1. Two consequences pulling in opposite directions
They act at the same time.
| Direction | Content |
|---|---|
| Positive | the building consumes less and the indoor climate is already better |
| Negative | the baseline class is better, so the required gain is harder to achieve |
In support terms the rule penalises whoever acted earlier, although that is not its purpose. The logic is nonetheless consistent, since support funds improvement and improvement already achieved is not funded twice. Earlier work is therefore not a mistake, but it must be accounted for in the calculation rather than discovered when the application is drafted.
2. What the rule says exactly
Two sentences must be read together, because separately each says only half. Earlier work pulls in two directions.
According to professional sources, reconstruction works already carried out that affect the building's energy performance are taken into account in the calculation of the building's energy performance value. According to the same source, where one of the listed activities has already been carried out, support can be applied for only for partial reconstruction, window replacement being an example.
The first sentence concerns the calculation and the second the type of support. Together they mean that earlier work may close off the full route, and that must be checked before the design. The precise wording of the condition must be taken from the regulation in force, since it has differed between rounds.
3. What it means for planning
Three consequences, and the second is a practical problem in apartment buildings. It concerns windows already replaced.
Earlier works must be inventoried before the calculation, including those the owners carried out themselves. Window replacements made apartment by apartment must be mapped, since they affect the calculation for the building as a whole. And partly completed work may require the rest to be finished so that the result is uniform.
If half the apartments have replaced their windows and half have not, the building is neither old nor new. Unevenly replaced windows also create a technical problem, since airtightness and the working of the ventilation then differ from apartment to apartment.
4. What to do where this is the case
Three directions, and the third is contentious. Map the actual situation rather than assume uniformity. Calculate whether the required gain is achievable with the remaining works. And consider bringing the previously replaced parts into the project where they do not meet the current standard.
The third has to be discussed within the association, because whoever replaced their windows at their own expense does not want to replace them again. The solution is usually a compromise, and it must be settled before the design rather than during construction.
5. What it means for the future
One conclusion concerns those who are still weighing things up. The order is worth thinking through first.
A single measure carried out today without support reduces tomorrow's eligibility. That does not mean one should wait, since waiting costs money too, but that with a single measure one must decide deliberately whether it is a final choice or a stage.
Whoever is planning a full reconstruction should not carry out individual energy measures in the meantime unless technical necessity requires them. Each earlier work raises the baseline class.
Summary and four practical rules
Earlier work improves the building and at the same time worsens its position for support, since a better baseline class makes the required gain harder. Previously completed works affecting energy performance are taken into account in the calculation, and where one of the listed activities has already been carried out support can be applied for only for partial reconstruction, so earlier work may close off the full route. In apartment buildings the practical problem is unevenness, since if half the apartments have replaced their windows and half have not, the building is neither old nor new.
Four rules: inventory earlier works before the calculation. Map replacements made apartment by apartment. Check whether earlier work limits the type of support. Decide the status of a single measure deliberately, as a final choice or as a stage.
This article offers professional orientation as at the date of verification. It does not replace the support regulation.