Understanding Poland’s Building Data Gap
What does Poland’s building stock really look like today and what stands in the way of making buildings warmer, healthier, and more energy efficient?
The latest baseline assessment from the JustReno project dives into these questions, offering a clear snapshot of where Poland stands and what needs to change.
The report is structured in three parts: an overview of Poland’s building stock, a look at how building data is governed at national and local levels, and an explanation of key concepts such as energy poverty, vulnerable consumers and worst-performing buildings. Together, these sections highlight Poland’s main data gaps and challenges and point to the steps needed to improve the situation.
Overview of the building stock in Poland
Most of dwellings in Poland are located in urban areas, and their energy performance varies, fo example due to the year of construction, types of HVAC systems, quality of building envelope and window area.
The most important data source on the energy efficiency of buildings in Poland is the Central Register of Energy Performance of Buildings (CREPB), maintained by the Ministry of Development and Technology. The register contains a list of energy performance certificates (EPCs), which provide general information on the energy performance of buildings. The methodology assumes that the calculations take into account the building’s heating and ventilation requirements, hot water preparation and cooling. When issuing certificates for non-residential buildings, built-in lighting should also be included. EPCs are required for new buildings and premises put into use and existing ones sold or rented. Existing buildings and premises used ‘for own use’ do not need to have an EPC. For this reason, not all buildings and premises in Poland are included in the CREPB and data on their energy performance is often unknown.
Figure 1. Percentage share of energy performance certificates for specific types of buildings [The National Energy Conservation Agency, National building renovation plan 2024 (pl. Krajowy plan renowacji budynków 2024 r.)]
Figure 2. Number of EPCs per 1,000 dwellings since the introduction of mandatory energy performance certificates [Economic Analysis Department of PKO Bank Polski S.A., Housing stock through the prism of energy performance certificates (pl. Zasób mieszkaniowy przez pryzmat świadectw energetycznych)]
The report makes one thing clear: improving Poland’s building stock starts with improving the data behind it. The main challenges primarily concern the accuracy, quality and accessibility of data. The data availability varies significantly depending on the age of the building. Another major challenge is the increase of the degree of digitisation and automation of information on Polish building resources, which would facilitate the work of numerous industries and help building residents.
The Polish policy and legislative context on energy performance of buildings
EU policy plays a major role in how Poland manages and regulates its building stock data. These are two directives in particular, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). In Poland, they are mainly transposed through the Act on Energy Performance of Buildings, which provides the principles for the preparation of EPCs and rules for operating the Central Register of Energy Performance of Buildings.
The implementation of the EPBD in Poland, both the previous and the current version, is being carried out in such a way as to meet the minimum requirements. There is a lack of comprehensive solutions that cover various sectors and educational campaigns aimed at the public explaining the context and benefits of implementing the new regulations, such as EPCs.
The implementation of the EED in Poland is seen as a gradual process that needs more work and legal and organisational changes. Poland is meeting the directive’s goals through a system that requires energy efficiency, including energy efficiency certificates and energy audits, which have been mandatory for large companies since 2016.
Worst-performing buildings in Poland
One of the key definitions explored in the report is a worst-performing building. These buildings have the highest final energy consumption (in kWh/m²/year) of the national building stock. They are often occupied by the most vulnerable groups in society. They can also be associated with energy performance classes that are based on the annual non-renewable primary energy demand. Their aim is to provide an easy understanding about the energy standard of the building, allowing users to easily determine whether there is a need to improve the current condition of the building. In Poland, the idea of such classes was introduced in 2024, but their general use is planned to be mandatory from 2026. There are eight classes from A+ (best-performing) to G (worst-performing).
Next steps for better building data
Thanks to EU policies and rising awareness of the challenges the construction sector is facing, Polish regulations and data collection methods are in the process of continuous improvement and are moving in the right direction. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. The main priorities are data digitisation and the automation of data verification and processing. Increased access to open-source data on the building stock is necessary as well.
While the report zooms in on Poland, many of the obstacles it uncovers echo across Central and Eastern Europe, offering lessons and inspiration for countries facing similar housing and data challenges.
About the JustReno project:
JustReno project supported by EUKI is aimed at providing support for implementing EU building renovation policies in Hungary, Poland, and Romania, ensuring a socially just transition by prioritising worst-performing buildings and vulnerable households.
About the author:
Szymon Firląg – University professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology in the sustainable development team. He conducted research at the Passivhaus Institut in Germany, where he had the opportunity to stay, as a fellow of the Nowicki Foundation and the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt. Thanks to a grant from the Center for Advanced Studies of the Warsaw University of Technology, he worked on control algorithms for smart windows at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US.
President of the Union of Employers – Manufacturers of Construction Materials. Cooperated with the National Energy Conservation Agency, the National Energy Conservation Agency, Buildings Performance Institute Europe and the Energy Conservation Foundation, where he was engaged in projects related to energy efficiency of buildings. He was involved in the design, construction and certification of the first passive and energy-efficient buildings in Poland. Expert of the European Research Executive Agency.
He is the author of numerous articles and books, and has participated in campaigns promoting energy-efficient construction and thermal renovation in Poland.