Are you planning to sell or rent your property? Then you should start dealing with the Building Energy Performance Certificate (PENB), which you are required by law to obtain for your property. Failure to comply with the PENB obligation can result in a fine from the State Energy Inspectorate.
What is PENB?
A building energy performance certificate (PENB) is used to provide information on the energy performance of a property. It is often referred to as an ‘energy label’.
Who is required to obtain a PENB and when is a PENB not required?
What about the energy performance certificate when selling a property? Who has to secure a PENB and who does not? This is set out in the Management Act. It is mainly about:
- The owner of the building or the unit owners’ association when selling or renting the building.
- The owner of the dwelling unit in the event of a sale or lease of the dwelling unit
- Owner, community of owners or builder in the construction of new buildings or major alterations to existing buildings.
There are exceptions in the law when you do not need to have a PENB. These include:
- Buildings that were constructed prior to January 1, 1947 and no major alterations have been made to the completed building since January 1, 1947. The seller and buyer must agree in writing that a PENB will not be provided.
- Buildings with a total energy reference area of less than 50 m2.
- Buildings that are a cultural monument or are not a cultural monument but are located in a conservation area.
- Buildings for family recreation that are used only part of the year and have an estimated energy consumption of less than 25% of the energy consumption that would occur with year-round use.
- Industrial and manufacturing plants, workshops and agricultural buildings with energy consumption up to 700 GJ per year.
- Other properties defined in Act No. 406/2000 Coll. on energy management.

How to calculate the energy performance certificate of a building?
PENB is used to evaluate the energy performance of a building and shows the realistic amount of energy consumption related to the normal use of the building. It is the sum of the individual sub-consumption – energy for heating, cooling, water heating, lighting, etc.
What is the price of PENB?
The energy performance certificate of a building can only be prepared by authorised energy specialists, whose register is kept by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The price for the certificate varies depending on the type of building to which it relates, the purpose of the certificate and the availability of project documentation.