Do you know what APE is?
In the real estate sector APE is the acronym of Energy Performance Certificate. Mandatory for each sale or lease contract, it is one of the key factors in establishing the value of your property and consequently its price on the market.
What does the APE mean and what is it for?
The APE consists of a document declaring the energy classification of the building, reported on an alphabetical scale of ten letters, where A4 indicates the class with the best environmental impact and G the minimum energy efficiency.
This is a mandatory document both in case of sale and rental of your property. Furthermore, the energy class is one of the factors that contribute to the value of the property. The more efficient the energy class, the higher the value of the property and vice versa.
How is the APE calculated?
The evaluation to establish the energy class is based on multiple parameters, here are some:
- summer and winter air conditioning of the property
- production of domestic hot water
- mechanical ventilation
- home lighting
- presence of renewable energy sources
What works affect the improvement of the energy class?
All construction work aimed at enhancing the evaluation parameters, such as:
- acoustic insulation (e.g. insulating plaster)
- electrical improvement (e.g. photovoltaic system)
- thermal improvement (e.g. geothermal system, roof insulation, thermal coat)
- replacement of fixtures
How do you get the APE?
The energy performance certificate has a maximum duration of ten years. To receive an evaluation, various documents are required (cadastral survey, cadastral plan, plant booklet, plant booklet, ownership document) as well as an inspection by a technician qualified for the evaluation, such as engineers, surveyors or architects.
APE and the Italian real estate market
The situation in our country sees a backwardness in terms of efficient energy systems, with almost 60% of buildings in class G.
However, there are positive signs, in 2022 there was an increase in requests for the purchase and rental of properties in the higher energy efficient class. Furthermore, we have seen an increase in construction works that aim precisely at the energy efficiency of buildings and at the improvement they have in terms of environmental impact. Both of these trends are the result of the push exerted by renovation bonuses and green incentives on the real estate market.
