Insulating all European residential buildings can reduce energy demand for heating by 44% (777 TWh of energy savings, equivalent to electricity consumption of Germany and Spain together) compared to 2020, according to the BPIE (Buildings Performance Institute Europe), a non-profit and independent European organization whose studies are highly valued by the European Commission.
This study, prepared in collaboration with Knauf Insulation, a company specializing in sustainable insulation solutions for buildings, focuses on two building rehabilitation scenarios up to 2050date set to achieve climate neutrality in Europe.
In a first scenario, the impact of carrying out a comprehensive rehabilitation of the EU building stock up to 2050 is analyzed. Thus, by 2030 the rehabilitation rates would have to double to at least 2%, reaching 3% by 2035 and 4% by 2040, the result being a potential energy saving of 777 TWh or, what is the same, a reduction in energy demand for heating in residential buildings of 44%.
In a second scenario, the report examines what would happen if 2% of buildings were renovated (the rate predicted by the European Commission) every year until 2050. BPIE concludes that with this renovation rate 30% of the buildings would not be retrofitted by 2050 and 235 TWh in potential final energy savings would be wasted, equivalent to Australia’s electricity consumption.
The main conclusions of this report include the need to invest in the rehabilitation of buildings, having as main action the insulation of the envelope. This can significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels for heating buildings, potentially achieving savings of 46% for gas, 44% for fuel and 48% for coal.
According to Óscar del Río, General Director of Knauf Insulation Iberia, “In the current context, characterized by high energy prices, energy dependency and inflation, the BPIE study shows how improving the energy performance of the existing residential building envelope would significantly reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, such as gas or diesel, would increase the energy independence of the building and would allow the effective growth of renewable energy sources, such as aerothermal or geothermal”.
The report also concludes that the revision of the European Energy Efficiency in Buildings Directive (EPBD), which will be released shortly, should ensure that comprehensive rehabilitation projects are prioritized, while the Minimum Energy Performance Standards ( MEPS) should focus on improving the worst performing buildings in Europe.
In order to convert the blocks into carbon-neutral buildings, public financing is essential, such as aid from the Next Generation Funds.
“The funds for the rehabilitation of the building stock provide us with an excellent opportunity to improve the space we inhabit. Through the insulation of the envelope, we not only managed to reduce the building’s energy demand and influence savings -fundamental objectives of the aid program-, we also managed to improve the quality of the interior environment for the user, preserving their health”, he argues. Luis Mateo, general director of Andimat, the National Association of Manufacturers of Insulating Materials.
