Joint Letter: The importance of Minimum Energy Performance Standards to spur the Renovation Wave

Together with 18 organisations including CAN Europe, DENEFF, the European Climate Foundation, EEB, EU-ASE, EURIMA, Glass for Europe, Renovate Europe and World Green Building Council Europe, EuroACE wrote to Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans ahead of the Renovation Wave Strategic Communication.

We stressed the importance of Minimum Energy Performance Standards for existing buildings to fill the EU policy gap and make the Renovation Wave a success. Recent studies by RAP and CE Delft show that these standards can stimulate the required volume and depth of renovation.

Minimum Energy Performance Standards require buildings to meet a predefined minimum energy performance, for example an energy rating, by a specified date or at a certain moment in the life of the building (sale, change in tenure). They can be progressively tightened over time, ensure that the worst-performing buildings are upgraded, and support the alleviation of energy poverty if accompanied by adequate social safeguards. They are already in use in several EU countries, such as the Netherlands, France and Belgium.