Amending the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU (EPBD): A call for tangible and timely results during trilogue negotiations

Europe stands in front of a unique opportunity: to create a fresh boost to jobs and growth in Europe and achieve a win-win for all stakeholders – the planet, EU citizens and European industry. How? By ensuring a forward-looking and determined review of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), as part of the wider Clean Energy Package and pending energy market reform.

Energy efficiency represents a real opportunity to move forward on implementing the Paris climate change agreement, to improve living conditions for ordinary citizens and to create an integrated modern energy system. And against the background of the trend towards decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitisation, buildings are increasingly part of this new energy system: they no longer only consume electricity, but become a flexible energy source in themselves – where active prosumers self-generate and -consume, aggregate, trade and sell surplus electricity to the grid.

As the EU institutions prepare for trilogue negotiations on the EPBD, Orgalime is urging regulators to act with determination in the following areas in particular:

• Prioritising the renovation of the existing building stock and leveraging the innovation that technical building systems can deliver

• Setting in place determined long-term renovation strategies

• Developing a smartness indicator to assess the technological readiness of the building

A true step towards smart buildings should be made by encouraging the roll out of the relevant energy management infrastructure and technologies; in particular, non-residential buildings should be leading examples of innovation platforms. These recommendations are well reflected in the ITRE Committee Report of MEP Rapporteur Bendtsen. We urge the Council to commit to the same level of ambition, in order to strike the right balance for the final Directive and deliver an effective answer to the challenges and opportunities that Europe faces.