Breaking news for construction companies in the new build sector! The new requirements for Nearly Energy Neutral Buildings ("BENG requirements") and the new energy label were supposed to come into force on 1 July 2020, but have been postponed to 1 January 2021 due to delayed delivery of the necessary software.
The BENG requirements set stricter requirements for buildings in terms of energy demand, primary fossil energy use and renewable energy in order to encourage the use of renewable energy. To determine whether buildings meet these BENG requirements, specific software is needed to determine the energy performance of buildings. This software was supposed to be ready by January 2020, giving building organisations and companies enough time to prepare for the new requirements. As the software was not and still is not ready on time, it was decided that the introduction of the BENG requirements and the new energy label would not take effect until 1 January 2021. This means that construction organisations and companies in the new-build sector can build according to the EPC for now.
Partly in view of the problems the construction sector has experienced over the past year due to the nitrogen and PFAS problems, it gives some relief this year that they do not have to worry about the BENG requirements and new energy label for the time being. We do recommend that companies start working on these updated requirements now, to ensure a smooth transition to the new requirements in 2021.
Would you like to know more about the BENG requirements and the new energy label? We would be happy to discuss your options with you.