Making renovation easy
Renovation requires technical expertise, financial support, trusted contractors, quality solutions as well as measured results.
The revised EPBD mandates Member States to introduce ‘one-stop shops’ to make the entire renovation process easier for buildings owners by providing everything they need in one place. It also opens the door to cooperation between the authorities and private sector to set up and operate such dedicated entities.
“One-stop shops will accelerate renovation initiatives by removing the financial, technical and administrative hurdles that slow down the process and provide trusted results that deliver,” said Katarzyna. “They will also create new jobs across Europe. The economic impact will be significant.”
Ensuring real performance
Member States are traditionally reliant on theoretical calculations to estimate the energy performance of buildings based on questionnaires about factors such as surface area, number of rooms and type of heating or cooling appliances.
The new EPBD now offers Member States an option to accurately measure the real performance of buildings using meters, sensors and digital technology.
Katarzyna said: “Knauf Energy Solutions has consistently demonstrated how theoretical calculations, used to define energy performance, can be wildly inaccurate when compared to real life monitoring of energy use by readily available digital technology.
“As we accelerate the transition to a zero-emission built environment it is vital that we have accurate insights on the success of renovation initiatives. We need to have a quantifiable understanding of how effective these measures have been in terms of metered energy savings and emissions reduction.
“I am confident Member States will welcome the opportunity to accurately audit the impact of renovation initiatives using digital solutions that provide a long-overdue and much-needed level of trust in energy efficiency measures.”
Harmonising the market
From 2028 there will be a national requirement for new buildings of more than 1,000 square metres to disclose their whole life carbon (WLC). This requirement will be extended to all new buildings as of 2030.
WLC encompasses the carbon emitted from energy used to heat and cool a building (operational carbon) and the carbon generated throughout the life cycle of building materials (embodied carbon).
WLC will need to be disclosed through energy performance certificates in accordance with European Standard EN 15978.
“This is an important aspect of the EPBD because it harmonises methodology and ensures all countries are reporting in the same way,” said Katarzyna.
“WLC will become increasingly important in the countdown to the 2050 decarbonisation as buildings become more efficient. As a result, it is important that the lifecycle emissions of different materials, processes and services are universally assessed in the same way.”
Zero-emission buildings
Finally, the revised EPBD also updates the energy performance standards for Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings. These new standards will see an improvement by 10% compared to current requirements for new buildings.
Under the revised directive, new public buildings must meet a new “zero- emission standard” as of 2028 and as of 2030 all new constructions must be “zero-emission”.
Katarzyna said: “It is essential that new buildings are futureproofed and do not require significant energy renovation before 2050. Quality renovations and well-performing new buildings are fundamental to decarbonise our energy systems in a way that is sustainable and economically viable.”
Quentin Galland-Jarrett added: “The revised EPBD is a golden opportunity to improve the living standards of millions, achieve Europe’s 2050 decarbonisation targets and strengthen European energy resilience. At Knauf Insulation we are looking forward to supporting Member States in achieving these historic ambitions.”
• For more details about the revised EPBD discover here
Picture in the header: Homes in the Gansbeek residential area of Bilzen, Belgium.