Temperature, runtime and fault data, on the owner's terms
Connected heat pumps and HVAC systems already stream temperature, energy use and fault codes to a manufacturer's or installer's cloud. The Data Act gives owners — and the independent installer they choose — a standing right to that same data, separate from the building-level reporting the EPBD drives.
The owner's right is live; EPBD reporting is separate
The Data Act has applied generally since 12 September 2025. The recast EPBD drives separate building-level energy performance and reporting duties — don't conflate the two.
Owner access-on-request
Provide an authenticated request path for temperature, runtime, consumption and fault data already logged.
Owner-directed third-party sharing
Let an owner route their own unit's data to an independent installer or energy-service provider.
Pre-contract data transparency
Disclose what a new unit records and how it can be exported, before purchase or installation.
Accessible by-design architecture
New HVAC platforms placed after 12 September 2026 should ship the access API built in.
| Field group | Typical source | Delivery format |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature (indoor/outdoor/flow) | Unit sensor via manufacturer/installer gateway | Time-series export or streaming API |
| Runtime hours | Compressor/fan runtime counter | Interval export aligned to service schedules |
| Energy consumption | Power meter or drive telemetry | Interval export per unit or zone |
| Fault/error codes | Unit diagnostic log | Structured export with code, timestamp and severity |
Usually in scope
- Temperature readings (indoor, outdoor, flow)
- Runtime hours and compressor cycling data
- Energy consumption per unit or zone
- Fault and error codes
Usually outside Chapter II
- Proprietary comfort/efficiency-optimization control algorithms
- Cross-installation aggregate performance benchmarking
- Firmware and embedded control logic
- Data never captured or retained by the manufacturer's cloud
From an installer-only feed to an owner-controlled export
The manufacturer or installer cloud already has this data for remote diagnostics. The access layer decides whether the owner and their chosen third party get to see it too.
Today: a closed loop
Product
Heat pump / HVAC unit
Backend
Manufacturer/installer cloud
- Temperature (indoor/outdoor/flow)
- Runtime hours
- Energy consumption
- Fault/error codes
Only exit
Manufacturer's own app
- No user-facing export or API
- No route for the user to authorize a third party
- No permissions model, so every request is a one-off exception
- No audit trail if a user or regulator asks what was shared
With a Data Act access layer
Product
Heat pump / HVAC unit
Backend
Manufacturer/installer cloud
- Temperature (indoor/outdoor/flow)
- Runtime hours
- Energy consumption
- Fault/error codes
New layer
Data Act access layer
- Field catalog
- User & device entitlements
- Consent & grant registry
Customer export & portal
CSV/JSON, self-service, same quality as the manufacturer sees
Third-party API (OAuth)
Purpose-bound grant to a repairer, analytics or energy provider
Audit & compliance log
Request, decision, recipient and delivery evidence for review
What we implement, concretely
A customer API for temperature, consumption, runtime and faults, CSV/JSON export, third-party access, and an audit layer.
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Customer API for temperature/consumption/runtime/faults | Authenticated access to per-unit operational data |
| CSV/JSON export | Self-service export sized for homeowner or building-management ingestion |
| Third-party access | Purpose-bound, revocable credentials for an independent installer or energy-service provider |
| Entitlement & audit layer | Owner/lessee-aware access control with a reviewable decision log |
Start with one unit family and one installer partner
Prove field-level classification and the trade-secret boundary on one product line before extending it across your full range.
Trace the telemetry pipeline
Map every field from unit sensor through gateway, cloud storage and analytics, and classify raw vs. derived.
Model entitlements
Connect unit identity to ownership, lease and commercial-financing records, including end-of-lease handoff.
Design the owner API
Define catalog, request, third-party grant and delivery endpoints separate from internal engineering APIs.
Build the decision engine
Turn catalog, entitlement, trade-secret and privacy checks into explainable allow, partial and refuse outcomes.
Ship export and streaming
Deliver a historical export and, where useful, a live feed matching the platform's own refresh cadence.
Test the edge cases
Run through leased commercial units, multi-zone buildings and disputed control-algorithm requests.
HVAC & heat pump Data Act FAQ
Can an independent installer get fault-code data without going through the manufacturer's app?
Yes — this is a normal Article 5 request. The homeowner or building operator directs their unit's fault and diagnostic data to the independent installer or service company of their choice, for the agreed repair or maintenance purpose, rather than being limited to the original manufacturer's own service network.
Is the heat pump's control algorithm a trade secret?
The algorithm that optimizes compressor cycling and comfort setpoints can be, through the Act's structured trade-secret process. The temperature, runtime and energy readings it produces are not automatically covered just because a proprietary algorithm generated them — those are the operational data the owner is entitled to.
How does entitlement work for leased commercial HVAC equipment?
The Data Act's user definition covers renters and lessees for the duration of their agreement, which matters for commercial buildings where HVAC equipment is often leased rather than owned outright. Build the entitlement model around the lease term, with a clear handoff back to the leasing company or building owner at end of term.
Do we need real-time streaming, or is periodic export enough?
Only where continuous delivery is both relevant and technically feasible, matching the quality already available to the holder. Most HVAC platforms already poll on an interval rather than stream continuously — a compliant export can follow that same cadence rather than requiring new real-time infrastructure.
How does this interact with EPBD building-level energy reporting?
They operate at different levels. The recast EPBD drives building-level energy performance and reporting obligations that may aggregate HVAC data among other building systems. The Data Act is the separate, ongoing right for the equipment owner and their chosen third party to access that specific unit's own operational data — useful input into EPBD reporting, but not the same obligation.
Is a smart thermostat that controls the HVAC unit a separate connected product with its own access rights?
Usually yes. A thermostat and the heat pump or furnace it controls are commonly built by different companies and hold separate data — see our dedicated smart thermostat page for how that device's own setpoint, occupancy and schedule data is scoped, distinct from the HVAC unit's own runtime and fault data covered here.
Primary sources and status
Reviewed 9 September 2026. The Data Act, GDPR and recast EPBD are binding EU law. The Commission FAQs are non-binding implementation guidance. Yarify's API contract, entitlement model and delivery sequence are engineering recommendations, not legal advice.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 — the EU Data ActBinding legal text covering connected-product data access, third-party sharing, fair terms and transitional dates
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 — the General Data Protection RegulationBinding data-protection rules relevant where HVAC data is linked to an identifiable household
- Directive (EU) 2024/1275 — the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)Binding EU directive driving building-level energy performance and reporting obligations that overlap with HVAC data
- European Commission — Data Act FAQs, version 1.4Non-binding implementation FAQs covering scope, roles, access, trade secrets, compensation and cloud switching