Deep Energy Renovation of Buildings Cannot be Overlooked, Press Release 13th July 2010

24-08-2010 13:20:15

Press Release 13^th July 2010

Deep Energy Renovation of Buildings Cannot be Overlooked
The Construction Sector in the EU shows the need for special attention to be paid to buildings in any upcoming EU strategy or policy on energy efficiency

 

Following the announcement, on July 8^th 2010, by the Commissioner for Energy, Gi.inther Oettinger, that the European Commission expects to adopt a new EU strategy or action plan on the subject of Energy Efficiency in early 2011, the Construction Sector has issued a paper that shows the necessity of setting ambitious, realistic targets for the deep energy renovation of buildings. The paper authoritatively points out that without paying immediate attention to buildings, it will be impossible to achieve the ambitions of the EU to reduce CO₂ emissions by 80-95% by 2050 as compared to 1990 levels.

 

The initiative to bring together the actors and stakeholders in the construction sector at European level has been led by the Architects' Council of Europe (ACE). Its sole objective was to devise a broadly accepted paper containing proposals for submission to the European Commission, the European Parliament and other decision makers as an input to their deliberations on what should be included in any policies on energy saving with regard to buildings, in particular the existing building stock. Action at EU level on this issue is deemed vital to ensure a rapid recovery from the economic crisis and, more importantly, to significantly contribute to the goal of ensuring that global warming is restricted to less than 2°C as compared to pre-industrial levels.

 

It is widely acknowledged that there is an imperative need to improve energy efficiency in the European Union, although it comes at the eleventh hour in the challenge of keeping global temperature rises to below 2°C as compared to pre-industrial levels. In the specific field of energy efficiency, the EU has set an indicative target of achieving 20% energy savings by 2020.

The best, most cost effective and reliable way to achieve this 2020 target is to establish the framework necessary for a total transformation in the way that the energy efficiency of existing buildings, of which there is an estimated 210 million in the EU, is addressed. Future EU energy saving strategies and policies must place the deep energy renovation of existing buildings as the centrepiece of action and bring into force the necessary accompanying measures in associated fields such as increased research, education and training, manufacturing and renovation capacity, high quality building certification schemes, balanced, progressive fiscal and financial incentives and effective compliance schemes.

The paper issued by the ACE following consultation with many actors in the construction sector points out that there is a need to set binding targets for the deep energy renovation of existing buildings that are complementary to the strengthened requirements for new buildings set out in the recently recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010/31/EU). All renovations of buildings must ensure that the energy performance of the building after renovation is significantly better (up to 90% better) than it was beforehand and that the extent of increased energy performance must, in some way, be tied to the building regulations for new buildings in force in the relevant country. Additional requirements and progressively increasing fiscal and financial incentives are necessary to ensure that deeper renovations become the business as usual practice and clearly cost-optimal.

 

The paper can be accessed on the website of the ACE at:
http://www.ace-cae.eu/public/contents/qetdocument/content id/868

 

Or it can be requested by sending an e-mail to: info@ace-cae.eu

 

Note to Editors:

 

The Energy Efficiency Action Plan Taskforce (E²APT) is an informal initiative of actors and stakeholders from the European Construction Sector and it has worked over the past six months to prepare the contribution on the deep energy renovation of buildings referred to in this press release.

 

The initiative was conceived and led by the Architects' Council of Europe
(www.ace-cae.eu) and the Organisations consulted were:

 

Acronym	Name	Website
ACE	Architects' Council of Euroee	http://www.ace-cae.eu
BPIE	Building Performance Institute Europe	http://www.bpie.eu
CECED	European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers	http://www.ceced.eu
CECODHAS	Comité Européen de Coordination de ('Habitat Social	http://www.cecodhas.org
CEMR	Council of European Municipalities and Regions	http://www.ccre.org
	Council of European Producers of Materials for Construction	http://www.cemc.org
E2BA	Ener. Efficient Buildings Association	http://www.e2b-ei.eu
EEB	Eurpean Environmental Bureau	http://www.eeb.org
ECCREDI	European Council for Construction Research, Development and Innovation	http://www.eccredi.orq
ECEEE	European Council for an Energy Efficient Econom	http://www.eceee.org
ECF	European Climate Foundation	http://www.euro.eanclimate.org
ECN	European Climate Network	http://www.climnet.org
ECP	European Concrete Platform	http://www.euroeeanconcrete.eu
EFCA	European Construction Technology Platform European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations	http://www.ectp.com
		http://www.efcanet.org
EIB	European Investment Bank	http://www.eib.org
EPE	European Partners for the Environment	http://www.epe.be
ES-SO	European Solar-Shading Organization	http://www.es-so.eu
EURIMA	The European Insulation Manufacturers Association	http://www.eurima.org
EuroACE	The European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings	http://www.euroace.org
EUROCITIES	EUROCITIES	http://www.eurocities.eu
FIEC	The European Construction Industry Federation	http://www.fiec.org
IUT	International Union of Tenants	http://www.iut.nu
EuropePU		http://www.pu-europe.eu
RAP	Regulatory Assistance Project	http://www.raponline.org
REHVA	Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning Associations	http://www.rehva.eu
RICS	Royal Institution of Chartered Survey	http://www.rics.org
TBE	Tiles and Bricks Europe	http://www.tiles-bricks.eu
UEPC	European Union of Developers and House Builders	http://www.uepc.org
WWF EPO	WWF European Policy Office	http://www.eanda.org
	Energy Cities	http://www.eneroy-cities.eu http://www.thecentre.eu/place