At the request of the federal office of energy (OFEN), the Swiss association of engineers and architects (SIA) set up an “Energy Certificate of Buildings” committee with the purpose of publishing technical specifications on the subject during 2007. The objective of this document is to propose a single methodology for the development of the energy certificate of buildings in Switzerland. During the first three working sessions, numerous debates led to the decision that two methods of calculation, theoretical modelling and operational (real consumptions) will be both described in the technical specification, and consequently they will both be applicable in Switzerland.

In the same way the committee decided that the energy surface reference (defined according to the SIA 416/1 standard) and the consumption of total primary energy will be used as references for the calculation of energy consumption. Finally, taking the Display® label as a starting point, it was proposed that the CO2 emissions could be displayed on the energy label, in order to promote the use of renewable resources. Thus, the method used to publish the Display® label is currently in conformity with the technical specifications of the SIA (some weighting factor will be modified slightly), a crucial point for all the Swiss communes who already take part in the Campaign! Finally, it must be noted that the Display® Campaign through the work of this committee achieves one of its top priorities: To provide feedback from the real experience gained by municipalities to facilitate the implementation of the national energy certification process!