Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS)

What is a Minimum Energy Performance Standard?

A Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) is a regulatory threshold established by the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD 2024/1275) that requires existing buildings to meet a specified level of energy efficiency by a given deadline. Unlike the Minimum Energy Performance Requirement (MEPR) — which applies to new construction — MEPS is a policy tool designed to drive rapid renovation of the existing, largely underperforming building stock. The instrument targets the worst-performing segment of buildings in each EU Member State, with the goal of eliminating energy poverty and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

MEPS are expressed as maximum primary energy consumption thresholds (in kWh/m² per year) or energy performance class bands. A building that exceeds the MEPS threshold — meaning it uses more energy than the standard allows — is classified as non-compliant and must undergo renovation or face sanctions. The thresholds are calibrated to the national building stock, so MEPS in Malta differ substantially from those in Slovakia or Sweden, reflecting climate, building typology, and renovation capacity.

How do MEPS differ from MEPR and other performance standards?

The distinction between MEPS and MEPR is fundamental to understanding EU building policy. MEPR is the cost-optimal baseline for new buildings: it defines the lowest energy use at which operational savings equal the cost of efficiency improvements over 30 years. Compliance with MEPR is mandatory for all new buildings and large renovations; it is a forward-looking standard. MEPS, by contrast, is a backward-looking compliance mandate: it sets a floor for the existing stock, regardless of cost-optimality, to force owners to act by a deadline.

Related standards like the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle in EU taxonomy and the EDGE Certification programme measure energy performance and environmental impact but do not carry legal compliance obligations in all Member States. MEPS, by contrast, are binding regulatory requirements with penalties for non-compliance. A building may exceed both MEPR and MEPS and still pursue Passive House or premium net-zero certification; MEPR and MEPS set the regulatory floor, not the ceiling of ambition.

How are MEPS thresholds set and enforced?

MEPS thresholds are derived from national building stock data. The revised EPBD requires each Member State to analyse its building registry and identify the energy consumption of buildings at different percentiles. The European Commission defines overarching targets — for example, non-residential buildings in the worst-performing 16% must comply by 2030 — and each country translates this into a local threshold (e.g., primary energy consumption must not exceed X kWh/m² for office buildings).

Enforcement mechanisms vary by Member State but commonly include: (1) trigger-based requirements, where MEPS compliance is mandated upon sale, rental, or major renovation; (2) blanket requirements, where all buildings above the threshold must comply by the deadline regardless of transaction; (3) subsidy conditions, such as renovation funding programmes (*Obnov Dom* in Slovakia) that condition grants on meeting MEPS; and (4) restrictions, such as banning rental or occupancy of non-compliant buildings after the deadline. Compliance is verified through the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which calculates primary energy consumption using standardised assumptions.

What are the targets and timelines for residential and non-residential MEPS?

The revised EPBD differentiates between residential and non-residential buildings because residential stock comprises diverse owner-occupiers and private landlords, while commercial buildings are typically owned by entities with larger capital access. For non-residential buildings, Member States must ensure that the worst-performing buildings by floor area meet the MEPS threshold according to a fixed schedule: 16% of the worst-performing non-residential floor area by 2030, and 26% by 2033. Thereafter, all non-residential buildings must meet MEPS.

For residential buildings, the approach is more flexible: countries adopt national progressive reduction trajectories targeting average primary energy reduction across the entire residential stock — 16% by 2030 and 20–22% by 2035 compared to 2020 baselines. Critically, at least 55% of the total reduction must come from the bottom 43% of the stock (the worst performers), ensuring renovation investment prioritises the deepest energy poverty. This tiered approach recognises that homeowner renovations progress more slowly than commercial retrofits and that deep energy poverty correlates with social vulnerability.

How does Slovakia implement MEPS under the 2025 building act?

Slovakia must transpose the revised EPBD (Directive 2024/1275) by November 2026. Implementation will flow through the new building act (25/2025 Z.z., effective April 1, 2025) and related decrees, replacing the previous act from 1976. The law is still being operationalised, and specific MEPS thresholds and enforcement trigger points are under development by the Ministry of Transport and Construction and the Ministry of Environment.

Key integration points for Slovak MEPS include: (1) alignment with national renovation strategy and subsidy programmes (*Obnov Dom* and successors); (2) coordination with the Project Energy Assessment (PEH) system, which measures residential energy performance locally; (3) updates to the Slovak Standard STN 73 0540 (Energy Performance of Buildings) to reflect EU minimum thresholds; and (4) harmonisation with the cost-optimal calculation framework for major renovations under MEPR rules. For residential properties in Slovakia, MEPS compliance is likely to be triggered at sales, major renovations, or when properties are listed for rental after 2033.

What are common misconceptions about MEPS?

A frequent misunderstanding is that MEPS apply to all buildings immediately and uniformly. In reality, only the worst-performing segment (defined nationally) must comply by the first deadline; the majority of buildings remain unaffected initially. This creates a false sense of security among building owners with average or better performance, but it also concentrates early renovation investment on the buildings with highest need and greatest savings potential.

Another misconception is that MEPS thresholds are set at premium efficiency levels or passive-house performance. In fact, MEPS are typically calibrated to the 16th or 26th percentile of the national building stock — often corresponding to energy class D or E in current European classification systems. Compliance does not require ultra-low energy demand; it requires meeting a threshold that represents significant but achievable renovation.

A third error is conflating MEPS with building certification programmes like BREEAM or EDGE. MEPS are regulatory compliance mandates with legal consequences for non-compliance; certification schemes are voluntary, market-driven signals of performance beyond minimum code. A building can meet MEPS and never pursue certification, and conversely, a certified building automatically exceeds MEPS.

Finally, some assume MEPS will impose excessive costs on owners. While renovation has real costs, EU policy recognises that early renovation (by 2030–2033) is cheaper than emergency retrofits later and that energy savings reduce running costs over the building's remaining lifetime. Financing mechanisms (grants, low-interest loans, green bonds) are being deployed across Member States to smooth the transition. In Slovakia, *Obnov Dom* programmes have already demonstrated that average homeowners can access retrofit funding and achieve 50%+ energy reductions at manageable cost-benefit ratios.