Energy Performance

of Buildings
EU-28 Final Energy Consumption, 2012
In brief
Agriculture Other
2.1% 0.7%
The building sector accounts for approxi-
Services
mately 38 % (2011) of final energy con- 13.5%
sumption in Europe. The energy saving Transport
potential of this sector is substantial, with 31.8%
significant potential benefits at many lev-
els. For individuals, energy-efficient homes
mean improved comfort and more dispos- Industry
able income. For economic sectors, energy 25.6%
efficiency improves industrial competitive-
ness and increases asset values through
rental and sales premiums. National gov- Households
ernments can benefit from reduced ener- 26.2%
gy-related expenditures and reduced energy Source: Eurostat
dependency; while at the international level
energy efficiency improvements equate to of the Energy Efficiency Directive, published The technology
reduced GHG emissions, lower energy prices, in 2012 (2012/27/EU) will also make an
improved natural resource management and important contribution. The goal of reducing the energy consumption
other socioeconomic benefits. of a building can be achieved by following
There are three main approaches to reducing three priority steps: applying energy sav-
There are a number of policy directives in the energy consumption of a building: the ing measures such as improving insulation;
place that aim to exploit the potential offered first concerns the building’s envelope - the increasing the energy efficiency of building
by energy saving technologies, principally the relationship between the indoor and outdoor installations; and using renewable energy
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive space; the second deals with meeting near- resources to cover a building’s remaining
(EPBD) (2002/91/EC and recast 2010/31/ ly-zero energy conditions or compensating energy needs. There is a wide range of tech-
EU), which requires Member States to apply for energy consumption with renewable nologies that can be used in each of these
minimum energy performance requirements energy production; finally, the third deals steps. Used in conjunction with optimum
for new and existing buildings and which with the role ICT can play in optimising design techniques that minimise summer
makes nearly-zero–energy obligatory for building design, resulting in a smarter use heat gain and winter heat loss, use passive
new constructions after 2020. The objectives of energy. heating and cooling techniques, and use

SETIS
 Energy Performance of Buildings

Basic principle of Solar panel

External
Supply air to Extract air filter
living room air from
kitchen Fresh air

Supply air Heat

Optional: subsoil heat exchanger Source: Passive House Institute

daylight to reduce lighting needs, these tech- Reduction of energy uses an additional heat exchanger to extract
nologies mean that high energy performance consumption and the use extra heat by condensing water vapour from
buildings can become a reality. combustion products. Heat pumps, whose
of energy from renewable
main operating principle is to absorb heat
Building envelope sources in the buildings from a cold place and release it to a warmer
The building envelope, or shell, plays a key sector constitute important one, can also be used for space heating and
role in reducing the energy demand of a measures needed to reduce hot water. Solar thermal collectors absorb
building, and innovative building materials, incoming solar radiation and convert it into
components and elements offer building
the Union’s energy heat, which is then carried from the circu-
designers a range of opportunities to reduce dependency and greenhouse lating fluid either to space heating or hot
a building’s energy needs. gas emissions. water equipment or to a thermal energy
storage system for later use. Heat recovery
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
Heat transfer through the building envelope systems can reduce the energy consumption
can be reduced by using insulation materi- of heating, ventilation and air conditioning
als such as fibreglass, polyurethane foam, (HVAC) systems as they use heat exchangers
polystyrene foam, cellulose insulation and to recover hot or cold air from the ventila-
rock wool to fill or coat walls, roofs, floors unwanted air leakage. In combination with tion exhaust and supply it to the incoming
and facades. Double or triple glazed windows heat recovery ventilation systems, improving fresh air.
with low emissivity can reduce energy con- the air-tightness of a building can obtain
sumption per m2 of glazed surface by more the required levels of 0.4–0.6 air changes Renewable energy technologies
than 40 %. Films and coatings can also be per hour with an energy efficiency of the Nearly-zero–energy buildings take advan-
used on existing glazing to help minimise installation of over 80 %. tage of renewable energy technologies,
solar gains. Furthermore, innovative building which can be divided into the following cat-
facades that integrate different technologies Building installations egories: solar, biomass, geothermal, and
will contribute to the overall energy perfor- A variety of different new technologies for aero-thermal. Solar collectors are used to
mance of a building. heating, cooling, ventilation and other sys- produce hot water for domestic use, biomass
tems can be used in new constructions or products (e.g. wood logs, pellets) are used in
Other ways of reducing a building’s energy in renovated buildings. The application of a heating systems, and heat pumps (geo- and
needs include the use of shading devices specific building energy technology depends aero-thermal energy) are often used in build-
to reduce sun penetration, thereby reducing largely on the available energy resources. ings for ground-coupled and air-to-air heat
cooling loads. For health reasons a mini- For example for heating, electricity might be exchange. Rooftop photovoltaic installations
mum exchange of the building air volume, more economically interesting in one Mem- can produce electricity to cover a building’s
expressed as air changes per hour (ACH), ber State than in another where biomass or residual energy needs - this can either be
is required by law. The air-tightness of the gas is more available. Condensing boilers consumed directly or supplied to the grid for
envelope can also be improved to minimise are an efficient heat-generation system that later consumption.

2
 Energy Performance of Buildings

Fact file • High-energy–performance buildings will • Double or triple glazed windows can
play an important role in the future reduce thermal transmittance to below
• 38 % of final energy consumption energy system by balancing energy sup- 2.7 W/m2K, and argon-filled double glaz-
(2011) in Europe is accounted for by ply and demand both at the building ing to 1.1 W/m2K. Argon-filled triple
the building sector. Final energy con- level and over a much wider area. glazing can reach values of 0.7 W/m2K.
sumption in the building sector depends
significantly on annual weather condi- • The energy performance of buildings • In addition to reducing heat losses by
tions. (EC/JRC 2014) is influenced by several factors, such installing roof insulation, cool roofs can
as the geometry and orientation of a also help minimise solar absorption and
• Nearly-zero–energy buildings (nZEB) building, building envelope performance maximise thermal emission, thereby
can be achieved through a combina- and the efficiency of building installa- reducing the heat flow into a building
tion of energy efficiency measures and tions. A building’s energy consumption and the energy used for cooling it.
proper integration of renewable energy depends largely on its usage (occupancy
technologies. behaviour and auxiliary gains). • Chillers, which are large cooling devices
that produce chilled water rather than
• The recast of the EPBD and other • Low U-values (high thermal resistance) cooled air for use in large residential
directives should give a new impetus of 0.1–0.15 watts per metre squared and commercial buildings, can be up to
to energy efficiency in order to reach Kelvin (W/m2K) can be achieved by using three times more efficient than typical
the targets set for 2020. At present, a various materials, including fibreglass, air conditioners.
9 % saving is expected, well below the polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam,
target of 20 %. cellulose insulation and rock wool.

Energy management codes have adopted a performance-based the BBC-Effinergie standard in France sets a
Smart technologies entering the built envi- perspective (as opposed to a prescriptive maximum limit of 50 kWhep/(m²a) (primary
ronment range from control automation to one, based on individual measures) and energy per square metre per year) for new
smart metering devices for interaction with this means that integrated solutions and buildings and 80 kWhep/(m²a) for existing
utilities. Numerous innovative applications packages can be better promoted in build- buildings. There is evidence that suggests
and technologies for the built environment ings. These integrated solutions will take that these standards have pushed legislative
offer opportunities to reduce energy con- into consideration the interaction between requirements to become more ambitious.
sumption and to control the energy demand/ all components and systems in a building, Another example is Denmark, which has a
supply balance through intelligent man- making it possible to holistically optimise comprehensive policy package in force that
agement (Information and Communication a building’s performance. This process will combines regulatory measures such as Mini-
Technology). require more collaboration between different mum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS)
companies and industry actors in order to and Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
Building energy performance offer combined, comprehensive renovation with economic incentives, such as subsidies
assessment packages. Innovative integrated technologies for heating system replacement.
In order to quantify the energy requirements such as ventilated facades and windows,
of a building, an appropriate assessment is solar chimneys and new insulation materials
needed that takes into account the various can also contribute to a further decrease Ongoing research
areas of energy consumption and energy in a building’s overall energy consumption.
production that contribute to a building’s As stipulated in the Energy Performance of
overall performance. Energy performance In addition to mandatory standards, there Buildings Directive (EPBD), the requirement
assessment by calculation (building design; are various voluntary harmonisation efforts of nearly-zero–energy buildings from 2018
nZEB) or measurement (renovation of exist- that have been leading the industry towards to 2020 will necessitate the development
ing buildings) should be based on a concise improved energy efficiency. The Passive of a new design approach, based more on
methodology, especially when it concerns House concept, developed in the 1980s, is energy flows in buildings. The observed
products such as renewable energy tech- based on the concept of harnessing solar trend for energy consumption in buildings
nologies but also energy produced on site and internal heat gains in order to reduce is towards a decrease in thermal energy
or nearby. heating needs, leading to a maximum space for space conditioning and an increase in
heating requirement of 15 kWh/(m²a), com- electricity consumption for installations and
pared to about 185 kWh/(m²a) - which is appliances.
The industry what the current building stock consumes
annually in the EU-27 residential sector Storage is considered to be an important
More stringent energy codes could see the (280 kWh/(m²a) for the commercial building technological option to reduce overall energy
market shift its focus to more sustaina- sector). All Member States have to pres- consumption in buildings. Renovation of
ble construction techniques and materials, ent their building performance targets in buildings and new building design will have
building components and designs. Energy their National Action Plans. For example, to take into account the impact of thermal

3
 Energy Performance of Buildings

mass. Dynamic evaluation and simulation Problems with the implementation of the ket. A much more design-based dynamic
models are required to carefully study the recast of the EPBD and the new Directive methodology and testing system for innova-
impact on the overall energy balance of a on Energy end-use Efficiency and Energy tive and energy-complex building elements
building within the energy system, rang- Services (EESD) in national regulations (and are required to support building designers.
ing from an hourly/daily up to a seasonal/ in relation to European standards) are seen Moreover, designers and architects need to
annual timeframe. Opportunities for distrib- as an additional barrier. Clear definitions of become acquainted with the new energy
uted electricity storage include innovative boundaries for energy performance assess- efficiency technologies in order to ensure
technologies such as batteries, compressed ment are required, particularly in relation to a growing share of new low-energy build-
air storage and vehicle-to-grid. energy infra structure. ings in the built environment. Development
programmes based on awareness, as well
as technological knowledge, should be inte-
Barriers Needs grated in academic programmes to ensure
that this progress takes place.
High investment costs coupled with a long A European-wide harmonised methodol-
payback period, a lack of independent infor- ogy for building performance assessment
mation on energy-efficient solutions at all is required to qualify improvements in
levels and a paucity of solutions for specific building energy consumption, such as the
For further information:
conditions are considered to be the main EPBD energy targets for heating, cooling,
barriers to the implementation of energy ventilation, domestic hot water and lighting.
efficiency measures in buildings. The split The present EPBD provides a framework http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/
incentive, where high capital costs are borne for such an assessment but there are too buildings/buildings_en.htm
by one market participant, while operating many variables left to the Member States to
savings benefit another, is probably one of decide upon. A proper energy performance Build Up. www.buildup.eu
the longer-lasting barriers, particularly in assessment is required for several reasons: The European Portal for Energy
countries where there is a high share of firstly, to qualify construction in practice by Efficiency in Buildings
rental accommodation in the residential measuring and comparing it to design fig-
sector. ures; secondly, to control the improvement European Union (EU), Directive
of building technologies and building energy 2010/31/EU of the European Parlia-
Construction market development has been performance by comparing it, after renova- ment and of the Council of 19 May
severely affected by the economic and finan- tion, to pre-renovation energy consumption 2010 on the energy performance
cial crisis, resulting in the oversupply of con- figures; and finally, to offer practical design of buildings.
struction and reduced market confidence. figures for building design tools in order
The energy-related building industry has not to support newly designed and renovated European Union (EU), Directive
2012/27/EU of the European Parlia-
escaped this general trend and investment buildings.
ment and of the Council of 25 October
in energy efficient measures has become
2012 on energy efficiency, amending
more hesitant. Only after confidence has Furthermore, increased cooperation will
Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/
returned to the financial and economic mar- be required between all actors involved in
EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC
kets will the construction industry revive, the construction and renovation process, in
and 2006/32/EC.
with a consequent upswing in investment order to provide the comprehensive energy
in energy-related markets. efficiency solutions required by the mar-