Romania Eficienta 2024 Forum: the role of the EPBD review in achieving climate neutrality of the European real estate fund

Given that the building sector is responsible for almost half of the energy consumption of the European Union, the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings is a key text for achieving the climate objectives assumed at national and regional level, said Valérie Plainemaison, Secretary General of EFIEES.

Meeting the long-term goals of achieving climate neutrality in the building sector by 2050 are complemented by important short-term benefits. The costs related to the use of energy-efficient buildings are much lower, generating savings when paying energy bills. The energy renovation of buildings also contributes to combating energy poverty, and the EPBD provides, in this sense, the obligation of EU member states to support vulnerable households through dedicated financing schemes, said Bogdan Atanasiu, representative of the European Commission.

The most important changes introduced by the revision of the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings are, from the perspective of Mihnea Cătuți, Head of Research, Energy Policy Group: the transition from the nZEB standard (building with almost zero energy consumption) to ZEB (building with zero emissions ), the energy classification of buildings and the measures provided for the renovation of buildings with the lowest performances, as well as the provisions related to embodied carbon emissions, essential for the decarbonization of the real estate stock.

Following the official adoption of the revised EPBD, Romania will have to transpose the new regulations at the level of national legislation and establish clear intermediate targets, which ensure the achievement of a climate-neutral real estate park by 2050. The EPBD introduces specific instruments that have the role of supporting in-depth energy renovation, in stages, of the existing building stock, taking into account the carbon footprint during their entire life cycle.

Oana Özmen, Secretary of the Commission for Industries and Services in the Chamber of Deputies, said that the Parliament has already started the process of harmonizing the Romanian legislation with the new regulations established by the revision of the EPBD. The legislative project, aimed at amending Law 372/2005, will introduce minimum energy performance requirements based on which building renovation passports will be issued. These are essential to have a correct picture of the performance achieved following the renovation, from the perspective of energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Romania has a significant stock of old, energy-inefficient buildings that need extensive renovation. The solutions offered by the construction sector will have an important contribution to the reduction of energy consumption and operational emissions, generated by the use of buildings, but also to the improvement of the conditions offered to the occupants, by increasing the indoor air quality, ensuring a constant, comfortable temperature and a level of low noise, thanks to the high-performance materials used for thermal and acoustic insulation.

People’s quality of life is the most important motivator for addressing the building fund, according to Adrian Joyce, Director of Renovate Europe. The main benefits of energy efficient buildings correspond to the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental and economic. On a social level, it protects the health of users and provides the necessary comfort to carry out the activity in the best conditions. Environmental protection is achieved by reducing energy waste and pollution, and by creating new jobs in the construction sector, local economic prosperity is supported.

Local administrations benefit from funds intended for the energy efficiency of buildings, allocated through structural programs, especially through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The tendency of the authorities to focus on public buildings, hospitals and educational institutions has become visible, says Cătălin Lungu, president of OAER, but it will be very important to maintain a sustained pace and monitor the works, in order to achieve the expected results: energy savings and the reduction carbon dioxide emissions.

“We live in a country dominated by a certain spirit of conservatism, a country that is based on cases of good practice, that is, we need to see that it is possible”, noted Alexandru Mureșan, Renergia CEO, talking about the importance of the examples provided by the renovations to the nZEB standard of education units in the public system, through the Efficient Romania program, for the authorities of local administrations.

Romania Eficienta will continue the energy renovation of schools in the Romanian public system, said Radu Dudău, president of the Energy Policy Group and coordinator of the program. He also announced a new first: Romania Eficienta will run two nZEB standard energy rehabilitation projects in parallel, and the ambitious plan is for the necessary works to increase the energy performance of the selected school buildings to be completed during this year.

(P)