In today's article from the series "Mornings for the Construction Industry," we will explore the implementation of new regulations on the energy efficiency of buildings. Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD), which replaces previous regulations in this area, is currently of particular importance for the real estate market and the construction sector. At the same time, the European Commission is adopting further implementing acts related to the implementation of new rules for reporting and assessing the energy efficiency of buildings, including the latest Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/52. These regulations set the direction of change for Member States, including Poland.
In practice, one of the most important changes will be the gradual increase in the importance of energy efficiency classes for buildings and residential premises. This month, energy certificate templates should be amended to align them with a uniform format across all member states. It remains to be seen whether Poland will meet the May 29, 2026, deadline, as a draft of such changes has not yet been published.
Energy classes of buildings will start to have real market significance
The new regulations establish a more transparent and uniform system for assessing the energy performance of buildings across the EU. The energy rating system is designed to function similarly to the labeling used for household appliances—ranging from class A to G.
In simple terms:
- Class A will mean the most energy-efficient buildings with very low energy consumption,
- Classes B–C will include buildings with good energy parameters,
- Classes D–E will apply to energy-average properties,
- while classes F–G will cover the most energy-intensive buildings and those generating the highest operating costs.
For the real estate market, this means that the energy performance certificate will no longer be just a formal document required when selling or renting a property.
In practice, this may lead to a situation in which two similar apartments – with similar square footage and location – will significantly differ in their market attractiveness due to their energy parameters.
What does this mean for investors?
For investors and developers, the new regulations mean, above all, the need to take energy parameters into account already at the investment design stage.
The following may be of increasing importance:
- energy standard of the building,
- solutions that reduce energy consumption,
- efficiency of technical installations,
- compliance of investments with future EU regulatory requirements.
This may affect both the investment implementation costs and the subsequent sales attractiveness of the project.
In practice, premises with a higher energy class may be:
- easier to sell,
- more attractive to banks financing the purchase,
- and less exposed to negotiating pressure from buyers.
What does this mean for buyers?
From the buyers' perspective, not only the purchase price of the property, but also the costs of its subsequent use will become increasingly important.
New regulations may cause buyers to more often analyze:
- the amount of future operating costs,
- energy class of the building,
- efficiency of heating systems,
- and the potential impact of energy parameters on the value of the property in the future.
As a consequence, energy efficiency may become one of the most important parameters influencing real estate valuations and customers' purchasing decisions.
To sum up, although detailed national solutions will be implemented gradually, the direction of changes resulting from the EPBD Directive and the implementing acts of the European Commission seems clear: energy efficiency of buildings is to become one of the key elements of the functioning of the European real estate market.
For the construction sector, this means increasingly considering energy issues during the design, implementation, and sales stages of investments. It's worth reviewing the document "Development of NBRP: Policy guidelines for Poland," prepared as part of the EPBD.wise project and published on the BUILD UP platform (https://build-up.ec.europa.eu/en/resources-and-tools/publications/development-nbrp-policy-guidelines-poland), which outlines the direction of change for the real estate and construction market in Poland.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Legal status as of May 12, 2026.
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