Building energy certificates from 2007 lose their validity in 2017:

Since 2007, the German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) has required an energy certificate for residential property that is sold or let for the first time. Since validity was limited to 10 years, the first issued certificates will be invalid by the end of this year. Owners who want to sell property or let it for the first time must obtain a new energy certificate for their building after expiry of this 10-year period. The new certificate must comply with the current version of the German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV 2014) amended in 2016. As such, the new certificates now contain a registration number enabling them to be randomly checked. Specification of an efficiency class has also been added.

Basically, there are two types of certificates. The more favourably priced consumption certificate only takes into account the consumption values of the past years. Its significance thus strongly depends on the consumption pattern of the residents. The energy requirement certificate, on the other hand, takes into account construction and heating system data as well as other relevant factors. Thus, it is deeper in scope and of a greater significance. However, its creation is time-consuming and expensive.