The European Display® Campaign is a voluntary scheme designed by energy experts from European towns and cities. When started in 2003 it was initially aimed at encouraging local authorities to publicly display the energy and environmental performances of their public buildings using the same energy label that is used for household appliances. Since 2008 private companies are also encouraged to use Display for their corporate social responsibility CSR activities. See Participate for more information.

As most Member States now have a National certificate for their existing public buildings, Display is increasingly being used as a complementary communication tool. With its strong emphasis on local communication campaigns and large variety of communication tools Display goes beyond the basic requirements of the EPBD.

A common European scheme by 2012?

In 2007, as part of the ambitious EU climate and energy package, the European Commission started the EPBD recast legislative process. During this review, the EU Parliament has proposed a common European certification for the energy performance of non-residential buildings. To be introduced by the latest in 2012, this voluntary scheme will be the same in all Member States and exist alongside the national certification scheme. This pan-European label is exactly what hundreds of Display participants have been implementing since 2003. It is felt that the common approach will go a long way to reducing the current confusion. If Member States agree, Display can provide the EU with the opportunity to introduce an already tried and tested voluntary common European Union certification for the energy performance of non-residential buildings.

Fully supported by the European Commission

In October 2001 the European association Energie-Cités suggested that: “Without waiting for the Directive on the energy performance of buildings to be passed, municipalities start to Display the energy performance of their buildings frequented by the general public”. Only one month later Energie-Cités submitted the first Display project proposal.

The 30-month pilot phase started in January 2003 while the public Display Campaign was launched in April 2004. Since 2005 the Campaign is co-financed by the European Commission under the Intelligent Energy - Europe Programme. At first under the project title "Towards Class A" and since 2008 as *C*ommunicate *Y*our *B*uildings *E*nergy *R*ating (CYBER) Display with 16 partners including De Montfort University, EuroACE, 7 cities, 4 local energy agencies and the Healthy Cities Czech Republic network.

The European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings core objective is to minimise the energy used in buildings. Passed in 2002 the directive came into force 2006, however no effects have been seen on the ground before beginning 2009. Currently the legislative process for the recast of the EPBD is on the way and will probably enter into force in 2012.

The EPBD in a nutshell!

• A common methodology for calculating the integrated energy performance of buildings;

• Minimum standards on the energy performance of new buildings and existing buildings that are subject to major renovation;

• Systems for the energy certification of new and existing buildings and, for public buildings, prominent display of this certification and other relevant information. Certificates must be less than five years old;

• Regular inspection of boilers and central air-conditioning systems in buildings and in addition an assessment of heating installations in which the boilers are more than 15 years old.

Source: EU Legislation 2007

Public buildings as a model

The Display Campaign is limited to non residential building; therefore Article 7 of the EPBD is of special interest. It specifies that buildings certificates be “placed in a prominent place clearly visible to the public”. In the past years, energy labels have strongly influenced the public’s purchasing decisions and transformed the market for more energy efficient products. But why is an energy label all the more important for public buildings? Let’s take a fridge. It can be sold anywhere in Europe so that market pressure and competition will be pushing towards better energy performance. When it comes to public buildings, though, they are rarely sold or rented and are therefore not subject to normal market forces. There needs to be transparency in the public building sector i.e. visible energy certificates to allow for an informed public to create its own “market force” and stimulate change.

For more info

Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings
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The EPBD recast legislative process

BUILD UP: a new environment for building professionals, local authorities and building occupants willing to share their experience on how to cut energy consumption in buildings

The biggest potential to save energy in Europe is in the building sector. By displaying the performance of buildings (i.e. being transparent) one can engage citizens and make them more conscious of their energy consumption.

Depending on the actual situation and the national implementation scheme there are a number of options or situations that are available for a municipality :

A. Certification scheme based on operational rating : Display® can be adapted to the country situation and benchmark requirements and will become a complementary communication option for Municipalities in these countries. This is what was done in France.

B. Certification system based on asset rating : When the National system used total energy use (Lithuania) Display® can be used to show how well the building is being managed. Display can also be used to streamline this system, whereby Display® will be used to show the asset rating of a building for those countries that choose this option.

C. A National certification scheme very different from the Display® approach. The Display poster is promoted as a voluntary European scheme.

France is the first country where it has been possible to adapt Display to the National Requirements.

The Display team, in partnership with members of the CYBER Display project ; have produced 9 country reports and PPT overviews. These documents highlight the possibilities for the adaptation of the Display® poster and its communication campaign to the national transposition of the EPBD in France, England & Wales, Slovenia, Portugal, Finland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy and Lithuania.

Adaptation

Czech Republic (en)

England & Wales (en)

Finland (en)

France (en) (fr)

Ireland (en)

Italy (en)

Lithuania (en)

Portugal (en)

Slovenia (en)

Power Point presentations

Czech Republic (en)

England & Wales (en)

Finland (en)

France (en) (fr)

Ireland (en)

Italy (en)

Lithuania (en)

Portugal (en)

Slovenia (en)

Switzerland (en) (fr)

Hungary (en)

Netherlands (en)