What Is the BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label? Levels 1+ to 7, Eligible Buildings, Application Process and Rules
What Is the BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label?
BERS (Building Energy-Efficiency Rating System) is the building energy-efficiency rating scheme established by the Architecture and Building Research Institute (ABRI), Ministry of the Interior, in effect since January 2022. Much like the energy-efficiency label on home appliances, it rates a building's overall energy efficiency on a scale of 1+ and 1–7. The assessment focuses on energy use by the building envelope, air conditioning and lighting, and a lower number means better energy performance: Level 1+ denotes a "nearly zero-carbon building," which uses roughly 50% or more less energy than the 2000 building energy-use baseline. Since July 1, 2026, all new public buildings applying for the EEWH green building label must also achieve BERS Level 1 or Level 1+; for private buildings, application remains voluntary for now.
BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label at a Glance
| Competent authority | Ministry of the Interior (approval and issuance); Architecture and Building Research Institute (ABRI), Ministry of the Interior (sets the assessment manual) |
|---|---|
| Evaluation body | Taiwan Architecture & Building Center (TABC) |
| Current manual | 2024 edition of the Building Energy-Efficiency Rating Manual (in effect since July 1, 2025), with residential systems added in September 2025 |
| Levels | Level 1+ (nearly zero-carbon building) and Levels 1–7; plus a "Zero" label (net-zero building) |
| Scope | New and existing buildings, with dedicated systems for both non-residential and residential buildings |
| Certificate types | "Candidate building energy-efficiency certificate" at the design stage and the "building energy-efficiency label" after completion, both valid for 5 years |
| Mandatory for | From July 1, 2026, all new public buildings must achieve Level 1 or Level 1+ |
| Applicability limit | Currently applies only to areas below 800 meters above sea level |
What Do BERS Levels 1+ to 7 Mean?
BERS uses the energy-use level of buildings in 2000 as its baseline. Based on each building's space uses and operating patterns, it builds a tailored energy use intensity (EUI) rating scale, which is then converted into a level:
About 50% or more energy savings
Minimum requirement for new public buildings
About 20% energy savings
Can serve as a starting point for improvement
How Do Level 1+, Nearly Zero-Carbon Buildings and Net-Zero Buildings Differ?
| Designation | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BERS Level 1 | Energy-efficiency score reaches Level 1 | The level with the best energy efficiency |
| Nearly zero-carbon building (Level 1+) | Top 50% of energy-efficiency scores within Level 1 | Roughly 50% or more energy savings versus the 2000 baseline; no renewable energy required in itself |
| Net-zero building ("Zero" label) | First achieve Level 1+, then offset the remaining electricity use with zero-carbon renewable energy and maintain this for 5 years or more | Brings the carbon emissions from operational electricity use to zero through energy savings plus renewable energy |
What BERS Assessment Systems Are There? Can Residential Buildings Apply?
| System | Applies to | Assessment method |
|---|---|---|
| BERSn new buildings | New non-residential buildings | Simulates energy use of the envelope, air conditioning, lighting, elevators and more from design drawings and equipment specifications |
| BERSe existing buildings | Existing non-residential buildings | Rated on actual electricity bills; requires a stable electricity-use record over a continuous period |
| E-BERSe existing building expert assessment | Existing non-residential buildings | Professionals diagnose the envelope, air conditioning and lighting on site; this system is used for assessments before and after retrofit works |
| R-BERSn new residential buildings | New townhouses and public social housing | Assesses the envelope, air conditioning, lighting, water heaters, cooking stoves and more; multi-unit housing also covers elevators, water lift pumps and parking garage fans |
| RP-BERSn | Common areas of new private multi-unit housing | Assesses the energy efficiency of shared building equipment |
| RU-BERS residential units | Residential units in townhouses and multi-unit housing, both new and existing | Simulates the energy use of a residential unit under a standard household scenario |
| ERP-BERSe | Common areas of existing multi-unit housing | Simplified assessment of shared building equipment with improvement recommendations |
Residential buildings now have dedicated systems and can apply for the BERS building energy-efficiency label. Currently, all systems apply only to areas below 800 meters above sea level, and occupancy groups such as warehouses, hazardous-material plants and storage, correctional facilities and farmhouses are excluded.
Which Buildings Must Obtain a BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label?
New public buildings were phased in over four stages and, when applying for the EEWH green building label, must also apply for a building energy-efficiency assessment:
| Phase | Effective date | Occupancy groups covered (new public buildings) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 1, 2023 | Group G, including offices and financial institutions |
| 2 | July 1, 2024 | Assembly and performance, commercial, and leisure, cultural and educational uses |
| 3 | July 1, 2025 | Healthcare and care facilities, dormitories and senior care homes, and residential uses |
| 4 | July 1, 2026 | All remaining occupancy groups; all must achieve Level 1 or Level 1+ |
What about private buildings? For now, application remains voluntary. Market requirements are growing, however: from April 1, 2026, real estate disclosure statements for completed homes must state whether a building energy-efficiency label has been obtained; social housing by the National Housing and Urban Regeneration Center (HURC) is required to achieve Level 1; and the Financial Supervisory Commission's (FSC) "Reference Guidelines for Identifying Sustainable Economic Activities" also uses the building energy-efficiency level as a criterion.
Under the National Development Council's "Taiwan's Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050," the building sector's targets are: by 2030, new public buildings achieve energy-efficiency Level 1 or nearly zero-carbon (already achieved early, in July 2026); by 2040, 50% of existing buildings are upgraded to energy-efficiency Level 1 or nearly zero-carbon; and by 2050, 100% of new buildings and more than 85% of all buildings are nearly zero-carbon buildings.
What Are the Steps in the BERS Application Process?
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Energy-efficiency assessment and improvement recommendations
New projects are simulated from design drawings and equipment specifications; for existing buildings, electricity bills are compiled or an on-site diagnosis is carried out to identify energy-use hot spots and improvement options.
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Apply to the Taiwan Architecture & Building Center (TABC) for evaluation
Submit documents including the assessment data summary sheet, rating score sheet, affidavit, permits and architectural drawings.
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Document review and corrections
Evaluation is completed within 22 days for a candidate certificate and 50 days for a label (correction periods are not counted; each round of corrections must be submitted within 30 days).
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On-site inspection
For formal label applications, experts and academics conduct an on-site inspection together with the applicant.
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Apply to the Ministry of the Interior for approval
Within 6 months, apply for approval with the evaluation report; the ministry then issues the candidate building energy-efficiency certificate or the building energy-efficiency label.
Validity and renewal : candidate certificates and formal labels are both valid for 5 years. Within the 6 months before a label first expires, passing an inspection using the simplified inspection checklist extends it once for another 5 years; any later renewal requires a new evaluation. In practice, going from preparing documents to obtaining the label usually takes about 2–4 months.
How Much Does a BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label Cost?
Review fees and certificate fees; the amounts are small.
Calculated by building type and floor area; see the table below.
Energy-efficiency simulation, on-site diagnosis and documentation, quoted per project.
Equipment replacement and envelope and control upgrades; costs vary widely depending on existing conditions.
TABC Evaluation Fees (NT$)
| Total floor area | New: candidate certificate document review | New: label document review | Existing building label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 m² | 35,000 | 50,000 | 30,000 |
| 1,000–5,000 m² | 35,000 | 50,000 | 40,000–50,000 |
| 5,000–20,000 m² | 57,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 |
| 20,000–40,000 m² | 79,000 | 94,000 | 94,000 |
| 40,000 m² and above | 101,000 | 116,000 | 116,000 |
New projects pay an additional on-site inspection fee for the formal label; projects applying for a floor-area bonus are charged higher rates. Actual amounts follow TABC's latest fee schedule; consulting and simulation fees are separate.
How Does the BERS Label Relate to the EEWH Green Building Label?
The building energy-efficiency assessment was developed from the "Daily Energy Saving" indicator of the EEWH green building label, and the two share the same energy-saving calculation. The difference is that the EEWH green building label assesses multiple indicators, including ecology, energy saving, waste reduction and health, with levels from Certified to Diamond, while the BERS building energy-efficiency label assesses energy efficiency only, with Levels 1+ to 7. The two can be applied for together, or the energy-efficiency label can be applied for on its own. The 2026 edition of the green building evaluation manual goes further, renaming "Daily Energy Saving" to "Building Energy Efficiency" and directly adopting the BERS score.
Further reading: " What Is Taiwan's EEWH Green Building Label?".
Further reading: " What Is the LEBR Low-Carbon Building Label?" (embodied carbon in building materials), " What Is Building Environment Simulation?" (using simulation to find design combinations that achieve Level 1 or Level 1+), " What Is LEED?".
BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label FAQ
What is the BERS building energy-efficiency label?
BERS (Building Energy-Efficiency Rating System) is the building energy-efficiency rating system established by the Architecture and Building Research Institute (ABRI), Ministry of the Interior, in effect since January 2022. Using the energy use of buildings in 2000 as its baseline, it assesses the overall energy efficiency of the envelope, air conditioning, lighting and other systems and rates buildings on a scale of 1+ and 1–7, where a lower number means better energy performance.
Is the BERS building energy-efficiency label mandatory?
It is mandatory for new public buildings: from July 1, 2026, new public buildings in all occupancy groups applying for the EEWH green building label must also apply for a building energy-efficiency assessment and achieve Level 1 or Level 1+. For private buildings, application is currently voluntary, but real estate disclosure statements for completed homes must already disclose whether an energy-efficiency label has been obtained.
What is the difference between Level 1+, a nearly zero-carbon building and a net-zero building?
Level 1+ is the same as a nearly zero-carbon building: a building in the top 50% of energy-efficiency scores within Level 1, using roughly 50% or more less energy than the 2000 baseline, with no renewable energy required in itself. If a Level 1+ building offsets its remaining electricity use with zero-carbon renewable energy and maintains this for 5 years or more, it can obtain the "Zero" label, meaning it is a net-zero building.
How do BERSn and BERSe differ?
BERSn is for new buildings: energy efficiency is simulated at the design stage from drawings and equipment specifications, so a project can first obtain a candidate certificate and then convert it to a formal label after completion. BERSe is for existing buildings and is rated on actual electricity bills; existing buildings that do not meet its conditions can instead use E-BERSe, with an on-site diagnosis by experts.
Can residential buildings apply for the BERS building energy-efficiency label?
Yes. Current systems include R-BERSn for new residential buildings, RP-BERSn for common areas of new multi-unit housing, RU-BERS for residential units (both new and existing), and ERP-BERSe for common areas of existing multi-unit housing, applicable to areas below 800 meters above sea level.
How does the BERS label relate to the EEWH green building label?
The building energy-efficiency assessment was developed from the Daily Energy Saving indicator of the EEWH green building label, and the two share the energy-saving calculation. The EEWH green building label assesses multiple indicators, with levels from Certified to Diamond; the BERS building energy-efficiency label assesses energy efficiency only, with Levels 1+ to 7. The two can be applied for together, or the energy-efficiency label can be applied for on its own.
How long does it take to obtain a BERS building energy-efficiency label?
The statutory evaluation period is 22 days for a candidate certificate and 50 days for a formal label, not counting correction periods; after that, approval must be requested from the Ministry of the Interior within 6 months. In practice, going from preparing documents to obtaining the label usually takes about 2–4 months.
How much does a BERS building energy-efficiency label cost, and how long is it valid?
TABC evaluation fees are calculated by floor area: about NT$50,000–116,000 for the document review of a new-building label and about NT$30,000–116,000 for existing buildings, with consulting and simulation fees separate. Candidate certificates and formal labels are both valid for 5 years, and when a label first expires it can be renewed once through a simplified inspection.
Need Help with a BERS Building Energy-Efficiency Label?
GreenJump provides building energy-efficiency assessments, energy-saving improvement recommendations, candidate certificate and label applications, and planning services for nearly zero-carbon and net-zero buildings.
