Since January 1, 2022, a renovation obligation for non-residential buildings has been in place in Flanders.
It applies to any new owner, building leaseholder or ground leaseholder of a commercial or office building. They are required to meet four energy standards within a maximum of five years, unless the minimum requirements have already been met. These regulations fit within the objective of making existing buildings more energy efficient by meeting specific insulation, heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting requirements.
These four energy standards are:
Installing roof insulation
Installing energy-efficient glazing
Replacing heating if it is older than fifteen years and does not meet the minimum installation requirements for renovation
Replacing cooling systems older than fifteen years that use refrigerants without ozone-depleting substances or other harmful refrigerants
In addition to these basic standards – and within the same period of up to five years – a new owner of a building, smaller than 500 m², must achieve an energy label C or better.
Since January 1, 2023, large non-residential buildings must go one step further. Within five years of transfer, they must also achieve a minimum 5% renewable energy share. When non-residential buildings are sold and/or leased, an energy performance certificate has also been required since then. On May 1, 2023, the EPC requirement extended to all other transfers.
Owners of non-residential buildings smaller than 500 m² have the choice to follow an adapted process (link in Dutch) with specific guidelines tailored to their size.
"}},{"componentType":"highlight","richBody":{"value":"Read our article "EPC Non-Residential (NR): what is that exactly?".
"},"title":"Want to learn more about the EPC for non-residential buildings?"},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"PEB in Wallonia"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"In Wallonia, the Réglementation PEB (Performance Energétique des Bâtiments) sets requirements for the energy performance of the building, similar to the EPC regulations in Flanders. The PEB certificate, which is required when selling or leasing residential buildings larger than 50 m², cannot be older than 10 years. For public buildings, that period is only 5 years. The PEB regulation for non-residential buildings is currently under development.
It is important to note that in Wallonia, there is not (yet) a specific renovation obligation for non-residential buildings. However, the Walloon Region has already announced its objectives for the energy consumption of buildings in 'La stratégie wallonne à long terme pour la rénovation des bâtiments', in which a CO2-neutral Wallonia by 2050 at the latest is the ultimate goal.
As of 2028 the PEB will be mandatory for all buildings (not only residential buildings).
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Renovation obligation for non-residential buildings in Brussels"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"The Brussels-Capital Region also does not yet have an obligation to renovate non-residential buildings in case of transfer. However, there is the Renovation Strategy ("Renolution"), under which, among other things, the tertiary sector must be energy neutral by 2050 (government buildings by 2040).
In terms of energy performance, the region has the EPB (Energy Performance of Buildings) certificate, similar to the EPC in Flanders and PEB in Wallonia. An EPB is mandatory when selling and leasing an office larger than 500 m² and is valid for 10 years.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"And now?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Looking for a helpful tool to improve the energy performance of your commercial building(s)? The ING Sustainable Buildings Guide is a free digital tool that helps you identify which investments to make to improve the energy performance of your properties.
"}},{"componentType":"cta","textLink":{"text":"Discover the ING Sustainable Buildings Guide","url":"/en/business/sustainable-business/sustainable-buildings-guide-en"}}]},"hasMacro":false,"id":"811b6712-c1ed-46c1-9cc6-f54a015a8d07","legalZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"The standards, requirements, and obligations mentioned in this article may change regularly and are for information purpose only. We therefore recommend that you check the specific regulations and requirements with the appropriate authorities in the relevant region for the latest information and you seek professional advice on a case-by-case basis before making a decision.
ING Belgium SA/NV cannot be held liable for any decision taken on the basis of the information provided.
"},"title":"Good to know"}]},"localeString":"en-GB","mainHeaderZone":{"backLink":{"textLink":{"text":"Sustainable business","url":"/en/business/sustainable-business"}},"componentType":"editorialHeader","coreHeader":{"body":"Belgium has specific energy standards and renovation obligations for non-residential buildings. These standards and obligations vary by region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) and are based on European directives. What are the regulations concerning renovation obligations that you need to take into account today?","title":"The renovation obligation for non-residential buildings in Belgium: what do you need to know about it?"},"date":"2023-10-24","readingTime":3},"publishDate":"2023-12-06T17:46:12.923+01:00"}}