Romania has entered the home straight for the transposition of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD4), with a deadline set for 29 May 2026. In this context, the real challenge is not just to comply with a piece of European legislation, but to capitalise on a strategic framework that can radically transform the national building stock. With EPBD4, the European Union is setting a new standard: buildings are no longer just objects of energy efficiency, but vectors of decarbonisation, social inclusion and digitalization.
For Romania, the key to this transition is the quality of the three fundamental instruments: the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), the energy audit and the technical design documentation. When used responsibly, they become a guarantee of transparency, efficiency and trust, with direct benefits for citizens, investors and public administrations, insists the Romanian Order of Energy Auditors – OAER in a press release.
Energy Performance Certificate – from a bureaucratic formality to an informed decision
The new generation of CPEs proposed by EPBD4 promises to replace superficiality with relevance. From simply ticking an administrative obligation, the certificate becomes an integrated assessment tool, designed to provide clear data on energy performance, cost reduction potential and environmental impact.
From 2028 onwards, new EPCs will include the Global Warming Potential (GWP) indicator for greenhouse gas emissions, including both operational emissions and those embodied in materials and equipment. This step signals the transition from a static approach to a life-cycle approach, capable of supporting long-term sustainable decisions.
Energy audit – smart planning for real decarbonisation
EPBD4 gives the energy audit a central role in the process of a thorough renovation. A general diagnosis is no longer sufficient. It requires a detailed X-ray, accompanied by phased and feasible renovation scenarios. The Mc001-2022 regulation already provides a solid methodological basis for this type of audit in Romania, but extensive standardisation, validation and digitisation is needed.
Through the audit, the building becomes a subject of rational decision-making, not improvisation. Information about consumption, potential savings, occupant health and the decarbonisation pathway needs to be clearly presented so that future investments are strategically, not conjuncturally, orientated.
Technical design documentation – consistency, digitisation, traceability
The third pillar of the EPBD4 is technical documentation – still too often treated as a set of annexes with no impact. The new directive requires documentation, including the NZEB compliance report for new buildings, to comply with European standards, to be digitised and integrated into national and European IT systems.
Through the traceability of technical solutions, increased transparency and alignment with European best practice, technical documentation will become the foundation for sustainable and energy efficient construction. Moreover, this type of standardisation will significantly limit the risk of “greenwashing”, especially in the case of publicly funded projects.
Fair energy transition – quality documents for social justice
EPBD4 also introduces a profoundly social dimension: the role of energy certificates and energy audits in tackling energy poverty. By identifying and targeting public funds to poor performing houses, technical documents become tools for inclusion. “One-stop shops” – advice and information centres – must transform technical jargon into accessible and useful language for citizens.
A second chance for the buildings sector
Between 2016 and 2022, the EU buildings sector failed to meet key targets on emissions, energy consumption and investment. EPBD4 offers not only a second chance but also a last opportunity for systemic transformation. The challenge for Romania is to move from mechanical enforcement to smart implementation of an energy performance ecosystem.
It is time for authorities, experts, entrepreneurs and civil society to work together to redefine the role of these instruments. The performance certificate, the energy audit and the technical documentation are not mere pieces of paper – they are the invisible infrastructure of the future built stock.