How can EPBD targets translate into stable market signals? At its 2026 meeting in Madrid, the BUILD UP Board of Ambassadors analysed Spain’s National Building Renovation Plan, certification reform and the readiness of the building sector to deliver at scale.
(Note: Opinions in the articles are of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union)
The 2026 meeting of the BUILD UP Board of Ambassadors, held on 11–12 February in Madrid, focused on one central question for Europe’s building sector: how to translate the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) into coherent national roadmaps, credible certification frameworks and a market ready to deliver at scale.
The annual gathering brought together experts from public authorities, industry and civil society to examine implementation from three complementary angles: EU policy priorities, Spain’s National Building Renovation Plan (NBRP) and the response of the market and professional community. The session also brought together BUILD UP Ambassadors from Hungary, Poland, Romania and Serbia to present the state of play in their countries and the main technical, regulatory and financial hurdles they face. The event took place at a particularly decisive moment for European energy policy. The revised EPBD is currently in full transposition and implementation by the Member States, placing the building sector at the heart of the European climate agenda.
In this context, BUILD UP continues to consolidate its role as a strategic reference platform for knowledge exchange, the dissemination of good practices, dialogue and cooperation, as highlighted by Luca Angelino, Project Adviser at the European Commission’s European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), who opened the session. He also introduced the EPBD Implementation Hub, a new section in the portal conceived as a reference repository for official documents, case studies and practical guidance.
The keynote speech was delivered by Julien Tami, Policy Officer at Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER), who outlined the Commission’s priorities in the current phase: ensuring correct and timely national transposition and turning long-term renovation targets into concrete measures.
Mr Tami highlighted three points that are particularly relevant for professionals:
Mr Tami also pointed out upcoming complementary initiatives, including the future housing package and the Citizen Energy Package, while reiterating that implementation ultimately depends on national and local commitment.
Adrián Escobar Pastor, Technical Adviser and Representative of the Spanish Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda (MIVAU), outlined the details of how Spain has approached the preparation of its National Building Renovation Plan in accordance with the EPBD.
The plan, aligned with the Directive, is based on a detailed diagnosis of the Spanish building stock, drawing on a single database combining cadastral, climatic and statistical information. Based on this analysis, Spain has defined two roadmaps — for residential and non-residential buildings — with ambitious targets: a 57% reduction in primary energy consumption in the residential stock and 65% in the non-residential sector, to achieve a zero-emission building stock by 2050.
The document includes more than 200 measures organised around seven strategic axes, covering renovation support schemes, the fight against energy poverty, financing, innovation, renewable energy, urban regeneration and training.
Regarding minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), Spain will apply this approach to non-residential buildings, while in the residential sector, it has opted for an overall trajectory for reducing energy consumption rather than imposing obligations on a building-by-building basis.
Mr Escobar highlighted the importance of the public consultation process, which received more than 1,200 contributions, as well as the development of digital tools to support implementation of the plan.
Figure 1. Adrián Escobar Pastor, from the Spanish Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda (MIVAU), presenting the Spanish approach to its NBRP.
Continuing the Spanish case, Aitor Domínguez Martínez, Area Manager in Building Efficiency at the Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (IDAE), focused on Spain’s transposition of the EPBD and the reform of the energy performance certification system as a key element in achieving climate objectives, underscoring Spain’s firm commitment to the Green Deal. ‘We know, and we are really aware, that the energy performance methodology is the backbone, because if we are not able to measure all the data we have in the background and set real limits, maybe we are not going to achieve all the targets we try’, he noted.
Among the principal changes envisaged in the reform of the energy performance certificate (EPC) system, he referred to the incorporation of total primary energy, the joint integration of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, the inclusion of operational GHG emissions and the possible addition of life-cycle global warming potential.
He also advocated an evolution of the EPC system that avoids disruptive changes capable of paralysing the market, as well as strong synergies between energy performance certificates and renovation passports. To end his presentation, he addressed the expansion of the approach towards the building as an ‘energy hub’, improvements to databases and the inclusion of new indicators related to comfort and digitalisation, including the Smart Readiness Indicator.
Following the Spanish case presentations, a multi-stakeholder panel discussion was held, moderated by Andrei V. Litiu, Executive Director at EPB Center. The panel brought together Dolores Huertas Carrascosa, CEO at Green Building Council Spain; Agustín Villar Pazos, Training and Regulation Director at National Association of Energy Service Companies (ANESE); Diana Carolina Flores de Casal, Chief Sustainability Officer at Grupo Avintia; Pedro Vicente Quiles, Chair of the Technical Committee at ATECYR, Adrián Escobar Pastor and Aitor Domínguez Martínez.
To open the discussion, Mr Escobar was asked about the evolution of the multilevel governance process within the EPBD framework, particularly considering the approach adopted for drafting the National Building Renovation Plan (NBRP). He emphasised the value of a broad consultative process, noting that engagement with different administrative levels — including local authorities — made it possible to identify issues that might otherwise have gone unnoticed at national level. Although he acknowledged that this model requires considerable coordination efforts, he stressed that integrating multiple perspectives enhances the coherence of the plan and aligns stakeholders in a common direction.
During his intervention, he talked about the municipalities’ needs in relation to the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which requires local authorities with more than 45,000 inhabitants to develop heating and cooling plans that will be integrated into the National Energy and Climate Plan. ‘Municipalities and local authorities always need guidance, more resources, and coordination from the state to comply with these issues. We have received feedback not only on efficient heating and cooling networks, but also on one-stop-shops for citizen contact. There is a need to increase technical assistance both for citizens and for municipalities—especially the smaller ones—so that things are addressed properly’, he explained.
On the rescaling of EPC classes under the EPBD, and the possible overlap between the current and new scales during the transition period, Mr Domínguez highlighted the complexity of communicating such changes, noting the existence of two distinct audiences: the technical sector, which requires precise and operational information, and citizens, for whom such modifications may be difficult to interpret. In his view, a transition of this nature requires particular caution. Drawing on Spain’s previous experience — such as the 2015 rescaling — he stressed the need for at least one year of coexistence between systems.
He also pointed out that changes to the energy classification framework have direct implications for access to financing and for the administrative treatment of EPCs, making it essential to prepare a transition plan enabling the progressive updating of building information and coordinated adaptation among administrations and market actors.
Asked about both the market impact of integrating different EPBD instruments (such as EPCs, renovation passports, indoor environmental quality and smart readiness indicators) and the forthcoming rescaling of EPC classes and their communication, Ms Huertas Carrascosa explained that the mandatory implementation of EPCs since 2012–2013 has contributed to a more professionalised market aware of the need for rigorous assessments. Automatic verification systems and additional parameters related to comfort and air quality are now being incorporated, requiring new competences from technical professionals. Regarding the change of scale, she indicated that a period of coexistence between the current and new systems will be necessary, given its impact on both citizens and technical stakeholders, with a gradual updating of building data to ensure coordinated adaptation and minimise uncertainty.
Mr Villar Pazos was asked whether regulatory signals stemming from the EPBD and the public consultation process for the NBRP were already having an impact on the market before formal transposition. He stated that the timely submission of the draft plan reinforces perceptions of institutional commitment and provides predictability for the sector. He added that the participatory approach adopted over the past year, involving coordinated work between administration and industry across seven policy areas, has created a solid foundation for progress.
Although scenarios and trajectories require further detail, in his opinion the existence of a rigorous technical analysis and a clear roadmap gives the market sufficient confidence to regard the plan as a genuine medium-term implementation process beyond political cycles.
‘Everyone has the right to know what air they are breathing. It is not only about using detectors capable of providing measurements, but about investigating indoor environmental air quality, and I believe that with the new regulation we are taking a major step forward,’ stated Mr Pedro Vicente Quiles as response to a question regarding the Ministry’s implementation of the EPBD, particularly in relation to indoor environmental quality —an area traditionally less visible or insufficiently assessed. ‘The challenge is to include indoor comfort parameters without unnecessarily increasing construction or maintenance costs’, added Ms Flores de Casal.
'Now, when I read and understand the EPBD, I can say that we now design thinking about the performance first, and not correcting afterwards. But this process was really organic, because we were learning step by step what to do, what to implement in the building', she concluded.
The meeting reinforced a clear conclusion: EPBD implementation is a coordinated transformation requiring reliable data, skilled professionals, stable regulatory signals and sustained dialogue between policymakers and the market. In this context, the 2026 Board of Ambassadors meeting confirmed BUILD UP’s role as a platform where that dialogue can take place, and where the professional community can actively shape the transition. If you want to share your content, become a contributor.
