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EuroACE: News standards in EPBD revision could enable green transition for buildings

(eceee news, 17 Dec 2021) On 15 December, the proposal for a revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was launched by the European Commission as the final part its ‘Fit for 55’ package. If ambitiously implemented, the new and revised elements have the potential to transform the Renovation Wave from strategy to reality, EuroACE writes.

The introduction of new standards for energy efficient buildings is the centrepiece of the revised Directive and, should make the EPBD the heart of the Fit for 55 Package, if coupled with a strong technical assistance and financing component, according to EuroACE.

The proposal sees all worst-performing buildings in the EU improve their energy performance by 2030 at the latest (or 2033 depending on the purpose of the building), This approach is the starting point for a systemic change, EuroACE writes.

The new standards for energy efficient buildings ­– Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) ­– are introduced by a new Article 9.

Article 3 in the proposal includes National Building Renovation Plans are the revised Long-Term Renovation Strategies. Member States are required to prepare roadmaps for building renovation actions with milestones for 2030, 2040 and 2050.

To enable a better implementation of these Plans, the proposal includes a template in Annex II for Member States to follow. The European Commission will monitor the implementation to make sure that these roadmaps are consistent with their final goal of reaching a zero-emissions building stock by 2050.

According to EurACE, a lot has still to be done to ensure that ambitious energy renovations are carried out in a timely and strategic way across the building stock in the EU.

“Minimum Energy Performance Standards must be designed on a segment-by-segment basis requiring all buildings in a segment to become highly energy efficient and decarbonised by a fixed date in the future, and well before 2050”, said Adrian JOYCE, Secretary General of EuroACE.

Planning is key when it comes to preparing the building sector to embark on this journey, EuroACE writes, and welcomes the transformation of the Long-term Renovation Strategies into National Building Renovation Plans.

Céline Carré, acting President of EuroACE, said: “The National Building Renovation Plans are instrumental to deliver on the full decarbonisation of our building stock. With strengthened requirements and guided by the Energy Efficiency First Principle, they should help the entire value chain to deeply renovate our building stock, with progressive efficiency standards at their core”.

View the press release on the EuroACE web site