Following the amendments tabled in the ITRE committee of the European Parliament on 06 July 2022 and the progressing negotiations in the Council on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), REHVA has released an updated position paper on the Directive. While there are promising developments in the ongoing negotiations, REHVA is concerned that the definition and requirements for 'zero-emission buildings' (ZEBs) will lead to a fragmented implementation among Member States.
As the association representing engineers and energy experts who will need to design buildings and conduct energy calculation in accordance with the EPBD recast, REHVA wants to stress the importance of this issue on a holistic approach to the energy transition in Europe’s building stock which should ensure that the requirements and used indicators should be in line with the following main principles in the energy transition in the building sector:
- Apply the holistic energy efficiency first principle, starting with energy savings in the building fabric, using efficient technical systems as heat pumps and renewable energies renewable energies as a following step to ensure the lowest possible energy use;
- Consider that buildings are no longer only energy consumers but also energy producers (“energy positive” buildings), mainly based on PV production which could be exported;
- Buildings exist to provide a comfortable environment for people and to protect them from different types of weather circumstances, meaning that the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle cannot apply without the clear setting of targets which aims to improve the IEQ and health requirements in buildings.
Read our updated position paper of July 2022 on the EPBD here.