EPC ratings vary widely across Europe, Savills finds

Savills' research reveals significant inconsistencies in Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) standards across Europe, even within EU countries.

Legacy EU country/UK energy label comparison, by country

This means a building's energy rating can vary drastically depending on location, with a top-rated building in one country potentially receiving a much lower grade in another. 
Energy performance labelling isn't standardized, even within the same country, according to the real estate advisor. For example, in Belgium, a building with the same energy performance (measured in kWh/m²/year) could receive a "C" rating in Flanders but a "D" or even an "F" in Brussels due to Brussels' more stringent rating thresholds. 
Similarly, the standards for primary energy consumption in "A"-rated offices differ across Europe, meaning a building achieving an "A" in one country might only earn a "D" or "E" in another.
These discrepancies exist due to varying rating thresholds and sustainability standards, influenced by local political factors, technical hurdles, climate risks, and existing building stock. 
While the EU's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) aims to harmonize standards, Savills advises investors and occupiers to look beyond EPC grades and examine a building's actual energy performance to get a true understanding of its sustainability.
Chris Cummings, director, Savills Earth, comments: “The lack of standardisation in energy labelling within the EU, and the UK, which also uses EPC as its main measure of building performance, illustrates a wider global problem for cross-border investors and tenants in understanding what constitutes a ‘good’ building. Ideally, investors and occupiers should look beyond the headline EPC grade to examine a building’s actual energy data to get a true picture of its relative performance. If they don’t, they run the risk of excluding buildings which have received a lower rating in countries which exert a ‘tougher’ EPC regime, as they do not fulfil their sustainability objectives, only to go on to take a building in another country which has a higher grade, but ultimately is a poorer performer.”
Sarah Brooks, associate director, Savills World Research, says: “City-level differences in sustainability standards can again present distinct challenges and opportunities for occupiers and investors. They must account for differences in local policy, market expectations and available incentives in their strategies. Gaining a competitive edge often means exceeding national requirements as well as aligning with city-level expectations and long-term local sustainability plans. Nuanced due diligence is vital.”