RECAST of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive available

"Towards Class A" Award - Call 2008/9 Now Open

Energyday 08 in Vernier, Switzerland

Conference on Local Energy Efficiency in Naples, Italy

Sixieme atelier du club Display français

Matinée d’information le 5 Novembre 2008 à St-Erblon

Who can participate in the Display® Campaign ?

Each local district or regional authority, whatever its size, the number of its public buildings or its knowledge regarding technical terms, can join the Campaign.

In addition any private company with a range of administrative offices at a national or European scale now has the chance to become a participant of the Display® Campaign.

The applicant must follow the ethic of Display i.e. communicate with its employees in order to raise awareness concerning water and energy consumption and to reduce greenhouse gas emission. Display can also be used as a corporate social responsibility CSR activity for your company.

Please note that it is not possible to classify individual houses and thus Display® is not suitable for private home owners. Is collective membership possible ?

Collective membership, e.g. for associations of municipalities, is possible. For associations or agencies that are cooperating with more than 10 local authorities there is an option to become a relay structure. The relay structure (if not a member of Energie-Cités) pays 1000 euros and signs an agreement with Energie-Cités. Each local authority under control of the relay structure, with a population size larger than 10 000, then pays 500 euros. Settlements with a population smaller than 10 000 can join free. In new Member States each member of the relay organisation pays 300 euros.

Which local authorities already participate in the Display® Campaign ?

In the section “Participants” on the public area of the Display® website you find a list of all participating local authorities. Having clicked on the name of the local authority you will see further details, providing among other things information on the contact person in the municipality.

How can we join Display® ?

1. Download the Display® charter on the website of the Display® Campaign, sign it and send two copies to the secretariat of Energie-Cités :

2 chemin de Palente,
Besançon, 25 000, FRANCE

or scan the charter and send a digital copy to www.energie-cites.eu/ian.

After having received the welcome letter you need to :

2. Pay a fee to use the Display® calculation tool and communication aids and tools (free for Energie-Cités members),

3. Fill in the registration questionnaire.

Once your payment has been confirmed you will receive your password via e-mail.

How much is the fee for membership ?

All participants have to pay a registration fee for using the Display® calculation tool, communication aids and tools.

The registration is free for Members of Energie Cités.

How is the Display® fee calculated ?

The registration fee is calculated on the basis of the services offered by Energie-Cités within the Display® Campaign, i.e. :

1. the "Display®" concept comprising : the calculation tool on the Internet,

2. the statistical treatment of data on the buildings registered under the scheme,

3. an information leaflet,

4. one copy of the communication handbook,

5. the Internet website,

6. an assistance service for those that are using the Display® calculation tool,

7. regular information on developments in the European Display® Campaign.

The fee is not dependent on the number of buildings entered into the calculation tool, as this work is carried out by the energy manager of the participating city.

Why is Display® helpful in getting your message across to the public ?

The Display® campaign provides :

1. a simple and efficient way to show the performance of municipal buildings (energy and water consumption and CO2 emissions)

2. a déjà vu effect : similarity of the Display® label to the label showing the energy performance of electric household appliances

3. a multiplier effect : public buildings are used and visited by many people

4. an example to citizens i.e. : demonstrates the environmentally friendly behaviour of the municipality

5. the means for municipalities to show a willingness to undertake cost-saving measures

What are the further advantages of participating in the Display® Campaign ?

1. Preparation for implementation of the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD)

2. In France Display® has been adapted to the National legislation thus it is possible to produce communicative Display® posters to compliment the National certificates. Further adaptations will follow soon, please check the website

3. Flags an interest in innovative ways of thinking thus increasing the attractiveness of the municipality to potential investors

4. Taking an active part in Display® provides a focus for collecting and monitoring data that had been ignored beforehand

5. Benefit from network effects : exchange experience with other cities by using the forum on the Internet or by developing direct bilateral contacts

What commitments do members enter into ?

Showing citizens their buildings’ energy performance – in terms of energy consumption, CO2 emissions and water consumption – of at least :

 5 municipal buildings (local authorities < 50,000 inhabitants)

 10 municipal buildings (local authorities between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants)

 20 municipal buildings(local authorities > 100,000 inhabitants)

 Launching an information and awareness campaign addressing the users of the buildings concerned

For details please download the Display® charter in the section “How to join” on the website of the Campaign.

Are we obliged to display the poster if the classification indicates a poor rating (e.g. F or G) ?

Display® is working on a voluntary basis, so the municipality decides in which buildings the Poster will be displayed. Nevertheless we recommend to put up the poster in all municipal buildings. The "Towards Class A Help Centre" has been developed to support you in your efforts to improve the performance of F and G ranked buildings. Be aware that - as soon as the national implementation is widely applied - you will have to display the building’s performance.

What extra support is provided to help municipalities implement Display® within their region ?

 An easy to use poster generation tool is available that allows one to : type in information on the building and its energy and water consumption on a short and simple on-line form.

 A comprehensive wiki users’ guide including step-by-step instructions and a detailed description of the calculation and classification process on-line help which guides you through the forms on the Internet.

 A complete "Communication Handbook" enabling users to carry out awareness raising campaigns with tips on press work, case studies, and tangible communication tools such as Display® stickers for which helps to raise public awareness concerning the issues relating to the energy performance of buildings.

The Display® team available in case of questions and suggestions.

Is it possible to try out the Display® poster generation tool free of charge before becoming a participant ?

Yes, an option to test the Display® tool is available on the home page. Test Display.

The test Display® option allows one to :

 Enter energy and water consumption data.

 Calculate poster data and download the poster as a pdf file.

 Consult the users’ guide for the Display® poster generation tool online via a wiki.

How much time does it take to create an individual Display® poster ?

Once you have collected the necessary information it does not take more than five minutes to create your individual Display® poster. The Display® poster generation tool provides you with online help so that you can enter your data into the database and download your poster as a pdf file.

Are high demands made on the users of the Display® poster generation tool as far as technical knowledge is concerned ?

The Display® poster generation tool has been designed to be operated usually by the energy manager. Additionally, there is an online wiki users guide that offers step-by-step instructions, examples, figures, and a glossary to ensure that a layman is also able to use the tool. If any problems occur while using the Display® poster generation tool the Display® team is at your disposal to answer your questions. However, concerning the collection of the necessary information, we assume that you have at least some very basic knowledge regarding energy matters.

Is it possible to have a closer look at the calculation process ?

Yes, the online wiki user’s guide provides a detailed description of the calculation process.

Which building types does the Display® tool accommodate ?

The Display® classification is designed to assess ten types of public buildings. These are : Day nursery/kindergarten, General school, Professional school, administrative building, swimming pool, social/cultural buildings, sports hall, depot, rescue centre. In addition we have added one classification for residential housing in flats. Mixed building types, such as school buildings containing a swimming pool, have to be dealt with by considering them as the most appropriate type.

In which languages is the Display® communication tool available ?

The following languages are currently available :

Display® poster (25) :

Display® calculation tool (11) :

For those participants, who want to use the Display® communication tool in their own language, the Display® team provides an online translation package. Please contact us if you want to extend the number of languages that the Display® Campaign covers. In this case we will offer you free membership in the campaign.

What information is necessary to create an individual Display® poster ?

Basically, you need data on the building and the energy consumption. Most of this information is available from your facility manager or your energy utility. You will find a detailed description of the necessary information in the online wiki user’s guide.

Can Display® replace my National certificate ?

An energy certificate is a National legal requirement and will have to be displayed to the public. Display® is a voluntary label that also calculates a buildings water ratings. It was initially designed to prepare local authorities for the transposition of the EPBD and now is ideally suited as a complimentary communication tool to the national certificate (in countries that use operational rating for existing public buildings).

Why are the ratios measured per square metre and not per user of the building ?

It is not satisfactory to calculate these ratios per user of the building because this value varies in many cases. For example, the number of pupils that attend classes at a school changes each school year. Another example is the changing numbers of staff due to flexible employment patterns.

Are the classification results of buildings comparable ?

Classification results of buildings are only comparable if these buildings are situated in the same climatic zone. The building type is irrelevant for the comparison since the classification scheme is adjusted to the building type. However, most important is to show the improvement of the building itself over the years.

Why does Display® use a local weather correction factor ?

As the final energy consumption of a building depends on climatic conditions and since these climatic conditions vary at one particular geographic location over the years, the consumption data have to be corrected. This correction concerns the energy consumption for space heating. To apply the correction the amount of final energy consumption for space heating is multiplied with the weather correction factor. It is usually provided by energy utilities or meteorological offices.

The weather correction factor does not take into account climatic differences between two different climatic zones. That is why the classification result of a school building situated in Portugal cannot be compared with the classification result of a school building situated in Finland.

Is it possible to import existing data ?

Up to the present, there is no mechanism for importing your existing data into the Display® database. We are currently looking at extending the capabilities of the tool to make it possible to import data to the Display® database so that you can produce a Display® poster quicker.

Which data sources does the Display® calculation tool use ?

Display® mostly uses data based on the GEMIS program, but provided by different sources such as the Institute for Housing and Environment (IWU) Darmstadt, Germany or the database ProBas which is run by the German Umweltbundesamt. In countries that are not part of the EU27 other National sources have been used. Furthermore, data coming from the International Energy Agency (IEA) is applied for the national energy mix. The classification scheme for school buildings leans on the Danish classification scheme for this building type. For detailed information on the data sources used, please have a closer look at the online wiki users’ guide.

Which different kinds of energy supply of a building are included ?

The Display® poster generation tool provides for all the most commonly available energy sources used to supply a building with energy. These are gas (natural and liquefied), fuel oil, district heating, coal, solar thermal collectors, conventional electricity, certified green electricity, and photovoltaic installations on the building. Furthermore, cogeneration units in the building can be taken into account. If you use different energy supplies, it is possible to calculate an individual solution.

Why do you only use one single Classification scheme per building type for the whole of Europe ? Is it not more appropriate to develop a classification scheme per climate zone ?

Firstly, varying the classification from member state to member state would be a significant limitation on the label. Using the common A to G level, of course, it is easier to reach the A level in warmer climates, but at the same time the energy saving potential is lower. This means for example that a lower insulation level is sufficient in Portugal to reach class A, which is well in line with the economical feasibility : as a higher insulation thickness would not be economical if the heating load is low. Secondly, member states are developing their own implementation scheme for the EBPD, so they will introduce different classification schemes. In this case it is easier to replace the Display® classification on the Display® poster with the national classification scheme (as done in France) than to replace a national classification scheme developed under Display® by the one prepared by the member state itself.

Do you check the data that is entered ?

There is no regular check on the data you enter while using the Display® poster generation tool on the Internet. That is why we advise you to read the users’ guide before collecting the necessary information and before entering this information into the Display® database. Energie-Cités cannot take any responsibility for the data that participants enter into the database.