Building the Future: SmartLivingEPC Final Event Showcases Digital Innovation for Sustainable Living

Brussels, May 6, 2025 — The final event of the SmartLivingEPC project, titled “Building the Future: Digital Innovations for Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Living”, was successfully held in Brussels, drawing participation from policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and project stakeholders. Organized by REHVA, this high-level conference marked the culmination of a 36-month effort under the EU Horizon framework to redefine building energy performance certification through digital transformation.

A Platform for Collaborative Innovation

The event served as a confluence of three prominent EU-funded projects: SmartLivingEPC, CHRONICLE, and SmarterEPC, all under the umbrella of the Next Generation Energy Performance Certificates (Next Gen EPC) Cluster. The agenda was designed to reflect the shared ambition to modernize EPC schemes, promote smart readiness integration, and address policy, technical, and social barriers in building performance assessment.

Sofia Bazzano from REHVA opened the conference by emphasizing the importance of collaborative innovation in achieving the European Green Deal goals. “Our mission is to align digital tools with regulatory ambitions and drive forward the next generation of EPCs,” Bazzano noted, underlining REHVA’s role as a bridge between research and policy.

Keynote Speeches: Policy and Funding Perspectives

The keynote session featured two prominent speakers:

·         Andrei Vladimir Litiu, Director at EPB Center, provided an in-depth policy update. He elaborated on the 2024 EPBD recast and emphasized the need for national-level transposition by May 2026. The role of SmartLivingEPC and its sister projects in informing EU guidance documents and fostering cross-country collaboration was duly acknowledged.

·         Ulrike Nuscheler, Senior Project Adviser at the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) presented “LIFE-CET 2025: Making buildings’ renovation faster, deeper, affordable, smarter, service- and data-driven”, emphasizing the importance of funding programs like LIFE-CET in accelerating building renovations and integrating smart technologies.

Project Presentations: Innovations in Practice

The event showcased the achievements of the three projects:

·         SmartLivingEPC: Presented by Aggeliki Veliskaki from CERTH/ITI, the project introduced a comprehensive digital framework for energy performance certification, integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, and lifecycle assessment tools. The platform aims to provide enriched energy and sustainability-related information for both the design and actual performance of buildings.

·         CHRONICLE: Manuela Freté from Smart Innovation Norway highlighted CHRONICLE's focus on user-centric tools and social innovation, demonstrating how digital solutions can enhance occupant engagement and comfort while improving energy performance.

·         SmarterEPC: Sophie Dourlens-Quaranta of R2M Solution France discussed the project's approach to integrating Smart Readiness Indicators (SRI) with EPCs, utilizing a shared digital assessment hub and joint certification templates to streamline processes and support the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Panel Discussion: The Role of Digital Tools

The panel discussion moderated by Pablo Carnero Melero, Secretary of REHVA's Technology and Research Committee, featured voices from national agencies, academia, and the private sector. It highlighted the urgency of aligning digital tool development with member state implementation needs, while addressing data accessibility, standardization, and end-user engagement.

Conclusion

The SmartLivingEPC Final Event underscored the critical role of digital innovation in transforming the building sector towards greater energy efficiency and sustainability. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and showcasing cutting-edge tools, the event highlighted the potential of projects like SmartLivingEPC, CHRONICLE, and SmarterEPC to drive the EU's climate and energy goals forward.

As the EU transitions toward smarter, greener living, the groundwork laid by these projects will remain pivotal in achieving an integrated, digitally empowered built environment.