Energy Audit under the EPBD 2024: from diagnosis to building transformation with Applus+

Regulatory developments in recent years reflect this evolution. In Spain, Royal Decree 56/2016 introduced the obligation to carry out periodic energy audits of buildings belonging to large companies, mainly under a compliance-oriented approach. Subsequently, Directive (EU) 2023/1791 on energy efficiency strengthened the focus on continuous energy performance management, incorporating the need to demonstrate measurable and verifiable energy savings.

The evolution of the European framework, culminating in Directive (EU) 2024/1275 (EPBD), integrates energy audits, energy certification, and renovation plans within a common architecture aimed at structurally reducing the energy consumption of the European building stock, which is responsible for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions.

This approach translates into concrete targets that reinforce the need for action. According to official sources from Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), residential buildings must reduce their average primary energy consumption by at least 16% by 2030 and between 20% and 22% by 2035, with a particular focus on the worst-performing buildings.

In this context, energy audits take on a strategic role. The technical analysis must go beyond identifying isolated measures and incorporate improvement scenarios that allow buildings to progress in optimizing their energy consumption and emissions, directly linking to improvements in their energy performance rating and anticipating future regulatory requirements.

From this perspective, Applus+ approaches energy efficiency in an integrated way, combining its expertise in energy audits under RD 56/2016 with participation in building renovation and energy performance improvement projects, transforming the initial diagnosis into concrete actions that enhance the energy rating of assets and their positioning within European decarbonization roadmaps.

Let us consider a practical example: an office building of 10,000 m² with an initial consumption of 180 kWh/m²/year. Based on the energy audit, measures are identified and implemented in the HVAC system, LED lighting, and the deployment of a BMS system with machine learning and IoT capabilities, aimed at continuous optimization.

The result is a reduction in consumption down to 90 kWh/m²/year (approximately 50% savings), equivalent to 900 MWh/year, significantly improving the asset’s energy rating and its alignment with the objectives of EPBD 2024, particularly in reducing the overall consumption of the building stock.

In this context, these savings are also monetizable through the Energy Savings Certificate (ESC) system, applying standardized catalogue measures. Considering a market price of €120–140/MWh, this generates €108,000–€126,000 annually, directly contributing to CAPEX coverage.

In conclusion, within the EPBD framework, the energy audit becomes the starting point for planned building renovation, where savings not only reduce consumption but also contribute to decarbonization and generate a clear economic return.

However, it is not only about estimating savings, but about designing and implementing actions that position the building within the European 2030–2050 pathway. The audit thus becomes the first link in a chain that connects diagnosis, engineering, execution, and verification of results, all aligned with the EU’s climate commitments.

In the current European regulatory framework, energy efficiency is no longer measured solely by the quality of the technical report, but by the ability to transform the asset and position it effectively on the decarbonization pathway.

In this process, Applus+ supports organizations and building owners in identifying, designing, and implementing solutions that turn energy analysis into real and lasting improvements in asset performance, aligned with European objectives and future regulatory requirements defined by national administrations and the European Union.