The Energy Performance Certificate (Attestato di Prestazione Energetica – APE) was introduced by Law Decree 63/2013 and converted into Law 90/2013, which regulated the new provisions on the energy performance of buildings and replaced the old ACE (Attestato di Certificazione Energetica – Energy Certification Certificate) with the APE.
What is the APE?
The APE is an official document that describes the energy characteristics of a building, a house, or an apartment. Essentially, it indicates how much energy a property consumes for heating, cooling, domestic hot water production, and, in non-residential buildings, also for lighting, elevators, and escalators.
What is the APE for and when is it mandatory?
The APE has several purposes and its usefulness is manifold:
- It provides clear information on energy quality: it allows anyone (buyer, tenant, owner) to understand the energy efficiency of a property through an energy class (from A4, the most efficient, to G, the least efficient). This helps to assess future running costs related to energy consumption.
- It is mandatory in several cases:
- Sale: it must be attached to the notary deed.
- Rental: it must be given to the tenant.
- New constructions and significant renovations: it is necessary to obtain the certificate of occupancy.
- Real estate advertisements: energy performance indicators must be indicated in sales and rental advertisements.
- Access to tax incentives: it is essential to access tax deductions for energy efficiency improvements (such as the Ecobonus and Superbonus), as it certifies the improvement of the energy class after the works.
- It is a useful tool for energy retrofitting: it highlights the energy deficiencies of a property and may contain recommendations and suggestions for improving efficiency, indicating the most significant and economically convenient interventions.
- It serves to assess economic convenience: it helps to evaluate the economic convenience of buying or renting a property in relation to its energy consumption.
- It promotes energy efficiency: it raises awareness about the importance of energy saving and encourages interventions to reduce consumption and the environmental impact of buildings.
How the APE certification takes place
To issue an APE, an on-site inspection by a technician is necessary. The certifier is called upon to carry out a series of investigations aimed at ascertaining the structural characteristics of the property in question. They will take into consideration all parameters, from the boiler to the presence of systems capable of producing energy, to the quality of the fixtures. Through specific software, the energy analysis of the property also allows for the evaluation of the characteristics of the walls and the geometric characteristics of the building, the cooling and heating system of the existing rooms, the type of system in use, and any renewable energy production systems.
Once the calculations are performed and completed, the certifier compiles a document summarizing all the energy characteristics of the property. The APE must be kept by the owner together with the rest of the documentation relating to the property, while an electronic copy is sent by the certifier to the regional IT register.
The APE must then be delivered to the new owner or the tenant.
The energy class is expressed by a value from A4 to G and is determined based on the overall non-renewable energy performance index of the building. The lower the letter, the higher the energy consumption of the property.
Who certifies the APE and how long is it valid for?
Every new energy performance certificate is drawn up by a certified APE certifier. This is an accredited subject, according to Presidential Decree No. 75 of April 16, 2013, with expertise in building energy efficiency. The individual Regions manage the training, supervision, and accreditation of APE certifiers through local laws. The energy certifier is a technician qualified for the design of buildings and systems, with civil and criminal liability in the exercise of their profession. The energy performance certificate has a maximum validity of ten years, but to maintain it, it is necessary to guarantee the periodic boiler inspections required by law. If, during this period, interventions are carried out to renovate the property aimed at modifying its energy performance, the APE must be renewed.
How much does the APE cost?
The cost of the APE can vary between 100 and 250 euros based on the city in which it is drawn up and the characteristics of the building and the property unit. The discrepancy is mainly due to the different market prices between the Regions, with the southern ones generally having lower costs, even though the method for drawing up the APE is always the same.
APE, a useful document for reducing consumption
In addition to being mandatory, the APE is a useful document. Knowing the energy efficiency level of your own apartment or the one you intend to purchase, in fact, allows you to adopt useful behaviours to reduce consumption, as well as to choose the most suitable ways to cool and heat the rooms.
In summary, the APE is an informative document, mandatory in various circumstances, and useful both for private citizens and for the real estate market, as it promotes transparency and energy efficiency of buildings.
If you are interested in this topic and want to know more, write to: info@fiatlux.legal. Our experts will be happy to offer you the necessary assistance to clarify any doubts.