Buildings are Europe\u2019s largest energy consumer. They are responsible for about 40% of the energy consumed and 36% of greenhouse gases emitted in the EU. However, a mere 1% undergo energy renovations each year. To meet Europe\u2019s climate targets, buildings need to become much more energy efficient, and tools used to make this possible need to be improved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One such tool is the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that provides information on a building\u2019s energy efficiency and recommended improvements. However, it also needs to be enhanced in terms of implementation, data quality and reliability. The EU-funded TIMEPAC project is working on doing just that. It is developing a new, dynamic EPC that tracks a building\u2019s performance over time in order to empower and motivate building owners to make their buildings as energy efficient as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although EPCs are a requirement for any building put up for sale or rent in the EU, they fail to provide enough information to help assess a building\u2019s actual energy performance. They also do not shed any light on a building\u2019s potential to host renewable energy production installations or distribute any energy generated to the grid. As TIMEPAC project lead Prof. Leandro Madrazo<\/strong> of Ramon Llull University, Spain, states in the news item, \u201ccurrent certificates have become a mere administrative requirement rather than effective tools for the renovation of the building stock.\u201d According to Prof. Madrazo, the energy certification process is experiencing a \u201cparadigm shift.\u201d The focus is no longer only on a building\u2019s energy performance as an isolated structure, but rather as part of a larger, interconnected system. The new, dynamic EPC will therefore include data on a building\u2019s actual rather than estimated energy consumption, as well as information on the performance of materials and residents\u2019 comfort level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n