BACS Requirements in Italy

Italy transposes EU energy performance directives through national legislation:

• Decreto Legislativo 192/2005 (as amended by D.Lgs. 48/2020) — the primary Italian transposition of the EPBD, covering energy performance requirements for buildings.
• DM 26 giugno 2015 (Requisiti Minimi) — sets minimum energy performance requirements including technical building systems.
• EPBD Directive 2024/1275 Article 13 — the EU directive mandating BACS in non-residential buildings. Italy must transpose by the implementation deadline.
• Conto Termico 2.0 and Ecobonus — incentive mechanisms that can offset BACS upgrade costs.

The BACS requirement applies to non-residential buildings (edifici non residenziali) where the effective rated output of HVAC systems exceeds the threshold:

• Offices and commercial buildings (uffici)
• Retail and shopping centres (centri commerciali)
• Hotels and tourism (alberghi)
• Hospitals and healthcare (ospedali, RSA)
• Schools and universities (scuole, università)
• Public administration buildings
• Industrial buildings with significant HVAC load

Italy's climate zones (from A to F) mean HVAC loads vary significantly by region. Southern buildings often have high cooling loads; northern buildings have high heating loads. Both count toward the threshold.

• ENEA(Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia) administers energy efficiency incentives and provides technical guidance on building automation.
• Conto Termico 2.0 — covers up to 65% of eligible costs for energy efficiency interventions in public buildings and up to 40% for private buildings, including BACS installations.
• Ecobonus — tax deductions of 50–65% for energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings, applicable to building automation upgrades.
• Superbonus — while reduced from 110%, remaining incentives can still apply to comprehensive energy retrofits that include BACS.
• APE (Attestato di Prestazione Energetica)— Italy's energy performance certificate. BACS upgrades improve the APE class.

1. Determine your HVAC rated output. Sum heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot water systems. If it exceeds 70 kW, you are in scope.
2. Check your climate zone. Buildings in zones E and F (northern Italy) typically have higher heating loads; zones A–C (south) have cooling loads.
3. Explore Conto Termico and Ecobonus. These can cover 40–65% of BACS upgrade costs depending on building ownership and type.
4. Plan for APE improvement. BACS upgrades improve your energy certificate class, which affects property value and rental attractiveness.