Decarbonisation of the EU building stock: innovative approaches and affordable solutions changing the market for buildings renovation
Proposals should demonstrate solutions addressing building fabric and/or technical systems that ensure faster and more cost-effective deep renovations that result in high energy performance. Proposals should include innovations in technology and in design and construction methods with low embodied energy and on-site works organisation, industrialization and lowering cost of energy retrofitting and they should take into account any architectural constraints. They should also include innovations in business models and the holistic integration of disciplines across the value chain. Proposals should also consider energy efficient and low carbon solutions to retrofit building-level heating and cooling systems and the integration of on-site renewable energy generation[[possible synergies with RES-3-2018: Renewable energy system integrated at a building or an industrial site, RES-4-2018: Increased performance of technologies for shallow geothermal heating and cooling solutions and their integration in the energy system, RES-5-2018: Demonstrate significant cost reduction for built-in PV solutions for ""(nearly) Zero Energy Buildings”]], energy storage systems which allow for optimisation and flexible consumption, and, if relevant, integration with district heating and cooling systems. Proposals could address drivers of building renovation that go beyond a desire to reduce energy consumption and related energy costs. For example, decisions to renovate may sometimes coincide with structural repairs. They could also consider further development and improvement of hybrid energy systems using fossil fuel based heating systems coupled with RES based heating systems as well as the integration of highly-efficient buildings and local energy system solutions such as District Heating and Cooling, including hybrid solutions.
Solutions should include quick and simple installation of components and systems, minimizing disruption for building occupants and the time spent on site. Proposals should include monitoring and displaying of real time energy performance and other relevant data and consider the ways in which consumers and others could access and make use of such information. Solutions should ensure high levels of occupant comfort (thermal, visual and acoustic) and indoor environmental quality (e.g. air quality, humidity) if possible based on bio-based materials, as well as low risk of moisture-related problems, summer overheating and other harmful unintended consequences, and should address the multiple benefits of energy efficiency. Proposals should demonstrate solutions that aim for large scale roll-out according to defined business models and financial schemes for owners.
Projects are expected to bring the technology to TRL level 8-9 (please see part G of the General Annexes).
This topic contributes to the roadmap of the Energy-efficient Buildings (EeB) cPPP.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 3 and 4 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
The market for deep renovation of buildings needs to be transformed in terms of technologies, processes and business models. The multiple benefits of improved energy efficiency are well known, but more action is needed for Europe to achieve the higher rates of renovation that would reduce energy use and decarbonize the building stock in order to meet long-term climate and energy targets. In particular, deep renovations need to become more attractive to all relevant stakeholders, more reliable in terms of performance, less disruptive for occupants (especially in residential buildings), less time-consuming, less energy-intensive from a life cycle perspective, more environmentally friendly regarding applied materials and more cost-effective. There is a need to demonstrate and roll out holistic consumer-centred solutions that involve the whole value chain, ensuring high levels of comfort and a high quality of the indoor environment.
Proposals are expected to demonstrate the impacts listed below using quantified indicators and targets wherever possible:
- Primary energy savings triggered by the project (in GWh/year);
- Investments in sustainable energy triggered by the project (in million Euro);
- High energy performance in the renovated buildings;
- Measurable cost reduction compared with a typical renovation (i.e. a renovation that meets current minimum requirements of existing building regulations) or major energy performance improvement at comparable cost;
- Reduction of time needed on site for renovation works by 20% compared to current national standard practice;
- Demonstration of the effectiveness and replicability of the proposed solutions to lead to an increased rate of renovation for defined building typologies in several districts/cities/regions.
Additional positive effects can be quantified and reported when relevant and wherever possible:
- Reduction of the greenhouse gases emissions (in tCO2-eq/year) and/or air pollutants (in kg/year) triggered by the project.