MPG calculation: what it is and when it is required
The MPG calculation shows how heavily the building materials of a new building burden the environment. Required for new builds, with an environmental performance limit of 1.6 for homes since 1 July 2026. What it contains, who makes it and how it relates to BENG and the energy label.
In short
- MPG expresses the environmental impact of building materials as shadow costs per square metre per year.
- Required for the building permit of new homes and offices above 100 square metres; not for sale or letting.
- Limit for homes: 0.5 since 1 January 2025 (before that 0.8 and 1.0).
- MPG is about materials, BENG and the energy label about energy.
Contents
What is an MPG calculation?
MPG stands for MilieuPrestatie Gebouwen, the environmental performance of buildings. The calculation expresses the environmental impact of all building materials in one figure: the shadow costs in euros per square metre of gross floor area per year, over the building's whole lifetime. The lower the figure, the smaller the impact of the materials.
The MPG therefore looks at the building itself: concrete, timber, insulation, frames, installations. Energy use while living there is outside it; that is what the BENG requirements and the energy label cover.
When is an MPG calculation required?
Since 1 July 2026 for new builds of almost every use, from homes to offices, shops and schools. Only an industrial use or other use smaller than 50 square metres of usable floor area is exempt. Where a technical building permit is needed, as for an apartment building or an office, the environmental performance data belong to the application, just like the BENG data. For a new ground-level home, a building notification with quality assurance has applied instead of that permit since 1 January 2024. Existing homes, alterations without a permit, and the sale or letting of a home need no MPG.
The limit went from 1.0 at its introduction on 1 January 2018 to 0.8 on 1 July 2021. Since 1 July 2026 homes have a limit of 1.6: not a tightening, but the old 0.8 converted to the revised assessment method. If a design comes out above the limit, the materials have to change: a building that needs a permit does not get one, and under a building notification the quality assurer cannot issue a declaration, so the building may not be taken into use.
How is the MPG calculated?
- Bill of materials. For every building element the material, the quantity and the service life are recorded.
- Environmental data. The environmental effects per material come from the Dutch National Environmental Database, following the Dutch assessment method for the environmental performance of construction works.
- Weighting. The effects (such as CO2 emissions, depletion of resources and toxicity) are converted into shadow costs and added up.
- Division. The total is divided by the floor area and the building's service life (75 years for homes).
The calculation is made with a validated tool linked to the National Environmental Database. Usually the architect or a building-physics consultant does this, together with the BENG calculation.
How does it differ from BENG and the energy label?
All three are about sustainable building, but they measure different things.
- MPG: the environmental impact of the materials, new builds only.
- BENG: the energy performance of the design (energy demand, fossil energy use, share of renewable energy), also for new builds.
- Energy label: the energy performance of an existing or completed building, determined by a certified assessor and registered in EP-Online.
Read on about the BENG calculation (in Dutch) and the energy label for new builds.
How can you lower the MPG?
- Choose bio-based or reused materials, such as timber instead of concrete where possible.
- Limit the amount of material: a compact design with less facade per square metre scores better.
- Choose materials with a long service life and products with their own verified environmental declaration in the National Environmental Database.
- Count the installations: a heat pump and solar panels count in the MPG as material, not as energy gain.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an MPG calculation when selling my home?
No. For selling, letting and completion you need a valid energy label, not an MPG. The environmental performance requirement applies only to new builds.
Who makes the MPG calculation?
Usually the architect or a building-physics consultant, with a validated tool. Energielabel24 compares assessors for energy labels, measurement reports, tailored advice and rental points counts; MPG calculations fall outside that.
What is the limit for homes?
Since 1 July 2026 the limit for homes is 1.6. Before that it was 0.8 (from 1 July 2021) and 1.0 (from 1 January 2018). The step to 1.6 is a conversion to the revised assessment method, not a tightening.
Does the MPG count towards the energy label?
No. The energy label is about energy only; materials do not weigh in it.
Sources
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), on the environmental performance of buildings and the limits.
- Dutch National Environmental Database, the assessment method for the environmental performance of construction works.
- Dutch Building Decree (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving), article 4.159 and table 4.158, the environmental performance requirement for new builds, in force from 1 July 2026.
- Bulletin of Acts and Decrees (Staatsblad) 2025, 432, the decision that sets the revised assessment method and the limit of 1.6 for homes from 1 July 2026.
- Environment and Planning Regulation (Omgevingsregeling), article 7.9, the environmental performance data in a permit application.
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