‘Entranze’: Support for EU policy makers for nearly-Zero Energy Buildings

European legislation such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive requires member states to develop ambitious policies in the building sector. The design of effective policy supporting nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB) and renewable heating and cooling (RES-H/C) will be crucial for achieving ambitious energy and CO2 savings.

The EU funded ‘Entranze’ project under the Intelligent Energy Europe programme, in which Oeko-Institut is part, actively supports European policy makers in nine countries. The objective is to provide data, analysis and guidelines to build ambitious, but reality proof policies and roadmaps for renovating the existing building stock towards nZEB levels. The website www.entranze.eu is now online and provides further information on the project.

EU building directive sets standards for energy efficiency

The re-cast EPBD requires that from 2019 onwards all new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities are nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEBs) and by the end of 2020 all new buildings are nZEB. Acknowledging the variety in building culture and climate throughout Europe, the EPBD does not prescribe a uniform approach for implementing nZEBs. Member states should draw up specific national roadmaps reflecting national, regional or local conditions.

While it is necessary to improve the energy performance requirements for newly constructed buildings to near to zero energy levels, it is of key importance to deeply renovate the existing building stock towards the same levels. The EPBD requires that the EU member states stimulate the progressive transformation of buildings that are refurbished into nearly zero-energy buildings.

\'Entranze\': Roadmaps for Climate-friendly Buildings

ENTRANZE will encourage the up-scaling of renovation activities at nZEB standards in the public and residential sector and will facilitate an easier penetration of RES-H/C (renewable heating & cooling) within the existing national building stock. It will on one hand provide fact based evidence (data, analysis, scenarios) and guidelines for implementation, on the other hand connect building experts with national decision makers and other key stakeholders to elaborate coherent strategies and plans.

Through an online data mapping tool which allows user friendly access to building data, energy indicators and scenario results, analyses regarding cost-optimal levels of nZEB, principle integrated policy sets, model-based scenarios and international comparative policy analyses, ‘Entranze’ will help policy makers and key stakeholders gain a deeper understanding of the impact of policy instruments for supporting deep renovation and Climate-friendly increases and their specific design and get access to a broad set of data relevant for decision making. This will determine a stronger involvement in the process and in in-depth discussions, as well as make it a learning experience for other countries.

The project will cover the whole EU-27 with the addition of Croatia and Serbia. The key target countries are those of the project partners.

Project coordinator is the Energy Economics Group from the Vienna University of Technology. The consortium partners are: the Oeko-Institut e.V. (DE), the National Consumer Research Centre (FI), the Fraunhofer Society for the advancement of applied research (DE), the National Renewable Energy Centre (ES), the end use Efficiency Research Group, Politecnico di Milano (IT), the Sofia Energy Agency (BG), the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BE), the Enerdata (FR), the SEVEn, The Energy Efficiency Center (CZ).Text

Further information

For further information please see the project summary.

Project website www.entranze.eu

Contact at the Oeko-Institut

Veit Bürger
Researcher in the Energy & Climate Division
Oeko-Institut e.V., Freiburg head office
Phone: +49 761 45295-259
Email: v.buerger@oeko.de

The Oeko-Institut is a leading European research and consultancy institute working for a sustainable future. Founded in 1977, the institute develops principles and strategies for realising the vision of sustainable development globally, nationally and locally. The Institute has locations in Freiburg, Darmstadt and Berlin.

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