The 2024 recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD IV) redefines the role of HVAC professionals, placing them at the centre of the EU’s strategy for decarbonising its building stock. This paper explores how new policy provisions, including mandatory Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) and the voluntary Smart Readiness Indicator, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), enhanced Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Renovation Passports (RPs), and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) safeguards, are reshaping expectations and workflows across the HVAC sector. Drawing on the final EPBD text, the study outlines both the compliance challenges and the business opportunities stemming from this evolving regulatory landscape. Key focus areas include the integration of smart-ready technologies, the operationalisation of IEQ metrics, and the upskilling needs of the HVAC workforce. By examining the directive’s practical implications for designers, installers, facility managers, and energy auditors, the paper argues that the HVAC profession is not merely subject to EPBD compliance, but is now a strategic enabler of Europe’s climate, energy security, and digitalisation goals. The work concludes by identifying pathways through which HVAC stakeholders can lead the transformation from regulatory burden to market-driven innovation.
Liţiu et al. (2026) studied this question.