Periodic Reporting for period 1 - iBRoad2EPC (Integrating Building Renovation Passports into Energy Performance Certification schemes for a decarbonised building stock)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-02-28
“Pure pragmatism can't imagine a bold future. Pure idealism can't get anything done. It is the delicate blend of both that drives innovation.”
— Simon Sinek
iBRoad2EPC represents an ambitious though pragmatic effort to catalyse deep renovation of European buildings, by upgrading and making use of the main tool already widely available in the market, namely Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), thus contributing to the EU’s climate objectives.
While currently EPCs are mostly focused on rating the present state of a building in respect to energy performance, they also provide a useful reference point for (a) identifying the building's potential for improvement and (b) incentivising action towards such improvement. Upcoming developments in relevant EU policies seek to enhance these aspects, among others, by, e.g. setting Minimum Energy Performance Standards for buildings and defining specific benchmarks for building renovations.
iBRoad2EPC's approach can work in synergy with such developments, while supporting win-win solutions in a much broader context. Its assumptions are none other than the real renovation market conditions: the majority of building renovations in Europe are financed –and very often supervised– by the owners themselves, while also being implemented in stages, at least in the residential sector. This entails several challenges, including the owners' probable lack of know-how, which can impact the quality, depth as well as the cost of the renovation. A common issue is 'lock-in', whereby choices during the first stages of a stepwise renovation limit the potential –or disproportionately raise the cost– of future improvements.
In this context, authoritative guidance is essential.
Scaling buildings renovation presents a formidable challenge due to the major differentiation both between broader typologies and between individual buildings, as well as between different owners' needs and resources. Customised guidance needs to be provided by experts, representing high upfront costs and limited numbers that can be served.
This was the route taken by iBRoad, iBRoad2EPC's predecessor project, which focused on developing a model Building Renovation Passport (BRP) –a step-by-step renovation plan customised for individual residential buildings and according to their owners' means and requirements. The BRP was complemented by a Digital Building Logbook (DBL), a repository for building information.
iBRoad2EPC follows on iBRoad's footsteps, while taking a more market-oriented and pragmatic approach, simplifying and cutting down the expected cost of the renovation plan, integrating it with the EPC and facilitating its implementation at scale. Specifically, iBRoad2EPC has the following objectives:
Objective 1: Upgrade EPCs by exploring and demonstrating the integration of selected elements of the Building Renovation Passport, in particular customised recommendations to achieve deep renovations, and of the Digital Building Logbook.
Objective 2: Enhance the information provided in the EPC to improve its reliability and value for the end-user, by incorporating features covering complementary dimensions, such as comfort and indoor environmental quality, the smart dimension of buildings, and real consumption data to close the gap between calculated and measured performance. The list of specific features will be finalised during the project.
Objective 3: Facilitate the convergence of training requirements for energy experts and auditors, to boost the quality and reliability of EPCs across Europe, by developing training modules for new EPC features, such as for the provision of customised recommendations to building owners, indoor environmental quality, smart dimension, real energy performance, and testing the modules' integration into existing EPC training schemes.
Objective 4: Enable the roll-out of next generation EPCs in EU markets by exploring and forging links with supportive frameworks and other initiatives, demonstrating, through case studies, the potential of the new EPC.
Objective 5: Demonstrate how to stimulate the use of next generation EPCs as a central tool to promote deep renovation of the EU building stock and achieve a highly efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050.
Objective 6: Ensure deployment of the iBRoad2EPC tools and methods beyond the project duration and geographical scope.
— Simon Sinek
iBRoad2EPC represents an ambitious though pragmatic effort to catalyse deep renovation of European buildings, by upgrading and making use of the main tool already widely available in the market, namely Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), thus contributing to the EU’s climate objectives.
While currently EPCs are mostly focused on rating the present state of a building in respect to energy performance, they also provide a useful reference point for (a) identifying the building's potential for improvement and (b) incentivising action towards such improvement. Upcoming developments in relevant EU policies seek to enhance these aspects, among others, by, e.g. setting Minimum Energy Performance Standards for buildings and defining specific benchmarks for building renovations.
iBRoad2EPC's approach can work in synergy with such developments, while supporting win-win solutions in a much broader context. Its assumptions are none other than the real renovation market conditions: the majority of building renovations in Europe are financed –and very often supervised– by the owners themselves, while also being implemented in stages, at least in the residential sector. This entails several challenges, including the owners' probable lack of know-how, which can impact the quality, depth as well as the cost of the renovation. A common issue is 'lock-in', whereby choices during the first stages of a stepwise renovation limit the potential –or disproportionately raise the cost– of future improvements.
In this context, authoritative guidance is essential.
Scaling buildings renovation presents a formidable challenge due to the major differentiation both between broader typologies and between individual buildings, as well as between different owners' needs and resources. Customised guidance needs to be provided by experts, representing high upfront costs and limited numbers that can be served.
This was the route taken by iBRoad, iBRoad2EPC's predecessor project, which focused on developing a model Building Renovation Passport (BRP) –a step-by-step renovation plan customised for individual residential buildings and according to their owners' means and requirements. The BRP was complemented by a Digital Building Logbook (DBL), a repository for building information.
iBRoad2EPC follows on iBRoad's footsteps, while taking a more market-oriented and pragmatic approach, simplifying and cutting down the expected cost of the renovation plan, integrating it with the EPC and facilitating its implementation at scale. Specifically, iBRoad2EPC has the following objectives:
Objective 1: Upgrade EPCs by exploring and demonstrating the integration of selected elements of the Building Renovation Passport, in particular customised recommendations to achieve deep renovations, and of the Digital Building Logbook.
Objective 2: Enhance the information provided in the EPC to improve its reliability and value for the end-user, by incorporating features covering complementary dimensions, such as comfort and indoor environmental quality, the smart dimension of buildings, and real consumption data to close the gap between calculated and measured performance. The list of specific features will be finalised during the project.
Objective 3: Facilitate the convergence of training requirements for energy experts and auditors, to boost the quality and reliability of EPCs across Europe, by developing training modules for new EPC features, such as for the provision of customised recommendations to building owners, indoor environmental quality, smart dimension, real energy performance, and testing the modules' integration into existing EPC training schemes.
Objective 4: Enable the roll-out of next generation EPCs in EU markets by exploring and forging links with supportive frameworks and other initiatives, demonstrating, through case studies, the potential of the new EPC.
Objective 5: Demonstrate how to stimulate the use of next generation EPCs as a central tool to promote deep renovation of the EU building stock and achieve a highly efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050.
Objective 6: Ensure deployment of the iBRoad2EPC tools and methods beyond the project duration and geographical scope.
iBRoad2EPC has progressed substantially towards its objectives in the first 18 months of implementation, respectively:
Identifying Building Renovation Passport elements that can be integrated in next-generation EPCs, including customised and ordered recommended renovation measures and critical points for their implementation to avoid lock-in effects, in order to meet EU and national policy targets for deep renovation. (Objective 1)
Refining additional information to be included in such upgraded EPCs, covering indoor environment quality as developed in the EU-funded X-tendo project and 'smartness' of the building as defined by the relevant Smart Readiness Indicator working group. (Objective 2)
Developing a database of customised measures, step-by-step recommendations and potential points of conflict, tailored to each of the six pilot countries (BG, ES, GR, PL, PT, RO), allowing building auditors to efficiently and effectively provide guidance customised to each building case (Objectives 1, 2 and 3).
Developing the first version of the software supporting the iBRoad2EPC process and generation of the new EPC, for each of the six pilot countries. (Objectives 1 and 2)
Developing the first version of a training module for new EPC features aimed at energy experts and auditors, as well as a training package for the iBRoad2EPC process and tools and one for construction professionals to interpret iBRoad2EPC and to consider stepwise renovation in delivering qualitative works. (Objective 3)
Co-designing, together with key stakeholders, including official entities, through National Advisory Committees (NACs) in each of the six pilot countries, the national adaptation of iBRoad2EPC and a vision (national guide and action plan) for the national implementation and roll-out. (Objective 4)
Identifying Building Renovation Passport elements that can be integrated in next-generation EPCs, including customised and ordered recommended renovation measures and critical points for their implementation to avoid lock-in effects, in order to meet EU and national policy targets for deep renovation. (Objective 1)
Refining additional information to be included in such upgraded EPCs, covering indoor environment quality as developed in the EU-funded X-tendo project and 'smartness' of the building as defined by the relevant Smart Readiness Indicator working group. (Objective 2)
Developing a database of customised measures, step-by-step recommendations and potential points of conflict, tailored to each of the six pilot countries (BG, ES, GR, PL, PT, RO), allowing building auditors to efficiently and effectively provide guidance customised to each building case (Objectives 1, 2 and 3).
Developing the first version of the software supporting the iBRoad2EPC process and generation of the new EPC, for each of the six pilot countries. (Objectives 1 and 2)
Developing the first version of a training module for new EPC features aimed at energy experts and auditors, as well as a training package for the iBRoad2EPC process and tools and one for construction professionals to interpret iBRoad2EPC and to consider stepwise renovation in delivering qualitative works. (Objective 3)
Co-designing, together with key stakeholders, including official entities, through National Advisory Committees (NACs) in each of the six pilot countries, the national adaptation of iBRoad2EPC and a vision (national guide and action plan) for the national implementation and roll-out. (Objective 4)
At the end of the first 18 months of the project, iBRoad2EPC initiated the testing of its process and tools in the six pilot countries. This includes training of testers –mostly professional energy experts or auditors– identification of suitable buildings, and implementation of iBRoad2EPC for these.
The results of the testing will support the further development and refinement of the process for implementation in each country and tools (database of recommendations and software). This will also be reflected in the training material, national guides and other complementary outcomes.
In parallel, the iBRoad2EPC partnership continues its targeted interaction with key players through the NACs at the pilot country level, and with relevant entities and networks at the EU level to promote iBRoad2EPC's application and integration with existing procedures, towards catalysing deep renovation of the European building stock (Objective 5).
Last but not least, the iBRoad2EPC partnership is working on its business perspectives and contribution to the ongoing policy dialogue, to ensure exploitation of the project's results beyond its own duration. (Objective 6).
The results of the testing will support the further development and refinement of the process for implementation in each country and tools (database of recommendations and software). This will also be reflected in the training material, national guides and other complementary outcomes.
In parallel, the iBRoad2EPC partnership continues its targeted interaction with key players through the NACs at the pilot country level, and with relevant entities and networks at the EU level to promote iBRoad2EPC's application and integration with existing procedures, towards catalysing deep renovation of the European building stock (Objective 5).
Last but not least, the iBRoad2EPC partnership is working on its business perspectives and contribution to the ongoing policy dialogue, to ensure exploitation of the project's results beyond its own duration. (Objective 6).