Buildings Performance Institute Europe - BPIE

For almost 2 years, local authorities in Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia have been working to implement Building Renovation Passports (BRPs) as part of the project. But, what have they learnt and what challenges they encountered along this journey?

On a workshop organised last week in Bucharest, project partners shared their lessons learnt and key takeaways after implementing BRPs in municipalities to achieve deep renovation. Their two main highlights are:

🖊️ It is key to be part of a consortium that helps collaborate, share knowledge and build capacity.
🖊️ Local authorities can be key players to decarbonise the building stock, but more resources and expertise are needed, as well as long-term goals and planning.

Read in more detail about all the sessions in the workshop👉https://www.bpie.eu/news/deep-renovation-building-renovation-passports-romania-bulgaria-slovakia/

Commissioners’ Hearings: BPIE suggestions for Building Prosperity - 10 policy priorities -

Commissioners’ Hearings: BPIE suggestions for Building Prosperity - 10 policy priorities On behalf of BPIE (Buildings Performance Institute Europe), I would like to congratulate you on being re-elected to the European Parliament and wish you the best of luck in your work.  

🗞️Our latest newsletter is out, in time for the rentrée!

What's included:
10 priorities for the new EU Commission to ensure buildings drive growth and social value

Plus:

Boosting renovation incentives with iBRoad2EPC 🛠️
Key insights on EPBD implementation 🔑
And more hot topics in the world of sustainable buildings! 💡
👉 Dive in now: https://mailchi.mp/bpie.eu/augustnewsletter2024

📩 Don't miss out—sign up for our monthly updates and stay ahead of the curve! http://eepurl.com/g1ZW5j

Building prosperity: 10 priorities for the new EU Commission In Brussels, the new political season is beginning these days, and the pace of activities in European capitals is picking up as well. It is reassuring to see that the re-elected President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, defined her political priorities for the coming five years wit...

🚀Report launch! FOUR reports identifying policy needs for successful implementation! https://www.bpie.eu/epbdwise/

After months of *desk research*, *interviews*, *topic-specific stakeholder workshops*, and *6 intensive roundtable discussions* with policymakers in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Ukraine (whew!), we have identified the key policy needs for 5 crucial elements of the 2024 EPBD. This exercise is a foundational first step to formulate effective policy guidelines.

Each report provides a broad overall assessment of policy needs per topic and identifies the nitty-gritty details and key watch-out points that will need to be given special consideration for each country.

Here's a snapshot:
✅ National Building Renovation Plans (NBRP):

💡Not just a checkbox admin document! NBRPs have the potential to become dynamic strategic instruments to drive large-scale building renovations, sustainable urban development and equitable social progress, adding significant value.
🔍What you’ll find: 7 key criteria for NBRPs and 11 good practice examples.

✅Zero-Emission Buildings (ZEBs):

💡While ZEB represents a significant shift from the previous nZEB standard, member states don't have to start from scratch! Many robust nZEB definitions, methodologies, best practices, and new research provide a strong basis for effective ZEB implementation.
🔍What you’ll find: 12 key criteria for an effective ZEB definition & 7 good practice examples.

✅Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS):

💡To fill their purpose, MEPS will require robust design of other elements of the EPBD including NBRPs, EPCs and RPs, and of course, more and better building stock data.
🔍What you’ll find: 5 policy needs & 6 good practices from Flanders & Brussels (Belgium), France, Scotland, England and Wales, and the Netherlands.

✅ Renovation Passports (RPs):

💡Renovation Passports are intended to make renovation easier for homeowners. There are two potential approaches that have different implications in terms of governance: integrating the RP into the EPC (national competence) or developing it as a standalone document within existing energy advisory schemes (regional competence). There are benefits to both, but a harmonised approach with EPC offers important cost-efficiency benefits.
🔍What you'll find: 9 policy needs and 7 good practices

✅EPCs are core to a well-functioning renovation ecosystem, and outcomes of this first work shows a range of areas for policymakers to focus their efforts to strengthen national EPC schemes.
🔍What you'll find: 6 policy needs and 7 good practices

📖 Access the full reports here: https://www.bpie.eu/epbdwise/

Join us next week for the webinar on energy efficiency policies and renovation initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans 🏘

With a panel of experts from Serbia and Slovakia, we will assess implications of provisions in the newly adopted and other policy files for public authorities🤝

Find out more and register here 👉 https://www.bpie.eu/event/energy-efficiency-policies-renovation-initiatives-western-balkans/

📣Webinar📣 Better data for better policy making

With the entering implementation phase, the need for robust has never been more crucial.

Join us on May 7th as we'll delve into the new EU Building Stock Observatory & the BuiltHub project!

🕤May 7th, 09:30 - 10:30, online

Agenda & Registration:

[Webinar] Better data for better policy making: Unveiling the new Building Stock Observatory and delving into BuiltHub insights > BPIE - Buildings Performance Institute Europe The final agreement on the Buildings Directive and its impending integration into national policies marks a pivotal moment for the enhancement of energy efficiency across the EU. Recent conversations within the BuiltHub project with local decision-makers have revealed a unanimous recognition of the....

❗️Less than a week to register for the webinar💻on the role of for municipalities in Central and Eastern Europe in context of the 📃

Don't miss this opportunity to ask about the impact of the EPBD in countries like Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia!

Register here👉🔗https://lnkd.in/epxXQJtX

What role will play in the recently adopted by the European Parliament for municipalities in Central and Eastern Europe?🏘

📆 Join us on 30 April in a webinar organised by the project in which we will address local authorities' questions on the EPBD implementation in Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia🔎

Registrations are open here👉 https://loom.ly/89S_g1I

📢 New report!

💶 EU €50 billion took effect on 01/03 & 1st payments are set to be made this month, and other multilateral donors from around the world are mobilizing funds, such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and many others.

🏗 We therefore propose 6️⃣ investment criteria to ensure that money goes towards a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine's buildings:

1⃣ Investments should be directed towards projects that consider minimum energy efficiency requirements for individual building elements. This should apply to all buildings, whatever the level of damage.

2⃣ Buildings damaged during the war should not be exempted from minimum energy efficiency requirements.

Reconstruction projects which receive public support and funding from multilateral donors, must systematically follow energy efficiency requirements.

3⃣ Investments should be directed towards projects that involve technical building systems based on renewable energy solutions.
We call on multilateral donors to allocate funds to projects that do not allow heating equipment based solely on fossil fuels.

4⃣ Investments should be directed towards projects that improve the entire energy performance of buildings.

Multilateral donors should refer to standard which sets energy performance & renewable energy thresholds.

5⃣ Investments should be directed towards projects that support climate change adaptation to ensure the built environment is resilient to extreme weather events such as dust storms, hurricanes, fires, floods and droughts.

6⃣ Investments should be directed towards projects that address material circularity. Use of sustainable materials & waste recollection & reuse of debris should be considered to reduce use of primary raw material.

As Russia's war wages on, imagining reconstruction is a challenge. But rigorous investment criteria should bring many benefits to Ukraine:
🟢a future-proof energy system
🟢supporting the country’s path to join 🇪🇺
🟢providing health & comfort for people.

💡Multilateral donors & policymakers have a responsibility to ensure money flows to than before

The 6 investment criteria is not about ticking boxes, but about investing in the future of a .

Read the report here🔗https://www.bpie.eu/publication/building-back-better-6-investment-criteria-to-drive-a-sustainable-reconstruction-of-ukraines-built-environment/

🎄🎁The BPIE team wishes you joyful celebrations and restful days with your dearest at the end of this challenging year.

2023 was a year of challenge, and also intense collaboration with many of you. We are sincerely grateful for your interest and continued support for our work. We look forward to connecting with you in the new year!

Webinar alert!🚨

On 13 December we will be discussing about what the EPBD recast will bring in terms of speeding up building renovation🏗️ and what good practices can help us prepare for this challenge🎯

Join us in this webinar we co-organised with Budovy pre budúcnosť🙌

Register here👉🔗https://www.bpie.eu/event/accelerating-building-renovation-cee-western-balkans/

The project is helping implement in Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia🎫

Here's how it recently helped a medical centre get a in 🇷🇴 Romania👇

🔗https://euki.de/en/news/first-renovation-pass-for-medical-centre-in-prahova/