The European Commission aims to at least double the annual rate of energy-efficient renovation of buildings (currently 1% on average in the EU) by 2030, which would mean renovating up to 35 million buildings, says a draft version of the ‘Renovation Wave’ strategy, dated 30 September and consulted by EUROPE.
Scheduled for Wednesday 14 October, this non-legislative initiative should thus help to close the gap between the EU and the European energy efficiency objectives by 2030.
A first assessment of the Member States’ national energy/climate plans carried out by the Commission (see EUROPE 12562/2) indeed notes that they would lead to an improvement in energy efficiency of 29.4% for final consumption and 29.7% for primary consumption, i.e. a gap of 3.1 percentage points and 2.8 points compared to the current EU 2030 target (an improvement of 32.5%).
Moreover, this gap would be widened in the case of an increase in the 2030 climate target as proposed by the institution. A reduction in emissions of at least 55% would indeed require an improvement in energy efficiency of around 36% (final consumption) and 39% (primary consumption), according to the Commission.
If the EU wants to reach the -55% target, it will need to reduce GHG emissions from buildings by 60%, final energy consumption by 14%, and energy consumption for heating and cooling by 18% by 2030, says the draft ‘Renovation Wave’ strategy.
Investment needs
In terms of costs, the Commission estimates that “EUR 185 billion of annual investment in energy efficiency for buildings” would be needed to achieve a reduction in EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of at least 40% by 2030 (the current target).
A target raised to ‘at least 55%’ would require at least EUR 100 billion in additional annual investment, the text adds.
In order to mobilise such an amount, the institution is particularly counting on the funds that will be made available in the post-Covid-19 recovery framework, notably through the ‘Recovery and Resilience Facility’.
When assessing national recovery plans, the Commission will thus pay particular attention to ensuring that buildings are included as a top priority, the document says.
The institution also intends to strengthen access to attractive private financing through the Sustainable Finance Action Plan.
On the other hand, the text does not provide for a European financing mechanism dedicated to building renovation (see EUROPE 12515/23).
Legislative measures being considered
The document also mentions several legislative initiatives.
As part of the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010/31) scheduled for the end of 2021, the Commission will introduce mandatory minimum standards for buildings’ energy performance.
“A range of options and a phased roll-out of minimum energy performance standards will be considered in the impact assessment to address different situations across the whole range of buildings”, the document states.
According to the institution, these standards will help overcome the lack of information on buildings’ energy profiles and the lack of trust between owners and tenants, two major obstacles to renovation.
This revision will also lead to an update of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) framework. In this respect, the Commission intends specifically to propose a “uniform European format” for certificates and stricter provisions on central databases and their accessibility.
In the context of the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27) scheduled for June 2021, the institution will also examine the need to extend energy audit requirements to larger and more complex non-residential buildings such as hospitals, schools, and offices.
Finally, the text states that, by 2023, the Commission will draw up a roadmap through 2050 for reducing carbon emissions over a building’s entire lifecycle, particularly through the use of wood products. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)