for 40 per cent of energy consumption and 36 per cent of CO2
emissions in the EU-28, with older
buildings consuming disproportionately higher amounts of power than their newer counterparts. Simply by improving energy efficiency in our building stock, total energy consumption across the EU could be reduced by five to six per cent. A fall of this magnitude would greatly help Europe meet its global emissions commitments, contributing to the global drive to keep temperature rise under two degrees Celsius, as agreed at the recent COP21 meeting in Paris The EU’s 2010 Energy Performance of Buildings
Directive and the 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive set out a path towards greater energy efficiency, with the ultimate goal of having Europe’s building stock primarily comprised of nearly zero energy buildings (buildings with an extremely high energy performance). Under these laws, all new buildings must be near zero energy by 31 December 2020, while all new public buildings must be at this point by 31 December 2018. EU countries are also obliged to set energy performance requirements for the construction of new buildings and for the renovation of old buildings, as well as guidelines on the retrofit of specific elements such as roofs and walls. Member States are further mandated to establish inspection schemes for heating and air conditioning systems, ensuring that they meet relevant energy efficiency criteria. The 2012 directive strengthens the move towards higher energy performance, requiring that
EU
governments exclusively purchase certified energy efficient buildings. The directive also states that renovations must be carried out on at least three per cent of central government buildings per year. The EU has set itself an overall target of 20 per cent
energy savings by 2020, which is around the same as turning off 400 power stations.
Innovative solutions In addition to legislation, the EU funds a great deal of projects that aim to improve energy performance. These projects, which are carried out by diverse organisations from across Europe, seek to find innovative solutions within the construction and retrofitting sector. ICLEI has been involved in many over the last years, working with a range of stakeholders to make our built environment more comfortable, more resilient, and more energy efficient. One such project is iNSPiRe. To reduce high-energy
consumption in buildings, the EU-backed project has created easy-to-install renovation packages that can be applied to residential and office properties. The packages work through replacing old, centralised heating and cooling systems (such as oil boilers) with systems that make use of renewable energy sources. Dubbed “plug and play” packages, in the majority of cases building occupants can remain inside during installation. Social housing sites in Ludwigsburg (Germany) and in Madrid (Spain) have agreed to act as demonstration
www.projectsmagazine.eu.com
Social housing sites in Madrid act as demonstration buildings for ICLEI
buildings for the project. To assess the impact of the renovations on the buildings, energy audits will be carried out before and after the iNSPiRe technology is installed, providing an accurate analysis of the project’s efficacy. The four-year long project also aims to both
The EU has set itself an
20 per cent energy savings by
overall target of 2020
lower energy costs for building users and help to reduce the harmful emissions produced by older buildings. The project has set a goal of a 50 per cent energy consumption reduction in older buildings through the application of the plug-and- play renovation kits. Sustainable lighting and the use of information and communication technologies to reduce energy consumption is also incorporated into the renovation process. By enabling building owners
to improve the
sustainability of the property while residents remain in their homes, costs are drastically reduced. ICLEI is also a partner in the OPTIMUS smart city
project, which focuses on using increased energy efficiency in public buildings to make cities cleaner and more sustainable. The OPTIMUS Decision Support System (DSS) is an integrated web- platform that uses real-time data to seek out the most fitting energy saving opportunities available for each public building based on its profile. Three cities participated in the piloting of the online platform: Savona (Italy), Sant Cugat del Vallès (Spain) and Zaanstad (The Netherlands). The aim of the project is to design, develop and
deliver a platform that will collect and structure open data sets based on factors such as weather conditions, the buildings’ current energy use, current energy prices, and energy production. This information is then displayed in an easily
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