1. Introduction

The implementation of the Directive2002/91/EC (EPBD) in the Slovak Republicstarted under Act 555/2005 on the EnergyPerformance of Buildings (EPB) which cameinto force on 1 January 2006. Theimplementing Decree 625/2006 of the thenMinistry of Construction and RegionalDevelopment of the Slovak Republic(MVRR) entered fully into force on1 January 2007 and with it, in order toobtain a building permit, designers had topresent proof that the energy rating of thedesigned building met the legally requiredminimum performance. Minimumperformance requirements were definedand established as mandatory as of1 January 2007. Energy PerformanceCertificates (EPCs) have been issued sinceJanuary 2008. A new Decree of the MVRRcame into force on 1 October 2009,introducing specific changes to thecalculation process following Europeanstandards instead of prEN standards, whilespecifying energy factors and changing thetemplate of the EPC. As of 1 November2010, construction and regionaldevelopment issues fall under theauthority of the Ministry of Transport,Construction and Regional Development(MDVRR), along with the responsibility forthe energy performance of buildings,whereas the Ministry of Economy isresponsible for the regular inspection ofboilers and of Air‐Conditioning (AC)systems in buildings.

The implementation of the Directive2010/31/EU started on 18 September2012, by the Act 300/2012 on the EnergyPerformance of Buildings (EPB Act) whichboth amended and supplemented Act555/2005. A new Decree 364/2012 of theMDVRR entered fully into force in January2013, together with the 2012 Act. Thisbrought a change to the definition ofmajor renovations, introduced thedefinition of Nearly Zero‐Energy Buildings(NZEBs), as well as responsibilitiesconnected to the preparation of the NZEBnational action plan and a global indicatorfor primary energy use instead of totalenergy use in buildings. It also altered theEPC template.

2. Current status ofimplementation of the EPBD

I. ENERGY PERFORMANCEREQUIREMENTS

I.i. Progress and current status

Since the Act 555/2005 (EPB), which cameinto force in January 2006, the basicprinciples regarding the assessment of theenergy performance of buildings haveremained unchanged. As of January 2007,at the building permit stage, the designermust demonstrate compliance with theminimum requirements regarding thedesign energy rating. Since January 2008,

AUTHORSZuzana Sternova,Jana Bendzalova,Building Testing andResearch Institute(TSUS)

Jan Magyar,Slovak Innovationand Energy Agency(SIEA)

NATIONAL WEBSITESwww.mindop.sk, www.inforeg.sk, www.tsus.sk,

www.mhv.sk, www.siea.sk, www.sksi.sk

Implementationof the EPBD in

the Slovak RepublicSTATUS IN DECEMBER 2014

the issuance of Energy PerformanceCertificates (EPCs) is mandatory (vis‐à‐visstandardised energy rating) for newbuildings, existing buildings being sold orrented, as well as for buildings undergoingmajor renovation.

The implementation of the Directive2010/31/EU has led to changes in thedefinition of major renovation. Currently,the definition applies to alterations withregard to the quality of thermalprotection in more than 25% of thebuilding envelope. Major renovation cantake place either for a complete building,or only for a part of the building. In caseof a partial renovation, individualconstruction elements must achieve theestablished thermal protectionrequirements. The former ‘globalindicator’, which was the total energy usein the building (the sum of the energy usefor various technical systems – totaldelivered energy) has now been replacedby the primary energy. For residentialbuildings (apartments and family houses),only the energy use for heating and forDomestic Hot Water (DHW) preparationare taken into account. For non‐residential buildings, also the energy usefor ventilation and cooling (when morethan 80% of the total floor area isconditioned), as well as lighting, aretaken into consideration. In addition,the EPB sets a requirement for parts of abuilding or flat, and reduces the totalfloor area of public buildings covered bythe energy certification to 250 m2.

Further developments include changes tothe EPC template. In particular, it is nowrequired to provide information on theuse of Renewable Energy Sources (RES),as well as suggestions on measures whichshall have a payback time (return oninvestment) of less than 75% of the lifecycle of the building or system.

A tightening of minimum energyperformance requirements is set for 2016and will be followed by NZEB requirementsfor new buildings, starting in 2021.

I.ii. Format of nationaltransposition and implementationof existing regulationsProcedures and measures to improve theenergy performance of buildings arestipulated by the EPB Act in force sinceJanuary 2013, while the energyperformance requirements are laid downby the Ministerial Decree 364/2012 of theMDVRR. Calculation of the energy use forheating, cooling, etc. (using the monthlycalculation method), as well as thecalculation of the thermal properties ofbuilding structures and that of heatlosses, are carried out in accordance withCEN standards fully integrated into theSlovak technical standards system (STN),and amended by the respective nationalannexes (e.g., STN EN ISO 13790/NA,STN EN 15603/NA). Moreover, the EPBdefines the conditions for control andpenalties, which, however, have not beenfully applied yet.

Specific energy requirements, based onprimary energy, are provided for all buildingcategories listed in the EPBD. There are alsospecific indicators which have been setseparately for different technical systems(heating, DHW, ventilation and cooling, andlighting). The current minimumrequirement is equivalent to the upperborder of the numeric interval of the energyclass B for primary energy, whereas inJanuary 2016 this requirement will changeto the upper border of the numeric intervalof energy class A1. From January 2021onwards (for public buildings as of1 January 2018), the minimum requirementwill be equivalent to the upper border ofthe numeric interval of the energy class A0for new NZEBs (presented in Table 1). Theupper border of class A0 is determined as0.25 Rr (reference value determined asupper border of the numeric interval ofenergy class B).

The primary energy is calculated based onthe total delivered energy using primaryfactors (Table 2). RES are also taken intoconsideration for the calculations. The

Table 1:Scale of energy

classes for the globalindicator – primary

energy inkWh/m2.year.

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requirements for new buildings apply alsoto major renovations, unless this is notfeasible due to technical, functional oreconomic reasons. Internal air conditionsare set out by the national standard STN73 0540‐3: 2012 (standardised parametersfor winter θai = 20 oC and relative humidityφi = 50%; for summer θai, max = 26 oC),which also determines the climaticconditions for the EPB calculation,including degree‐days as set in detail forall the locations of the Slovak Republic bySTN EN ISO 13790/NA. The impact ofthermal bridges is calculated usingstandardised values (∆U = 1.0 one stepbefore renovation and ∆U = 0.5 forinsulated and new masonry structures), orusing default data available for differenttypes of structures in the Atlas of thermalbridges[1]. Furthermore, infiltration iscalculated by taking into account thewindow airtightness at a minimum rate of0.5 air‐changes per hour, while theinfluence of solar and internal gains isalso taken into account.

The requirements for U‐values in buildingswill be tightened under the same scheduleas the EPB (see Figure 1). Tighter U‐valuerequirements are set for all new buildings,but they also apply to renovatedbuildings, unless this is not feasible due tofunctional, technical or economicalreasons.

I.iii. Cost­optimal procedure forsetting energy performancerequirementsThe cost‐optimal calculation procedurewas created in accordance to theCommission delegated Regulation (EU)244/2012. Based on statistical data,11 reference buildings were proposed(2 existing and 1 new building for familyhouses, apartment and office buildings,one school and one sport facilitybuilding). To this end, 5 sets of measureswith varying levels of requirements wereidentified, while 12 different levels ofmeasures were taken into account inorder to determine the cost‐optimalrequirements of the building envelopeindividual structure’s U‐values. A packagefor calculating cost‐optimal primaryenergy requirements was made from acombination of technical systems,including RES and different levels ofthermal protection. The package included7 ‐ 10 (depending on the type of referencebuilding) heating systems, 5 cooling typesand 3 lighting levels as reference for non‐residential buildings. In total, the analysisincluded 584 packages of measures and

the calculation period was 30 years forresidential and 20 years for non‐residential buildings. For the calculationof the global costs (without VAT) andprimary energy, different generators andenergy carriers (e.g., district heating –gas, condensing boilers, biomass boilers,heat pumps, solar thermal collectors) forheat and DHW supply were taken intoaccount (Figure 2). The discount rate wasset at 2% and discount rates of 3% and 5%per year were used for the sensitivityanalysis. The energy costs reflected costsseparately for heat, gas and electricitywith an annual increase of 2%.Maintenance costs were considered to be2% of the investment costs for buildingstructures, and 4% for technical systemsper year.

The results from the cost‐optimalcalculation were set and compared withboth current values and those expected toenter into force from January 2016 (Table 3).

Figure 1:Required standardised and cost­optimal U­values for building structures.

Table 2:Examples of primary energy factors and CO2 emission coefficients.

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[1] Sternova et al, Jaga Ltd., 2006

3

I.iv. Action plan for progressiontowards Nearly Zero­EnergyBuildings (NZEBs)

National application of the NZEBdefinition

The definition of Nearly Zero‐EnergyBuildings (NZEBs) has been transposedinto law and the requirements on thermalprotection of components and primaryenergy have been set out in theMinisterial Decree of the MDVRR364/2012.The definition of NZEBs is amere reiteration of the equivalentdefinition in the Directive 2010/31/EU.In practice, the primary energy should beless than the upper border of energy classA0. Related requirements on U‐values setfor building components and heat use forspace heating, cooling, DHW and lighting(depending on the building category) willhelp designers achieve the A energy class.

The law stipulates that, as of31 December 2018 all public buildings,and as of 31 December 2020 all newbuildings should be constructed as NZEBs.

The approved national plan starts from thethen current state of play (currentrequirements in 2014) and defines thefuture energy level requirements neededto reach NZEB level. It describes theprerequisites, conditions and methods forincreasing the number of NZEBs. The firststep towards tightening the requirementson construction is planned for January2016. In new buildings, 12% of the energyconsumption in the housing stock and 8% inthe public sector should be covered byRES. The plan includes an analysis on theeffective use of RES and the establishmentof support programmes to increase theenergy performance of buildings togetherwith motivational tools to improve thequality of construction required for NZEBs.The payback time of proposed measuresshould be less than 15 years.

Finally, there is no record of NZEBsdesigned or constructed in Slovakia by theend of 2014.

I.v. Implementation of theEnergy Efficiency Directive (EED)regarding building renovationand the exemplary role of publicbuildingsThe first draft of the Strategy on therehabilitation of the residential and non‐residential building stock in the SlovakRepublic towards improved energyefficiency, prepared under Art. 4 of theEnergy Efficiency Directive (EED), wasapproved by the Government Resolution347/2014 (in July 2014). Renovation ofbuildings shall continue for a total of 29,000

Table 3:Comparison between

2014 and cost­optimal requirementson U­values for new

and existingbuildings.

Figure 2:Calculation of cost­optimal level of primary energy

– existing apartment buildings.

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flats in apartment buildings and 22,000family houses annually, targeting thus thebuilding stock massively constructed in theperiod 1948 ‐ 1992. Renovated buildingshave to meet minimum energy performancerequirements in force at the time of therenovation, i.e., at least class B since 2014and at least Class A1 from 2016 onwards.Renovated buildings must meet newbuilding requirements if functionally,technically and economically feasible.

Following this trend, by the end of 2020 thenumber of renovated apartments should beincreased by 203,000, reaching thus a totalof 672,319 renovated units. This wouldrepresent 72% of all existing apartments in2014. If this rate of renewal continues, allflats in apartment houses in Slovakia wouldbe renovated by 2029 and all family housesby 2043. The implementation of theplanned housing renovation strategy willrequire approximately 110 M€ per year frompublic funds until 2030, in addition to loansfrom European funds and banks, as well asthe financial resources of flat ownersthemselves.

The calculation method for the targetbuildings according to the EED (Art.5) isbased on a list of buildings owned by centralgovernment authorities that do not meetthe minimum requirements for energyperformance of buildings, with a total floorarea over 500 m2. This represents a totalpublic building area of 445,791 m2 and anannual target for renovation of 13,374 m2

(3% of the total) (Table 4). Informationabout energy consumption for space heatingis available from the database and theyearly monitoring results. The SlovakRepublic will use the alternative approachand the projected energy savings target is52.17 GWh per year. The Government isprioritising the energy rehabilitation ofbuildings with the highest energyconsumption and with poor physicalconditions.

II. REQUIREMENTS FORTECHNICAL BUILDINGSYSTEMS (TBS)

II.i. Coverage of heating,domestic hot water, air­conditioning and large ventilationsystems

There are no regulations defining theminimum efficiency of any TechnicalBuilding System (TBS) as a whole, but onlyspecific requirements in regulationsrelated to individual elements (e.g.,boilers, pipework insulation, etc.). TBSrequirements are mainly based onEuropean (EN) or national (STN) standards.

Furthermore, there are minimumrequirements set for heating, cooling andventilation, as well as for DHW. Inaddition, the building designer must assessthe possibility of technical, environmentaland economic utilisation of high‐efficiencyalternative energy systems (active solarsystems and other heating systems,electrical systems based on RES, combinedgeneration of electricity and heat, as wellas district or block heating and cooling)before the construction begins.

The energy requirements are notprioritised over health and safety, or overother technical requirements (e.g.,pressure vessels, fire equipment, etc.).

II.ii. Regulation of systemperformance, distinct fromproduct or whole buildingperformanceRegulations 422/2012 and 328/2005 defineminimum combustion efficiencies ofboilers, while Regulation 282/2012 definesthe technical requirements on thermalinsulation of the distribution network forheating and DHW. In particular, thisregulation sets a maximum level of10 W/(m.K) for thermal losses of the

Table 4:Number of buildingsowned and occupiedby centralgovernment, total(gross) floor area,built volume.

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distribution pipework and ductwork. Withregard to other products used in TBS, thereare specific requirements in implementingregulations related to the Eco designdirective.

In addition, there are specific requirementsdepending on the size of the building.

The owner of a large building (with totalfloor area larger than 1,000 m2) with acentral water based heating system isobliged to:

> ensure and maintain hydronic balancingof the heating system in the building;

> furnish the heating system withequipment used for automatic control ofheating medium parameters for everyheating appliance depending on the airtemperature in heated rooms.

The owner of a building with central DHWgeneration is obliged to:

> ensure and maintain hydronic balancingof the DHW distribution system in thebuilding.

The Act 476/2008 on energy efficiencyintroduces the obligation, for the ownerof a large building, to foresee the heatand DHW distribution network of suitablethermal insulation.

There is no specific requirement relatedto the energy performance of TBS as awhole. After completing the works in abuilding, the owner should have thenecessary technical measurementsperformed as one of the preconditions forobtaining the building permit. If theseobligations are not fulfilled, and non‐compliance is identified by the Stateenergy inspection, a fine from 200 € up to8,000 € could be imposed to the owner.

II.iii. Applicability to new,replacement and upgradedsystems in existing buildingsBuildings must only meet global minimumenergy performance requirements as well asthose described in the previous section.There are no specific further requirementsfor installations in new buildings andbuildings undergoing major renovation.

If this is technically, functionally andeconomically feasible, the existing buildingmust comply with the minimum energyperformance requirements for newbuildings following the renovation.According to Act No. 555/2005 as amended,the owner of a building is required to applythe new or renewed technical systems incase of a major renovation, provided thatthis is technically, functionally andeconomically feasible. In addition, therenovation should assess the possibility ofusing alternative systems (see section II.i).

For other types of system renovation, therequirements described above (sectionII.ii) apply only to exchanged or new partsof the renovated system.

Finally, the whole system must in allcases comply with functionality and safetyregulations.

II.iv. Provisions for installation,dimensioning, adjustment andcontrolThere are no specific requirements orprovisions for safety, hygienic, ergonomic,efficiency and functionality criteriaexcept those used in technical designerpractice. Those are defined in relevantregulations (e.g., Construction Act) andCEN and STN standards that applyexplicitly to particular systems. Theseregulations were adopted before the EPBDtransposition, so they are not directlylinked to the EPBD and are generally validfor buildings and specific systems.

II.v. Encouragement of intelligentmeteringBased on a cost‐benefit analysis ofDistribution System Operators (DSOs), thegovernment adopted Decree 358/2013stipulating that at least 80% of deliverypoints of final customers with an annualelectricity consumption of more than 4 MWh,who will be identified by the end of 2018,shall be equipped with intelligent meteringsystems installed not later than 31 December2020. The supplier of heat and DHW isobliged to provide customers with a meterthat shows the actual heat consumption andthe time of consumption. Similar obligationsare valid also with regard to gas supply.

Since intelligent metering as such does notgenerate energy savings (savings aregenerated by the actions of the occupantsbased on information from the meteringsystem), such systems are not part of thenormalised energy performance calculationand therefore do not have an impact onthe energy class of the building, on theEPC, or on the energy label.

II.vi. Encouragement of activeenergy­saving control(automation, control andmonitoring)According to Act 555/2005, in case of amajor renovation, the owner of thebuilding is required to install automatedmanagement, control and monitoringsystems for energy savings, provided thatthis is technically, functionally andeconomically feasible. This does not havea direct impact on the EPC or the energylabel, neither does it influence thefrequency of inspections.

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III. ENERGY PERFORMANCECERTIFICATES (EPCs)REQUIREMENTS

III.i. Progress and current statuson sale or rental of buildings

Overview and administration system

The issuance of Energy PerformanceCertificates (EPCs) started in January2008, as specified by the EPB Act(555/2005). EPCs are compulsory for newbuildings and major renovations, as wellas for buildings that are being sold andrented.

Depending on the type of building, eachEPC is produced by a number of expertsspecialised in one of the following areas:thermal protection, heating and DHWpreparation, ventilation and cooling,and/or lighting. Only 2 experts (one forthermal protection, and one for heatingand DHW) are required for the energycertification of residential buildings.However, for non‐residential buildings,experts specialised in all four abovementioned areas are required.

In the Slovak Republic there is a totalnumber of 357 experts: 188 for thermalprotection, 119 for heating systems andDHW, 34 for lighting and only 16 forventilation and cooling. The register ofexperts is administrated by the SlovakChamber of Civil Engineers (SKSI) and ispublished on the SKSI website. The EPCregister is managed by the MDVRR througha portal titled ‘Inforeg’, while a databaseof EPCs is available on the website of theMDVRR. After respective data have beenentered on‐line, the EPCs are issued bythe energy certification expert forthermal protection.

How flats are certified in apartmentbuildings

Currently, flats are not evaluatedseparately from the building. According tothe law, it is possible to issue a specificEPC for a flat only in the case that thereis already an EPC for the whole residentialbuilding. At the end of 2014, there was anon‐going research study on themethodology of energy certification offlats, as parts of buildings.

Format and content of the EPC

The EPC consists of 8 pages. The coverpage showcases the information on therating of the technical systems, the totalenergy use of the building and the finalscore. The cover page also includesinformation on the recommendedmeasures (Figure 3). Separate pages are

used for the description of the actualcondition of the relevant technicalsystems and recommendation measures.The expert is responsible for adding tothe report particular information aboutthe building, the process of rating and thecalculation results. The maximum validityof the EPC is 10 years. In case ofsubstantial changes in the performance ofthe building (e.g., additional insulation,change of heating generator) a new EPC isrequired.

EPC activity levels

The precise number of issued certificatescan be established based on statisticalvalues from the register managed by theMDVRR. From the beginning of 2010 untilDecember 2014, a total of 58,201 EPCswere issued, of which 36,125 concernednew buildings, 21,183 were issued for

Figure 3:Cover page of theEnergy PerformanceCertificate template.

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major renovations, and the rest (893EPCs) for existing buildings (withoutrenovation). In 2013 alone, the number ofEPCs issued was 14,017 (Figure 4)accounting to 10,156 for new buildings,2,788 for existing buildings and theremainder for sold and rented buildings.There is no information available on theEPCs issued in 2008 and 2009.

Typical EPC costs

The typical cost of an issued EPC is 100 €for a single‐family house and 300 € for anapartment building. The cost of an EPCfor an office building may vary dependingon, e.g., size, technical systems,equipment and complexity of thebuilding, and can even exceed 1,500 €. Ingeneral, the cost of an EPC does notreflect the actual work and time needed,having thus a negative impact on thequality of the EPC.

Assessor corps

The required qualification of experts isset by law. Requirements include auniversity degree (e.g., in civilengineering, architecture, etc.) and anexamination process. At the examination,the candidate must prove knowledge andexperience in calculation, evaluation anddesign of building structures and technicalsystems. An optional training is providedby the Slovak Chamber of civil engineers,however, a Continuous ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD) system is not in place.

Compliance levels by sector

New buildings must fulfil therequirements of the EPB at the time aconstruction permit is applied for. An EPCis requested for new buildingsimmediately after construction, and allrelevant documents are under the controlof the Inspector's Office.

Enforcement with building owners andreal estate actors

The ministry and its entities involved inthe energy certification process engagewith building owners and real estateactors through different activities(conferences, seminars, workshops,articles, etc.). Consultancy is alsooffered. The Slovak Trade Inspection mayimpose fines from 500 € to 3,000 € if theowner fails to provide an EPC, or if theEPC is in breach of the regulations. Thefines imposed are not separatelypublished.

Quality Assurance (QA) of EPCs

The State Energy Inspection, as part ofthe Slovak Trade Inspection since 2014, isresponsible for the Quality Assurance (QA)of EPCs. In 2013, 103 EPCs from the totalnumber of 14,017 EPCs issued in 2013were checked. This represents 0.035% ofthe EPCs issued in 2013. There is noofficial data on EPCs found to beincorrect.Figure 4:

Number of issuedEPCs in each region.

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III.ii. Progress and current statuson public and large buildingsvisited by the publicEnergy certification is mandatory forbuildings in which more than 500 m2 (until31 December 2012 it was for more than1,000 m2) of the total floor area are usedby public authorities, or which arefrequently visited by the public.

In total, there are 15,435 buildings(114,703,652 m3 of built volume) ownedand used by central government andmunicipal authorities that are visited bythe public. They are located in 2,898communities and administrated by 867bodies. Of these, 3,806 buildings areowned and used by central governmentauthorities (Table 4), 2,556 are officebuildings and 6,943 are schools.

There is no relevant information aboutthe display of EPCs available at themoment. Most public buildings displaytheir Energy Performance Labels,although this is not always the case. TheSlovak Trade Inspection is responsible tocheck if public buildings display EPCs, butthe control had not been completed bythe end of 2014.

The format and content of the EPC forpublic and large buildings visited by thepublic are the same as for other buildings.The assessors, the costs and the QAsystem are also the same, while standardcosts are approximately 1,500 €. EPCs forpublic and large buildings visited by thepublic are also valid for 10 years, unlessthe building is renovated and there is achange in the energy use.

III.iii. Implementation ofmandatory advertisingrequirementAct 555/2005 on EPB implements themandatory advertising requirements,which have entered into force sinceJanuary 2013. In case of sale or rental,the building owner is required to indicatein commercial media advertisements theinformation about the energy class of theglobal indicator from the energycertificate. The Slovak Trade Inspection isin charge of control checks.

III.iv. Information campaignsInformation campaigns are organisedthrough TV specials (broadcastedmonthly), with focus on energycertification, measures recommended formajor building renovation, constructionproducts, as well as information abouttechnical systems and components.Similarly, there are also radio broadcastsfocusing on energy certification.

Information about the energyperformance of buildings is available atwww.mindop.sk. A new informationcampaign “Live with Energy” is currentlyunderway.

III.v. Coverage of the nationalbuilding stock

The housing stock in the Slovak Republicconsists of buildings manufactured mainlyduring the second half of the pastcentury. The number of buildings isapproximately 875,000, comprising mostlyfamily houses. Apartment buildings areestimated at 21,800, with non‐residentialbuildings being less than 40,000. By theend of 2013 there were 58,201 buildingswith an EPC, corresponding to 7% of thetotal number of buildings. Informationabout energy performance of buildings isavailable at www.mindop.sk.

Until September 2014, from the registerednumber of EPCs (58,201) 88.2% concernsresidential buildings, and only 11.8% non‐residential. Of the total number ofregistered buildings with EPCs, 10,437buildings were registered following amajor renovation. Of these renovatedbuildings, 53% were rated energy class B.The 58,201 buildings with an EPCrepresent ca. 7% of the total buildingstock.

IV. INSPECTIONREQUIREMENTS – HEATINGAND AIR­CONDITIONING (AC)SYSTEMS

Slovakia has opted for regular inspections,both for heating systems and Air‐Conditioning (AC) systems in response toArticles 14 and 15 of Directive2010/31/EU. Regular inspections aremandatory since 1 January 2008.

IV.i. Progress and current statuson heating systems

Overview, technical method andadministration system

The Ministry of Economy is responsible forthe regular inspection of building heatingsystems according to the Act 314/2012.This Act replaces the previousAct 17/2007 which came into force on1 January 2008. There are two relevantdecrees linked to these inspectionrequirements:

> Decree 422/2012 that sets out therequirements on the procedure ofregular and extended inspection ofheating systems;

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> Decree 44/2013 that defines the detailsof the examination procedure thatqualified experts need to follow, inorder to carry out the regular inspectionof heating and AC systems.

Inspections of heating systems are basedon the assessment of efficiency underdefined normal working conditions.Currently, inspections of heating systemsmust follow the referred methods, whichare partially based on EN standards, (e.g.,EN 15378). A detailed nationalmethodology is defined in Decree422/2012. Regular intervals of inspectiondepend on the thermal output of theheating system, the type of fuel andbuilding (residential/non‐residential).Intervals for boilers fuelled by biomassand biogas were decreased by the 2012Act (Table 5).

Inspections are ordered and paid by theowner or the contractual administrator ofthe building or system. Building owners(or administrators of buildings or systems)are required to:

> arrange regular inspection of theheating system;

> keep the inspection report until thereceipt of the report of the nextperiodic inspection;

> in case of transfer or assignment ofownership of the building, they mustsubmit the last inspection report to thenew owner;

> when renting a building or heatingsystem, they must provide a copy of thelatest inspection report to the tenant.

Arrangements for assurance, registrationand promotion of competent persons

In Slovakia, only companies and QualifiedExperts (QEs) licensed for the regularinspection of heating systems are allowedto perform inspections. There are 239registered experts licensed to carry outregular inspections. In this context, thereis a common set of required minimuminformation in the inspection reports and areport template is provided by the SlovakInnovation and Energy Agency (SIEA).

Training and examination of QE candidatesis provided by the SIEA. Candidates mustfulfil the required education level, i.e.,secondary vocational education oftechnical orientation, or universityeducation in one of the following fields:computer science, mathematics,information and communicationtechnologies, engineering, technology,manufacturing and communications, ornatural sciences with focus on physics orchemistry. There is at least oneexamination process per year. The list ofQEs is administered by SIEA and publishedat its website. QEs are required to attendan upgrade training organised by the SIEAat least once every five years.

Promotional activities

Comprehensive information onrequirements for regular inspection isprovided at the SIEA website. A specificpart of this information is focused onraising awareness amongst buildingowners. The SIEA also offers the necessaryinformation for applicants and QEs ontraining and examination. Finally,

Table 5:Intervals of regular

inspection of boilersand heating systems(from 1 January 2013

onwards. In grey,boilers that had to

be inspected in 2013).

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information is also provided by specificlectures on professional conferences,seminars and trade fairs, articles innewspapers and magazines, and throughthe three professional advisory centres ofthe SIEA addressing the general public.

Enforcement and penalties

In accordance to the Act, for monitoringpurposes, QEs are required to send once ayear (latest by 31 January) to the SIEA (onbehalf of the Ministry), an electronic copyof all the inspection reports produced inthe previous year. The owner oradministrator of a building or system maybe fined in the following cases:

a) if he/she does not arrange an inspectionbefore the set date (i.e., until the endof 2013 for the inspection of all boilersunder Act 314/2014 in buildings withnominal thermal output of boiler above30 kW, see Table 5);

b) if he/she does not keep the inspectionreport until receipt of the report of thenext periodic inspection;

c) if he/she does not submit a report ofthe last inspection to a new owner; and

d) if he/she does not provide a certifiedcopy of the report of the last inspectionto a tenant.

Owners, however, are not fined for anegative inspection result. The owner (oradministrator) is in no way required toimplement the recommendations that theQE includes in the inspection report.

The market surveillance is now subject tothe State Energy Inspection. If a controlcheck finds that the inspections of acertain QE are not performed in line withthe regulations, the Ministry is allowed toremove the particular QE from the QEregister. So far, only one QE has beenremoved from the respective list in 2013,for reasons other than shortcomingsidentified by the supervisors. If a QE doesnot send the inspection’s report to theministry he/she will be fined. Because ofa restructuring of the surveillance bodiesand their staff expertise that has only

been completed shortly before the end of2014, there were no fines imposed yet bythe end of 2014.

Quality control of inspection reports

All the inspection reports received areregistered in the monitoring systemadministered by the SIEA. The Ministry (orthe SIEA on behalf of the Ministry)controls a randomly selected statisticallysignificant percentage of inspectionreports received every year, but includingat least one inspection report done byeach authorised person. In 2013, 33 QEsfiled their heating system inspectionreports and 50 of these reports werecontrolled for quality. Quality control isfocused on formal fulfilment of thelegislation requirements, but the contentis also checked and in particular thecalculation procedure and the final resultsstated in the specific report. Key findingsare then reflected in the training process.

Inspection activity figures

Once a year the SIEA is required to sendto the Ministry a summary report on theresults of all inspections performed duringthe previous year. The first summaryreport was prepared with regard toinspections carried out in the year 2010.For 2013, inspections should have beenperformed for all heating systems withboilers with a heat output over 30 kW(Table 5). The main summary data for theperiod 2010 – 2013, for inspections stillunder the requirements of Directive2002/91/EC, are given in Table 6.

IV.ii. Progress and current statuson AC systems

The Ministry of Economy is responsible forthe regular inspection of AC systems inbuildings according to the same act anddecrees that apply also to the regularinspection of heating systems. Inspectionsof AC systems are based on theassessment of efficiency under definednormal working conditions, and mustfollow the referred methods, which are

Table 6:Summary data onperformedinspections ofheating systems incl.boilers between 2010and 2013 accordingto receivedinspection reports.

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partially based on EN standards, e g., EN15240. A detailed national methodology isdefined in Decree 422/2012 Coll. Theregular periods of inspection depend onthe cooling output of the inspected ACsystem (Table 7) and remain unchanged asto the periods defined for implementationin the Directive 2002/91/EC. Moreover,inspections are ordered and paid by theowner or the contractual administrator ofthe building or system. The requirementson building owners (or administrators ofbuildings or systems) are the same as forheating systems’ inspections. Promotionalactivities are also similar to the activitiesperformed in heating systems’inspections.

There are 73 licensed bodies registeredfor regular inspection of AC systems. Acommon set of minimum requiredinformation is included in the inspectionreports, and a report template is providedby the SIEA. The training and examinationprocedure is the same as in the case ofinspection of heating systems. Support isalso provided by the Slovak Association forCooling and Air‐Conditioning Technology.

Once a year, the SIEA is required to sendto the ministry a summary report on theresults of all inspections performed duringthe previous year. The first summaryreport was prepared with regard toinspections carried out in the year 2011.In 2013, inspections should have beenperformed for all AC systems with a

cooling output over 50 kW (Table 7).The main summary data for the period2011 – 2013 is featured in Table 8. Thequality control system for AC systeminspection reports is similar to the qualitycontrol system in force for heating systeminspection reports described in section IV.i.

Building owners (or administrators ofbuildings or systems) are required tocomply with the same obligations asdescribed for the inspection of heatingsystems and are also subject to the samepenalties when violating pertinentlegislation. The same applies to the QEsas well. The market surveillance system isequal to the system used for inspectionsof heating systems. No fines have beenissued yet, for the same reasons asexplained above with regard to theinspection of heating systems.

3. A success story in EPBDimplementation

The success story of Slovakia is notablylinked to the creation of theimplementation system with focus on theenergy performance of buildings. Slovakiawas implementing the EPBD already in2005. At the same time all the prEN andprEN ISO standards had also started beingused and translated into the Slovaklanguage (mainly technical standards forthermal protection).

Research work conducted since 1992included pilot and demonstration projectswhich aimed at reducing the energy useand at least the energy consumption. Theobtained results were used for therevision of thermal protection standards,but also for setting regulations on energydemand for heating. The research alsoproduced the climatic data currently inuse, including degree days.

A database of apartment buildings andnon‐residential buildings was created,encompassing all gathered informationdescribing the buildings and energyconsumption for heating and DHW. Since1992, there have also been developments,consisting of providing information onrelevant applied technologies and buildingproducts relating to the improvement ofthermal protection. This portal thusevolved towards a platform for theimplementation of the EPBD energyrating, including the possibility ofestimation of the EPC energy classes.

A very important aspect for the successfulimplementation of the EPBD was theintroduction of definitions related to the

Table 8:Summary data on

performedinspections of ACsystems between

2011 and 2013according to received

inspection reports.

Table 7:Intervals of regular inspection of AC­systems

(grey – AC systems which had to be inspected in 2013).

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energy performance of buildings thatwere extended by terms cited in the EED,i.e., major renovation of technicalsystems, deep renovation, comprehensiverenovation and partial renovation.Defining these concepts requires alsoidentifying the scope of provisions, as wellas determining the conditions to grantloans to carry out major renovations.Upon request of grants or loans, thedocumentation should indicate that allthe requirements of the EPB can beachieved (e.g., insulation orperformance). Furthermore, an updatedEPC is required following renovation.

The implementation process wassupported by EN and EN ISO standardsrelating to the EPBD that were translatedinto Slovak. All of these standards weretransposed into the Slovak technicalstandards system. The National Annex ENISO 13790/NA contains detailed climaticdata for 2,884 localities in Slovakia, aswell as a more accurate calculationmethod of the total floor area and builtvolume of a building. In addition, theNational Annex STN EN 15603/NA includesa method for calculating the operatingrating of energy use for heating.

With the implementation of the Directive2010/31/EU, the Slovak Republic hasfurther tightened the requirements forbuilding design and energy needs. Theanalysis of cost‐optimal levels of minimumenergy performance requirements hasbeen completed. The Decree of theMDVRR contains not only the requirementsthat have been introduced since 2013, butalso those which shall be required from2016 onwards. A relevant ministerialdecree also sets the requirements forbuilding construction and for primaryenergy that must be met by NZEBs by2021.

Specific requirements for the thermalenvelope following major renovation ofbuildings using External ThermalInsulation Composite System (ETICS), havebeen implemented in Slovakia since 1992and the use of EITCS has increasedsignificantly in recent years. At the end of2013, 455,915 flats in apartment houseshad been renovated, accounting for48.94% of the total number of flats. Withregard to residential units, the number ofrenovated houses and apartments at theend of 2013 was 321,415 (31.86%) and bythe end of 2020 the respective numbershould increase by 154,000 reaching475,415 (47.13%). The high number ofrenovated residential units shows thesuccessful implementation of measures,the great shift in people’s view and alsoin their behaviour towards energy savings(Table 9).

4. Conclusions, future plans

The Energy Performance of BuildingsDirective (EPBD) was implemented underAct 555/2005 and amended by the newMinisterial Decree 364/2012 that came intoforce in January 2013. Since January 2008,Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)have been issued for new buildings andbuildings undergoing major renovation,either sold or rented. The template hasalso changed and a new one is presented inthe 2013 decree. Moreover, research workwith regard to energy certification forindividual flats or parts of buildings isconducted, and energy certificates shouldstart to be issued from 2016 onwards. Aregister of EPCs and inspection reports hasbeen established, as well as a register ofexperts.

Table 9:Number of residentialunits renovated until2013 (majorrenovations).

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The set of requirements on U‐values andon primary energy will be tightened as ofJanuary 2016, with a further revision ofthe NZEB levels scheduled for January2021. The requirements to be set from2016 onwards match the results from thecalculation of cost‐optimal levels ofminimum EPB requirements. It is to benoted that the compliance control systemis under development and should be fullyfunctional as of 2015.

The NZEB definition is completed and theconstruction of such buildings will be oneof the major challenges in order toachieve actual energy savings. Inparticular, it will be important to promptextensive renovation of buildings, so as toachieve the level of NZEBs, which willrequire additional training for experts,

especially on Quality Assurance (QA). Inaddition, it will be necessary to extendinformation campaigns targeting owners.

The main challenge is to engage allinvolved groups (designers, developers,providers, owners and tenants) in theprocess to change their attitude towardsthe construction of NZEBs, which willrequire a new architectural view, the useof new materials and technical systems,as well as the integration of RES.

Finally, Slovakia has implemented all theEN and EN ISO standards related to EPBDinto the system of the Slovak TechnicalStandards (STN) through two NationalAnnexes. The process of the second waveof implementation of standards will startin 2015 with their translation into Slovak.

The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does notnecessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor theEuropean Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the informationcontained therein.

The content of this report is included in the book “2016 – Implementing the EnergyPerformance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) Featuring Country Reports”,ISBN 978‐972‐8646‐32‐5, © ADENE 2015

More details on the IEE Programme can be found atec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent

This individual report and the full 2016 book are available atwww.epbd‐ca.eu and www.buildup.eu

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