Step-by-step plan: Make your office energy efficient

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

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. Your office meets the requirements with a valid energy label A, B, or C.

No energy label?

Does your office not yet have an energy label? Then hire a certified EPA adviser (in Dutch) from the Central Register of Technology to calculate how energy efficient your office is.

An energy adviser knows what measures you can take to improve the energy efficiency of your office and get a higher energy label. The energy adviser puts the measures in a tailor-made recommendation for you. This is called an energy performance advice (EPA). You request an EPA from an energy adviser from the Central Register of Technology (in Dutch).

Consider the energy saving obligation and mandatory building software

Ask the adviser to also include energy saving obligation measures and mandatory building software in their advice.

Energy saving obligation

Does your company consume more than 50,000 kWh or 25,000 m3 of natural gas every year? Then you are obliged to take all energy-saving measures that you can earn back in 5 years. This is stated in the energy saving obligation. You meet the energy saving obligation with the Approved Measures List (in Dutch).

Building automation and control system (GACS)

From 1 January 2026, office buildings with heating or air-conditioning systems with a capacity of more than 290 kW must have a building automation and control system ( (gebouwautomatiserings- en controlesysteem, GACS) ). This smart system will help you save energy and make your building more efficient. From 2030, the obligation will also apply to systems above 70 kW.

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

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

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.

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