Methodology for comparison of nZEB ambition level in different countries by building and system simulation

By Jan. 1, 2021, all new buildings in the EU have to comply with nearly zero energy building (nZEB) requirements. However, the implementation in the EU member states and the resulting ambition level are quite different and hard to compare. A methodology based on building and system simulation has been developed which enables a relative comparison of ambition levels countries. Thereby, a ranking of different nZEB implementations can be made and the position of the country can be visualised in a performance diagram. The ambition level is compared to different benchmarks and can motivate countries with a lower ambition level to set higher requirements in order to fulfil the objectives of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).