Calculation and compliance procedures of thermal bridges in energy calculations in various European countries

EPBD directive 2002 and its recast 2010 have led to significant efforts in Member States to improve the energy performance of buildings. Important aspect of this goal is the compliance of building energy performance assessment which needs developed procedures in order to be able to achieve stringent energy targets in practice. Transmission characteristics have a significant role in energy efficient buildings. QUALICHeCK project conducted a review of thermal bridges in energy calculation and compliance procedures in nine European countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Greece, Romania, Spain, Sweden). Results showed that there are four main types of methods to take thermal bridges into account in transmission heat loss calculation: the detailed calculation based on linear thermal transmittance values, simple basic rules, default transmittance values, and mean U-values. Regarding the compliance, review showed that often there are no specific thermal bridge related compliance procedures. General conclusion of this study was that compliance frameworks needs to be extended in order to be able to assess as built energy performance. It is common approach in many countries that control mechanisms stop with building permit phase.