Make your office energy efficient

Wat is energy label C for office buildings?

The energy labels indicate the use of energy. Labels A to C are more energy efficient than D to G. Energy label C means the use of energy with a primary fossil energy in an office building is no more than 225 kWh per m2 per year.

1. Check if your office must have energy label C

Check in the Decision tree Energy Label C (in Dutch) of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) if you must meet the Energy Label C obligation.

Does your office have to have an energy label C? Then you may consume a maximum of 225 kWh per m2 of primary fossil energy per year. With an energy label with the letter C or better, you meet this requirement.

Does your building not meet the requirements? You may no longer use it as an office.

Exceptions

An energy label C is not mandatory for some buildings. The obligation does not apply if:

• the usable area of the office functions is less than 50% of the total usable area of the building;
• the usable area of the office functions in the building is less than 100 m2;
• it concerns national monuments as referred to in the Heritage Act or in the provincial or municipal monument ordinance;
• the office building will be used for a maximum of 2 years;
• the office building has been disowned or purchased under the Expropriation Act;
• the office building does not use energy to regulate the indoor climate;
• the measures required to achieve energy label C have a payback period of more than 10 years.

2. Check your energy label

The EP-Online database contains the energy labels and energy performance indicators of buildings. Check your energy label (in Dutch) to see if you need to take any measures.

3. Request tailor-made advice

To get the energy label C, you have to use less fossil fuel. With an energy performance advice (EPA, in Dutch) you know which measures to take to save energy in your office building. You can apply for an EPA from a certified EPA advisor (in Dutch) from the Central Register of Technology.

Offices to be energy-neutral by 2050

If you are going to take measures, see if it pays to immediately go for a higher energy label, such as B or A. This way you prepare your building for the future. It has been agreed in the Climate Agreement that offices will be energy neutral by 2050.

4. Use the financial and tax schemes for energy saving

The government supports entrepreneurs to take energy-saving measures. There are various financial and tax arrangements for this, such as:

• The Energy Investment Allowance (EIA) offers a tax benefit when you invest in energy-efficient techniques and sustainable energy;
• MIA and Vamil. You can save on your taxes through the Environmental Investment Allowance (MIA) or the Random depreciation of environmental investments scheme (Vamil) if you invest in environmentally friendly assets or techniques;
• The Investment subsidy for sustainable energy (ISDE) contributes to the purchase of energy-saving devices such as solar water heaters and heat pumps.

There are other financial and fiscal arrangements for sustainable energy supplies. Check them in the energy subsidy guide for buildings (in Dutch).

5. Carry out the measures

Take the recommended measures to get your new label. Arrange energy-saving and energy-generating measures as much as possible. These contribute to a CO2-low office.

6. Have a new energy label drawn up

A certified energy advisor must prepare and register an energy label for you. The energy label is valid for a maximum of 10 years.

7. Improve your energy label even further

Explore the possibilities of renewable energy

One of the possibilities to improve the energy label of your office is to use renewable energy. The government encourages these forms of sustainable energy with tax benefits and subsidies. For example:

• Solar panels or a solar boiler on the roof of your business premises.
• One or more wind turbines on your company site or a wind farm.
• The use of geothermal energy or geothermal energy (in Dutch) to heat or cool your building.

Find out if you can disconnect from gas

See if you can heat your premises without natural gas. All buildings in the Netherlands must eventually be free of gas by 2050. For example, you can install a heat pump or in some cases connect it to a heat network. Before you disconnect from gas, your property must be well insulated. Read about the various insulation measures and alternatives to gas at KVK.