Brussels, November 15, 2016 – The upcoming “Accelerating Clean Energy Innovation Strategy”, should address two core political priorities of the European Union: building a resilient and energyefficient energy system and built environment with a forward-looking climate change policy and giving a new boost to jobs, growth and investment. The Buildings Performance Institute Europe and the Industrial Innovation for Competitiveness (i24c) initiative explored in a multi-stakeholder process how Europe can rapidly ramp up the innovation and competitiveness of the construction sector throughout the entire value chain to scale up the depth and rate of energy renovation.
The results show that successful programmes of deep energy renovation are feasible at a large scale provided they are supported by policy measures and by more collaboration between actors in the value chain. A set of ingredients must come together such as aggregation of demand; facilitators and integrators of technical solution packages; advisory services that give power to customers; having “à la carte” options designed to fulfil users’ needs and ambitious policy targets.
Implementing support measures that will encourage innovation and scaling up deep energy renovation is a ‘win-win-win’ scenario for the economy (competitiveness and jobs), society (better and smarter homes) and the environment (more renewables and cut in greenhouse gases).
Establishing a harmonised energy renovation target at the EU level and making public funding conditional on performance achieved is one of the key recommendations put forward. Another important aspect relates to empowering frontrunners such as cities, regions or private initiatives to go beyond the set goals and lead by example in order to help increase and accelerate the rate and depth of energy renovation. Public authorities should also lead by example and plan an integrated energy management approach to increase the energy performance of the building stock they own and occupy.
Oliver Rapf, Executive Director for BPIE, reiterates that “the dire need for renovation of Europe’s old building stock is a window of opportunity to ramp up innovation and competitiveness in the construction sector.”
Martin Porter, Executive Director for i24c underlines that “a more widespread and industrialised approach to deep energy renovation presents both opportunities and challenges to the renovation market and actors in the value chain. Further dialogue is needed with key experts to reach a deeper understanding of the implications and the needed changes.”
Find the report here: www.bpie.eu/publication/scaling-up-deep-energy-renovation or http://i2-4c.eu/deep-energy-renovations/