The current SRI methodology prepared by the study team (2nd SRI technical study under service contract with the European Commission) with the support of all EU-wide involved stakeholders is the most advance to date for assessing the smartness of buildings. Simply put it consists of a checklist approach for identifying the availability of smart services and their functionality level in a given building that presents big potential to support the ongoing digital transformation of the built environment. Even so, quite a few stakeholders still consider the SRI needs to be future-proofed and integrate in-use smart building performance based on measured/metered data.
For future proofing the Smart Readiness Indicator a 3rd group of EU-wide experts (SRI Topical Group C - learn more here about Topical Groups A & B) has been created at the end of 2019. REHVA is honoured to have been given the trust to chair the activities of Topical Group C, falling within the scope of REHVA's Technology and Research Committee.
The scope of this newly formed and self-managed (volunteer based) working group is to discuss and identify future pathways of updating the existing methodology and furthermore implementing the assessment method C of SRI, which is based on measured data of the actual performance of buildings. The operation of this Topical Group C group will continue beyond the termination of the 2nd SRI technical study (i.e. June 2020). Within the scope the SRI Topical Group C experts will also analyse how to make the transition to an in-use/performance based SRI exploring the most effective means on one hand for automating the checklist evaluation process and on the other hand for leveraging measured data and define an additional in-use SRI methodology.
Overall updates on Smart Readiness Indicator activities:
- The second technical study on the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) for buildings supports the Commission services in view of the adoption of the SRI legal acts and the establishment of the scheme. The actual development process is now coming to an end, and there's an ongoing shift towards preparing the legal acts and subsequent implementation;
- Discussions on the preparation of the delegated act that will establish the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) scheme under Article 8(10) of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), including the definition and calculation methodology of the SRI, have started in Q4 2019;
- A first meeting of the Expert Group on the EPBD took place on 6 November 2019. During that meeting, the technical study on the smart readiness indicator outlined the proposed SRI calculation methodology and the Commission tabled first orientations for the preparation of the SRI delegated act. Additional meetings followed on 11 December 2019, and subsequently in 2020. The documents used as a basis for the discussions led in the Expert Group can be accessed through the Register of Commission Expert Groups;
- The discussions on the preparation of the SRI implementing act (to be adopted under Article 8(11) of the EPBD) will develop in parallel and will be led in the Energy Performance of Buildings Committee. The first exchange took place on 11 December 2019 and there will be subsequent iterations in 2020. Information pertaining to the Committee meetings can be found on the Comitology Register.