The Challenge: Two Certificates, One Building
Currently, building owners and professionals across Europe must navigate two separate assessment systems. EPCs measure energy efficiency, while SRIs evaluate a building’s capacity to optimize energy use, adapt to occupants’ needs, and respond to grid signals. This fragmented and still very national – if not regional – approach creates confusion, administrative burden, and missed opportunities for comprehensive building improvements.
“Building owners, occupants, and professionals are frequently required to interpret two distinct certificates, often issued at different times, using different formats, and with limited interoperability,” explains the research team. With the adoption of the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD 2024), there’s now a clear policy direction toward greater digitalization and integration.
A Unified Solution
The SmarterEPC team presented the paper “Towards Integrated Building Assessment: A Unified Certificate for Energy Performance and Smart Readiness” at the CASE 2025 event in Cyprus, demonstrating how they developed a two-page joint certificate that consolidates both assessments into a single modular, digitally compatible document. The innovative design presents:
- EPC metrics, including primary and final energy use, renewable energy share, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy performance class (A-G)
- SRI scores covering nine technical domains, such as heating, cooling, lighting, and EV charging
- Shared indicators like carbon intensity, digital building logbook availability, and system response features
The certificate uses visual elements, including colour-coded performance scores, radar charts, and functional icons to make complex technical information accessible to both experts and non-technical users.
Design Through Collaboration
The development process was deeply collaborative, involving structured roundtable discussions with stakeholders across the building sector. These sessions shaped everything from data field inclusion to visual layout, ensuring the certificate meets real-world needs.
User experience testing, including eye-tracking studies, informed improvements to visual hierarchy and accessibility. The final design adheres to international accessibility standards, making it inclusive for diverse user profiles.
Benefits for All Stakeholders
The integrated certificate delivers clear advantages:
- Building owners and tenants receive actionable information in one place, reducing confusion
- Public authorities can track compliance more efficiently and support renovation goals
- Industry professionals benefit from streamlined data collection with minimal duplication
- Policy alignment with EU initiatives like the Digital Building Logbook and Renovation Wave
A Digital-First Approach
Beyond being a static document, the certificate is designed for digital integration. With structured formats like XML and JSON, and an API in development, it can interface with facility management tools, databases, and smart building systems. This positions it as a living digital asset capable of supporting real-time updates and customized user experiences.
SmarterEPC HUB
As Europe advances toward a more connected and decarbonized building stock, the SmarterEPC joint certificate represents a practical step forward. To issue this new advanced certificate, the project is working on a HUB that gathers the best ECPs and SRI existing tools to support assessors in the assessment and in delivering EPCs and SRI joint certification. A single entry point to facilitate the work of assessors around Europe.
The project team is also focused on pilot deployment, gathering stakeholder feedback, and refining the tool for broader implementation across Member States.
By combining technical rigor with user-centered design, SmarterEPC is helping to create certification systems that are not only compliant with regulations but genuinely useful for driving building performance improvements across Europe.
