Carrying forward the tangible progress of the review of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) to the remaining Clean Energy files

With EU ambassadors and the European Parliament’s ITRE Committee having cleared the way for the final adoption of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the EU institutions are setting the landmark for the remaining negotiations on the pending Clean Energy files at a time when our energy system undergoes the fundamental and irreversible transformation of decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitisation.

Orgalime congratulates EU regulators, and Rapporteur MEP Bendt Bendtsen in particular, for the significant step forward in comparison to the 2010 EPBD review, which now places emphasis on the way we are managing energy in buildings to realise further savings and, for the first time, allows to consider buildings as part of the future energy system.

2018 now is the year to carry forward these bar-setting decisions:

• at EU level to the finalisation of the remaining clean energy files, namely the electricity market reform, energy efficiency, renewables (RES) and governance proposals. In particular, incorporating long-term renovation strategies in the new Governance Regulation, setting in place a strong article 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) on energy savings obligations or a market design that is favourable to buildings as sources of flexibility will be essential.

• at national level to the long-term renovation strategies to be developed by Member States. These should in particular promote smart technologies, well-connected buildings and communities as well as define policies and actions to target all public buildings.

Only with these follow up actions being taken whole-heartedly, the energy transition can succeed in Europe. Orgalime industries stand ready as stakeholders to actively contribute to these decisive tasks ahead of Member States, which, we are convinced, will not only contribute to realising our energy, climate and environmental objectives, increase consumer satisfaction and overall societal well-being, but also secure the EU’s position as the home of leading-edge ICT-enabled industrial innovation, generating local jobs and growth in Europe.

Download the paper to read our position in full.