Take off the energy renovations in buildings

In a European context, the QualDeEPC initiative has elaborated several proposals on the energy certification of buildings and deep energy renovation.

One of the proposals that gained great acceptance in all project countries (Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Spain, and Sweden) has been the creation of a digital platform to promote the energy renovation of buildings.

The opinions gathered in meetings and interviews in Spain, with the participation of institutional and private stakeholders, show the following priorities:

• Improve the quality and level of detail in the recommendations to be included in the Energy Performance Certificates, e.g. investment, energy and economic savings that the property should be aware of. To achieve this, the platform will offer information with some examples of “Improved Certificates”.
• Include a “forum” to exchange experiences and update knowledge among building certifiers.
• The basic platform should be a nationwide web platform providing a one-stop-shop including relevant information for those renovations.
• Quality management and financing for the medium and long term must be ensured to grant the continuity of the platform.
• Differentiate the target groups, adjust the contents for single-family houses, dwellings in buildings, and non-residential.
• It is preferable to include documentation that will support all the process for an adequate deep energy renovation of the building.

This set of priorities demonstrates the need to improve the energy certification of buildings as an important first step to boost the number of energy renovations in our buildings.

What information should the platform include to facilitate the decisions of owners, developers, and other market players?

• Administrative.
• Energy and environment.
• Financial.
• Market and active marketing.
• Links to certificates and renovation.

Some users of the platform?

• Central, regional, and local government.
• Energy agencies.
• Colleges of Engineers and Architects.
• Certifiers and construction companies.
• Building developers and real estate agencies.
• Potential buyers and owners of houses or buildings.
• Economic and financial agents.