Estonia plans to require deep renovations of older non-residential buildings

Estonia’s Climate Ministry plans to require owners of older non-residential buildings to improve their energy efficiency, ERR reports. The proposal would require the least efficient buildings to reach at least energy class F by 2030 and class E by 2033.

The requirements would apply to commercial and public buildings, including warehouses and offices. The ministry plans to amend the Building Code to implement a European Union directive. The rules would vary according to building type.

The draft estimates that renovating the buildings would cost about 290 million euros in total. It puts the average payback period at nearly six years, citing lower heating costs and increased property values.

Ingvar Allekand, chairman of the board of the Estonian Association of Real Estate Companies, warned ERR that the changes could create unreasonable costs, particularly for businesses in rural areas. He said the requirements could add to pressure on companies already closing and reducing jobs, and called for Estonia to adopt the directive in a less demanding form.

Climate Ministry construction department head Lauri Suu said the proposed requirements form part of a broader amendment covering buildings where people carry out activities. He said the draft would soon reach parliament for debate and amendments, and that the ministry had chosen the minimum requirements set by the directive.