One page that separates today’s Bulgarian obligation from the EU requirement and the 2026 draft - so you can identify your threshold, document the gaps and plan without buying the wrong system.
The obligation depends on which rule you are reading, the building’s use and the effective rated output of its heating or cooling systems. Do not turn a proposed threshold into a current deadline.
Article 13 defines what the building must be able to do. It does not prescribe a brand, a protocol or a wholesale replacement of equipment that already works.
See how Volts connects existing systems
Bulgaria’s current Energy Efficiency Law already contains a BACS obligation. It is narrower than the 2026 proposal and must be assessed against the wording that is in force - not against the draft.
The published proposal widens the scope and lowers the future threshold. These are planning signals, not yet a basis for claiming that every non-residential building is currently obliged.
Put each date beside its legal status. That prevents a portfolio plan built on a consultation draft from being presented as a settled compliance programme.
| 12 March 2021 | The existing Bulgarian Article 31a obligation entered into force for its current, narrower scope. |
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| 23 August 2026 | Public consultation on the amendment closed; no further legislative step had been completed as of 2 September 2026. |
| 31 December 2029 | The EU directive’s deadline for the above-70 kW non-residential tier; Bulgaria’s final transposition wording still needs to be checked when adopted. |
Floor area alone does not answer the question. Ask for the effective rated output of the relevant heating, air-conditioning or combined systems, then map that figure to the building’s use and the applicable legal text.
The practical risk is not only a fine. It is reaching an audit or inspection without a defensible scope calculation, feasibility position or record of how the building performs.
Begin with the compliance and performance gap, then choose the financing route. A grant is useful only if it does not force the building into more hardware than the outcome requires.
You do not need to predict the final law to remove the expensive unknowns. Establish the threshold, the present capability and the smallest defensible path to close the gap.
Volts can help connect existing meters and systems, add missing data and turn findings into controlled workflows. Whether a building complies remains a building-specific legal and technical assessment.
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Yes, for the narrower category defined in the current Energy Efficiency Law. The proposed extension to a wider range of non-residential buildings remains a draft until adopted and promulgated.
The EU directive sets 31 December 2029 for non-residential buildings above 70 kW, where technically and economically feasible. Your Bulgarian obligation depends on the national wording in force at the time; confirm the system boundary and final transposition before fixing a compliance date.
It may cover part or all of the requirement if it delivers the required capabilities. Assess monitoring, logging, analysis, adjustment, benchmarking, loss notification, interoperability and indoor-environment monitoring - not the label on the front of the system.
It requires a building-specific, documented assessment.
Start from the effective rated output of the relevant heating, air-conditioning or combined system. Have a qualified adviser confirm which generators and systems must be aggregated for your exact installation.
They are a separate requirement in Article 13 of the recast directive: above 290 kW by 31 December 2027 and above 70 kW by 31 December 2029, where technically and economically feasible. Check the final Bulgarian transposition before treating those dates as national-law wording.
Take legal advice on the enforcement route and sanction that apply to your building. We do not publish a penalty figure.
No. Volts can provide data, integrations, monitoring and controlled workflows that support the technical case. Compliance must be assessed and signed off by the competent qualified professionals under the applicable Bulgarian rules.
This page is legal information, not legal advice. Review the current official text and obtain building-specific advice before making a compliance or investment decision.
Use the regulatory update for the dated picture, then move to the practical pages that show how existing systems can be connected and controlled.
Read the 2026 Bulgarian draft update
← Back to LearnBring the building type, heating and cooling system outputs, and anything already installed. An engineer will help map the known facts, flag what still needs professional confirmation and scope the smallest sensible first step.