Digital building logbook

One place for a building's records

A digital building logbook is a repository, not a document. It holds all relevant data on a building, and the definition names four kinds: energy performance certificates, renovation passports, smart readiness indicators and life-cycle GWP data. Its purpose is to support decisions and information sharing among the construction sector, owners and occupants, financial institutions and public bodies. Financial institutions are named, which makes the logbook a possible source of building data for lending.

EPBD IV does not require Member States to create one. The operative articles refer to it with the qualifier "where available". Article 12(8) requires the renovation passport to be stored in, or accessible via, the digital building logbook where available. Article 16 on data exchange covers building systems' data and refers to the logbook in the same way. Article 22(7) requires the national energy performance database to be interoperable and integrated with other administrative databases on buildings, such as the national building cadastre or land registry and digital building logbooks.

So the definition describes something a Member State may build, and the Directive makes sure that if it exists, the other records connect to it.

Owners already have a related right under Article 16(1): building owners, tenants and managers can have direct access to their building systems' data, and on their consent it can be made available to a third party, without additional cost under Article 16(3).