction works are taken into consideration.
[RT I, 24.01.2014, 3 – entry into force 27.01.2014]
Regulation no. 258 of 20 December 2007 entitled Minimum Requirements for Energy Performance of the Government of the Republic is hereby repealed.
This regulation enters into force on 9 January 2013.
1 Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings (OJ L 1, 4.01.2003, pp. 65–71), amended by Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings (OJ L 153, 18.06.2010, pp. 13–35), and Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive 93/76/EEC (OJ L 114, 27.04.2006, pp. 64–85).
Andrus Ansip
Prime Minister
Helir-Valdor Seeder
The Minister of Agriculture acting for the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communication
Heiki Loot
State Secretary
