nZEB building: the legal definition, deadlines and the nZEB compliance report

nZEB stands for "nearly Zero-Energy Building", in Romanian "clădire al cărei consum de energie este aproape egal cu zero". For you, as a designer, investor or auditor, the practical meaning lies in three places: the definition in Law no. 372/2005, the deadlines in art. 17 and the numerical limits in Mc 001-2022. The guide goes through each of them from the text, with references to the articles. For application in the course of an audit, see also the guide nZEB 2026: what Mc 001-2022 requires.

The legal definition (art. 3 point 15)

The law defines an nZEB building as a building with a very high energy performance, whose energy consumption needed to achieve that energy performance is nearly zero or very low and is covered as follows:

• at least 30% from renewable energy sources, of which at least 10% from renewable sources located on site and at least 20% from energy produced from renewable sources and certified by guarantees of origin, in accordance with the law;
• a minimum share of energy from renewable sources located on site or nearby, set by a Government decision, starting in 2026 (lit. b).

The text of the law does not itself fix the figure in lit. b): it refers to a Government decision. Check whether it has been adopted before you invoke it.

The 30% threshold and the consumption level (art. 17 para. 3)

The level of total primary energy consumption for nZEB buildings, including that provided from renewable sources, is set by technical regulations, that is by Mc 001-2022. The share of energy from renewable sources is 30% of the total primary energy consumed, calculated according to the methodology, regardless of the functions of the buildings and the potential of the areas in which they are located.

Deadlines (art. 17 para. 1-2)

• New buildings, in general: those for which acceptance on completion of the works is carried out on the basis of the building permit issued from 31 December 2020 onwards will be nZEB buildings.
• New buildings owned or managed by public administration authorities: those to be accepted on the basis of the building permit issued after 31 December 2018.

The reference is the date of the building permit, not the date of acceptance.

The nZEB compliance report

• The law defines it (art. 3 point 22^1) as a document drawn up by an energy auditor for buildings, grade I, according to the methodology, which analyses whether a building in the design phase meets the conditions for classification as an nZEB building. The framework content is in the methodology, and the report also includes the study on the feasibility of using high-efficiency alternative systems.
• To meet the deadlines above, the urban planning certificate issued by the local authority, with a view to obtaining the building permit, requires an nZEB compliance report attesting that the total primary energy consumption falls within the levels in the methodology (art. 17 para. 4).
• The technical documentation for authorising the execution of works must contain the nZEB compliance report (art. 10 para. 5).
• The study on the feasibility of high-efficiency alternative systems (art. 3 point 22^2 and art. 10 para. 1-3) is prepared by the designer; for new buildings it may be integrated into the nZEB compliance report.

What Mc 001-2022 requires (§2.2.1.1 and table 2.10a)

For new residential nZEB buildings, the minimum energy performance requirements concern three things:

• the maximum permitted values of total primary energy consumption, from renewable and non-renewable sources, according to table 2.10a;
• the maximum permitted values of equivalent CO2 emissions, according to table 2.10a;
• a total primary energy consumption covered at least 30% from renewable sources, including from renewable sources installed on site or nearby, within a radius of 30 km from the GPS coordinates of the building.

Note 1 of the table restates the rule: in Romania it is legally established that the total primary energy consumed by nZEB buildings must be produced at least 30% from renewable sources, including those on site or nearby (at most 30 km from the GPS coordinates).

Table 2.10a gives the limits by building category and by the five climate zones (I-V), with the mention "începând cu 2022" (starting from 2022). Three of the categories, with total primary energy in kWh/(m² year) and equivalent CO2 emissions in kg/(m² year):

Individual residential buildings

• zone I: 120.1 and 14.7
• zone II: 127.9 and 16.0
• zone III: 133.3 and 17.1
• zone IV: 140.6 and 18.5
• zone V: 147.9 and 19.9

Collective residential buildings

• zone I: 99.1 and 12.0
• zone II: 103.7 and 12.8
• zone III: 105.9 and 13.5
• zone IV: 109.5 and 14.3
• zone V: 113.1 and 15.1

Office buildings

• zone I: 94.7 and 10.1
• zone II: 98.4 and 10.9
• zone III: 98.9 and 11.5
• zone IV: 100.6 and 12.2
• zone V: 102.6 and 13.0

The table also covers buildings for education, the health system, tourism, commercial premises and buildings for sports activities. Note 3 shows how to proceed for buildings with main uses different from those in the table: the limit is determined as the area-weighted average of the limits of the component zones, keeping the 30% renewable-source rule. The figures were transcribed from the official text; for a certificate or a report, read them directly from Official Gazette no. 46 bis.

Existing buildings

The requirements for existing buildings undergoing major renovation are separate (§2.2.2 and table 2.10b). Under art. 11 para. (1) of the law, in a major renovation the energy performance must be improved to meet the requirements of the methodology, as far as technically, functionally and economically feasible.

Exceptions

The minimum performance requirements in Mc 001-2022 are not mandatory for the categories in art. 8 para. (1): protected buildings and monuments, places of worship, temporary buildings used for up to 2 years, buildings used less than 4 months a year and stand-alone buildings under 50 sq m. Those with an industrial or agricultural purpose, external garages and spaces open on one or more sides are excluded from application by art. 8 para. (2).

What is not in this guide

The transposition in Romania of Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings is covered separately, in the guide EPBD transposition in Romania. The law and the methodology cited here are those in force on 6 October 2026, according to the Legislative Portal and the Ministry's page.

For an energy audit that goes coherently through all the steps, from the building data to the certificate, Annex 1, Annex 2 and the calculation breviary according to Mc 001-2022, you can see the full workflow in the Zephren calculation program.