29th of June - Brussels

link to the flyer flyer_29_06_2009_Brussels

The energy performance of buildings is a key energy policy concern for Europe

(Commission, Member States), addressed by several Directives, notably the Energy

Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Buildings are responsible of 1/3rd of the

total energy use in Europe, and the long term potential exists to cut consumption by

half. To achieve the ambitious goals set up by the Commission, reliable calculation

tools are needed to predict with a reasonable accuracy the performances of buildings

to both satisfy minimum performance requirements for new and refurbished buildings

and to provide energy rating certificate and recommendations for improvements

generally.

The Directive defines general requirements for these processes, but details of

transpositions of the Directive – including calculation procedures - are left to the

Member States authorities. Despite of the availability of European Standards,

developed to harmonise national transposition and although the small market size of

some European countries would not seem to justify the development of national

software tools, especially for more complex buildings, most are in the process of

doing so.

As a result, there is a patchwork of overlapping national methods, frameworks and

conventions. The consequences are difficulties to reach the targets of the Directive.

This patchwork handicaps the dissemination of good practice and know-how, the

circulation of products and services, the comparison of experiences.

Software companies could have interest developing software for the European

Market that can be used within all national regulatory systems (e.g. compliance with

the energy performance requirement, calculate energy performance certificates) and

be linked to already existing design tools.

Although it might take some time to achieve, there could be benefits in having a

Europe-wide framework for such calculation methods, and the accompanying

conventions and quality assurance procedures. Of course, each country would set up

the level of requirements, national input data and boundary conditions, but the

methodology could be the same throughout Europe. Benefits could include more

effective inter-state working, and more focussed development and feedback from

practical experience.