EPEE, representing the heating and cooling industry in Europe, supports the Commission’s ambition to at least double the current renovation rate and facilitate deep renovation across Europe. The Renovation Wave has the potential to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, while cutting energy bills and improving the health and wellbeing of EU citizens.
But for this to become reality, the Renovation Wave must put its weight behind projects that holistically consider the overall energy performance and health benefits of the building, including technical building systems like heat pumps and air conditioners. By accelerating the switch to efficient state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems, the Renovation Wave will boost both energy efficiency and indoor environment quality of European homes and workplaces.
EPEE Director-General Andrea Voigt said “The Commission is right to target public buildings. Schools and hospitals are the low-hanging fruit – these are the buildings where action can be taken quickest and the rewards to be reaped are greatest. Not only can we aggregate and scale such projects at a rapid pace, but these are also the buildings where adequate Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort are most important for increasing productivity as well as health and well-being.”
The energy system of tomorrow will be based on buildings that provide demand side flexibility and storage solutions to the grid. To kick-start the transition towards a more circular and efficient energy system, the Renovation Wave must equip our buildings with advanced heating and cooling systems that can optimise consumption, interact with smart grids, store energy and integrate renewables.
As the European Commission begins to review the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in order to fulfil the objectives of the Renovation Wave, EPEE stands ready to work with EU policy-makers to explore how these key legislative initiatives can be used to boost the adoption of low-carbon heating and cooling systems.