Energy performance certificate (APE)
The energy performance certificate (APE) is a document required for the sale of a property and is intended to provide information on its energy efficiency. The APE provides an assessment of the energy performance of the building and offers indications on its energy consumption, as well as on possible measures to improve its efficiency.
When you decide to sell a house, a real estate agency can offer the service of obtaining an energy performance certificate on behalf of the owner. The agency will work in collaboration with a certified technician or an energy expert who will evaluate the characteristics of the property and draw up the EPA.
The process of obtaining the EPA can include several stages. Initially, the technician will carry out an inspection of the building to collect information on the characteristics of the building, such as the type of insulation, the presence of heating and cooling systems, the quality of the fixtures and so on.
Subsequently, the technician will analyze the data collected and use specific software to calculate the energy performance index of the building.
Once the analysis has been completed, the real estate agency will provide the owner with the energy performance certificate, which must be included in the documentation required for the sale of the property. The APE will be valid for 10 years and will need to be shown to prospective buyers during house viewings.
The APE contains clear and comprehensible information on the building’s energy class, which ranges from A (very efficient) to G (not very efficient). It may also include recommendations for improving the energy efficiency of the building, such as installing thermal insulation, adopting more efficient heating systems or using renewable energy sources.