Regulations and certificates regarding energy efficiency in buildings

In the last years many buildings got the label “energy efficient” through different requirement systems. The advantages of the energy-efficient building are the decreasing energy consumption and operation costs, the usage of green energy solutions and the comfort. The appearing of the energy-efficient buildings can be traced back to the increasing energy price, the conscious usage of sustainable energy and the progress in software technology. The building should meet the demands of the certificate - although different regulations claim different regards - to achieve the eligible energy performance assessment. The sufficient accomplishments can be achieved through the aspects of energetic or building automation. This paper aims to focus on the investigation and comparison of these energy performance assessments for newly built or renovated buildings. An overview of the LEED, BREEAM, Green Star and the EN 15232 regulation presented with regards to their performance criteria, rating scales, scopes and assessment methods. This article also discusses the reason behind the non-existent standardized certificating system.