Energy performance certificate

An energy performance certificate is issued after energy performance certification of a building – a procedure that determines the energy consumption of the building or part of it, assesses its energy performance and assigns an energy performance class. The certificate is required both for completing new buildings and for selling or renting them.

The amount of documents and information required depends on the target energy performance class.

Regardless of the target class, the following documents are required:

• the building design (architectural and structural parts and the explanatory note are mandatory);
• the complete cadastral survey file.

Additional documents required for class B:

• window certificate – declaration of conformity;
• entrance door certificate – declaration of conformity;
• garage door certificate – declaration of conformity (if there is a garage and it is heated to more than 10 °C).

Additional documents required for class A or higher:

• window certificates – declarations of conformity with thermal transmittance values given separately for each window size;
• entrance door certificate – declaration of conformity;
• garage door certificate – declaration of conformity (if there is a garage and it is heated to more than 10 °C);
• certificates of building blocks and insulation materials – declarations of conformity;
• technical documentation and declaration of conformity of the heating system (boiler);
• technical documentation and declaration of conformity of the heat recovery ventilation unit;
• airtightness test report (issued by an accredited laboratory);
• energy performance design calculations (if carried out).

Examples of documents (in Lithuanian):

• Cadastral survey file – examples of cadastral (inventory) files.
• Window certificates with thermal transmittance values for each window size – examples of complete window declarations.

The calculations and issuing of the energy performance certificate take up to two weeks from receipt of all the required information and documents.

Yes, an energy performance certificate is mandatory when a building is handed over. Under Article 51(2) of the Lithuanian Law on Construction, certification must be carried out before construction is completed – before the act of completion is drawn up or the declaration of completion is submitted.

A building's energy performance certificate is valid for no longer than 10 years.

Energy performance certification of buildings is mandatory:

• on completion of new buildings (or parts of them) – before the act of completion is drawn up or the declaration of completion is submitted;
• on completion of reconstruction, renovation (modernisation) or major repair of buildings when the cost of the work exceeds 25% of the building's value – before completion of construction;
• when selling or renting buildings or parts of them – the owner must provide a valid energy performance certificate or a copy of it.

Energy performance certification is not required for:

• unheated buildings;
• cultural heritage buildings, if compliance with the requirements would unacceptably alter their character or appearance;
• places of worship and other buildings used for religious activities;
• temporary buildings intended for use for no more than 2 years;
• low-energy-demand industrial, manufacturing, warehouse and agricultural non-residential buildings;
• stand-alone buildings with a total useful floor area of no more than 50 square metres;
• holiday and garden buildings used for no more than four months a year;
• buildings in emergency condition whose renovation would not be cost-effective over their approximate economic life cycle.

The construction technical regulation sets the lowest permitted energy performance class for new buildings according to the date of the building permit or the start of construction:

• after 4 January 2006 – C
• after 1 January 2014 – B
• after 1 November 2016 – A
• after 1 January 2018 – A+
• after 1 January 2021 – A++

Today most new buildings in Lithuania must meet at least energy performance class A++, except for exemptions provided by law.

The price depends on the building's floor area, complexity and the target energy performance class – the higher the class (A, A+ or A++), the more additional documents need to be assessed, so the price may vary. We give an exact price after reviewing the specific building data and documents, so please contact us for an individual quote.

The issued certificate is registered in the Register of Energy Performance Certificates of Buildings, administered by the State Enterprise Centre of Registers. Registration is done by the certifying expert, so the owner does not need to take any further action – after certification the certificate automatically appears in the register.

A design-stage energy performance certificate is prepared at the design stage, based on design calculations, and shows which energy performance class the building should achieve with the solutions in the design. This makes it possible to spot potential problems early – for example, insufficient wall insulation or unsuitable windows – and fix them before construction starts, when changes cost the least.

The final (as-built) energy performance certificate is issued after the building is completed, based on the materials and equipment actually installed and the airtightness test carried out. This certificate is mandatory for completion of construction and may differ from the design-stage certificate if the construction deviated from the design.

We recommend design-stage certification for every project aiming for class A, A+ or A++ – it reduces the risk that the building will not achieve the intended class after construction.

Energy performance certification of apartment buildings and larger buildings (office, commercial, industrial) is based on the same legal requirements but differs in scope and complexity of documentation – the entire building services system is assessed (heating, ventilation, domestic hot water for common needs), not the solutions of an individual apartment or house.

For new apartment buildings, certification is usually ordered by the developer (construction company or property developer) – the certificate is mandatory before the act of completion, so it is a natural part of the final construction stage. For existing apartment buildings, when certification is needed for sale, rental or renovation, it is usually ordered by the building administrator, the owners' association or the apartment owner, depending on the situation.