The Czech Republic has completed its first nationwide test of buildings‘ readiness for smart solutions. As part of the SRI-ENACT project, the first-ever SRI auditors were trained and assessed 162 buildings for their readiness for smart solutions (SRI). The results show that Czech buildings currently have only a limited level of digitalisation and smart technologies.
The Smart Readiness Indicator is based on the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). This is a new system for assessing buildings in terms of digitalisation and smart technical building systems (TBS). Its aim is to reduce energy consumption, increase user comfort, and prepare buildings for integration into smart networks.
The assessment covers heating, hot water preparation, ventilation, and lighting systems in particular, but also modern features such as electric vehicle charging and energy consumption management. The key impact criteria include energy efficiency, comfort, maintenance, user information, and energy storage. The result of the assessment process is an overall SRI score, which expresses the extent to which a building is able to function „smartly“ – i.e. respond efficiently and flexibly both internally to user needs and externally to the surrounding energy infrastructure. The score is expressed as a percentage (0–100%) and a letter grade (A to G).
A total of 162 buildings were evaluated as part of the SRI-ENACT pilot testing project. Family houses and apartment buildings were the most represented. Buildings from other categories were also included in the testing – from educational and commercial buildings to healthcare facilities, historic buildings, and municipal buildings. Table 1 shows the average rating of buildings by type.
The results show a generally low SRI rating for buildings. The average rating achieved was 20.6% (median 17.9%). The highest class achieved was D, which was achieved by only three buildings. The highest rating was recorded for a family house: 61.8%. The generally low score is mainly due to the ambitious scale of the indicator, which allows for a large potential in the area of energy flexibility, as well as the generally high requirements for the highest level of functionality.
Despite the overall low SRI score, the results indicate significant differences in the use of intelligent building services systems and smart controls in buildings. The highest average rating was recorded for commercial buildings (26.9%), while the lowest scores were achieved by historic buildings, where technical renovation is generally more difficult (average 13.6%). Family houses also tend to have low SRI ratings (average 18.9%, median 15.8%).
In the Czech context, buildings were often equipped with only a few basic technical domains (heating, hot water, lighting, and control), without the possibility of evaluating other areas. In particular, the evaluation of the dynamic envelope of the building and the charging of electric vehicles is exceptional in the Czech Republic. The production of electricity from photovoltaic systems was mentioned in the assessment, but often without local storage, which reduces the overall SRI score of the building.
An interesting observation is the low correlation between SRI and the energy performance class of buildings. Even relatively energy-efficient buildings from an EPC perspective can have a relatively low smart readiness rating.
Sixteen SRI auditors participated in the pilot assessments. These were usually energy experts who had been trained as part of the SRI-ENACT project. As part of the pilot assessment process, SRI auditors were also asked for feedback on the assessment process itself and the SRI indicator. Among the most frequent comments was the short time required for building assessment – an average of 90 minutes for a family house and just over three hours for other types of buildings. Energy experts often requested clarification of the catalogue of functions used to assess the SRI. The feedback also shows that the SRI methodology differs significantly from the calculation for the EPC, both in terms of complexity and assessment method, and therefore the two systems cannot be directly compared.
The assessment of buildings‘ smart readiness introduces a new classification of buildings, primarily from the perspective of energy flexibility and user-friendliness. According to the EPC, mandatory SRI assessment is expected from mid-2027 for large non-residential buildings with a combined heating, cooling, and ventilation power of over 290 kW. The pilot SRI assessment provided the first important experience with the new indicator and created the first trained SRI auditors.
Michal Staša michal.stasa @ svn.cz
