Background

Marianna Papaglastra is a Senior Project Manager and advisor in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability. With an environmental science background and 25 years of working experience in the field, Marianna specialises in project management and communication activities for EU-funded projects. Marianna has an in-depth understanding of the EU energy efficiency vision and progress regarding buildings. She has broad experience in leading and implementing environmental management, licensing and control projects, and has trained private and public organisations in the implementation of European environmental directives. She has been the production executive of six technical books.

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BUILD UP (BUP): Can you explain what Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Renovation Passports are? How do they relate to each other, and how do they contribute to the decarbonisation of the built environment?

MARIANNA PAPAGLASTRA (MP): The EPC is a tool intended to assess the energy performance of a building, helping to identify the potential for improvement. It was first introduced in 2002 through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and has since been a cornerstone of the EU's building policy and a well-established tool used in all EU Member States. At the same time, EPCs must be ‘upgraded’ in order to meet and contribute to the ambitious climate and energy objectives of the European Union.

Renovation Passports complement EPCs, directly supporting building decarbonisation. They provide guidance for the extensive (in one or several steps) and deep (aiming towards zero or nearly zero emissions) renovation, tailored for the specific building and owner. The Horizon 2020 iBRoad project (2017-2020) demonstrated how a Renovation Passport can contribute to a 60% reduction of a building’s energy consumption.

BUP: The iBRoad2EPC project recently concluded. Could you explain the objectives of the project?

MP: The Horizon 2020 iBRoad2EPC project (2021-2024) envisioned an approach to energy performance assessment that would trigger a high demand for and facilitate the implementation of deep renovation of buildings at scale.

Combining EPCs with the stepwise renovation guidance of the Renovation Passport, iBRoad2EPC includes the benefits of both instruments. It further enhances the information provided to improve its reliability and value for the end-user by incorporating complementary aspects, such as thermal comfort and indoor environmental quality, cost and investment, the ‘smart readiness’ of buildings, and real consumption data.

A key objective of iBRoad2EPC was to offer a ready-to-use framework, including software, training and surrounding policy instruments, for its adoption across Europe. It forges links with supportive frameworks and tools, such as EPC software or databases, Digital Building Logbooks, cadastres, and others. Focusing on a modular approach it is suitable for adoption by differing national markets and ensures integration with national EPC schemes to achieve a highly efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050. 

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BUP: What are the main benefits of integrating BRPs into EPCs? How will this integration enhance the reliability and effectiveness of EPCs?

MP: The benefits are multiple. First, piggybacking the Renovation Passport on an already well-established scheme (the EPC), enhances effectiveness, usefulness and user acceptance, while minimising resources and efforts for developing and maintaining a completely new framework and tool. In other words, the total cost of the combined approach remains lower than the sum of two individual approaches, including the cost for methodology and IT development, training, capacity building, testing, issuing, registering as well as controlling and improving. Secondly, the compatibility and complementarity of the two approaches allow for further integration with other frameworks, procedures, methodologies and tools, now or in the future. Third, the common issuing procedure, starting with an on-site visit by a qualified expert, increases the level of detail and the depth of information collected and provided, enhancing reliability.

BUP: How does the integrated model you propose align with the guidelines of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast?

MP: The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) of 24 April 2024 explicitly foresees a framework for the Renovation Passport. It also recognises the potential for synergies between Renovation Passports and EPCs. In practice, iBRoad2EPC has provided proof of concept for the Renovation Passport as foreseen in Article 12 and Annex VIII of the EPBD recast.

The EPBD now also highlights the importance of National Building Renovation Plans in decarbonising the national building stock. This includes the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels, heating & cooling decarbonisation, the aim to reach zero emissions, etc. The iBRoad2EPC integrates all relevant provisions, e.g., mandatory or future requirements, in its database of renovation advice. It also allows planning for building interventions to take advantage of available funding and financing options, while avoiding inefficiencies due to lock-in. Thus, the wider the uptake of iBRoad2EPCs, the more buildings will be gradually renovated toward national targets. The EPBD further expands the scope beyond energy efficiency during building operation, e.g., by including provisions for reducing whole-life carbon. iBRoad2EPC is an open modular tool which can integrate additional modules along the way, covering relevant new aspects.

An analysis we performed shows how iBRoad2EPC complies with Article 12 and Annex VIII of the EPBD. It also shows that other EPBD requirements are either already met or can be integrated due to iBRoad2EPC’s modular structure and its ability to connect with other tools. The analysis thus highlights the value of the iBRoad2EPC model Renovation Passport in providing ready-to-use solutions for EPBD implementation.

BUP: Did factors such as economy, culture, geography, and climate affect the progress of the project differently in the six pilot countries?

MP: Such factors did not affect the rate of our project’s progress, but they did influence its context and direction. Market analysis at the start of the project detailed the levels of market maturity in implementing countries. To cater for differences in legal and political contexts, state of the real estate market, etc., the iBRoad2EPC concept was built to be flexible and modular so that Member States can gradually extend their existing EPC schemes following market developments, needs, and priorities. Differences in climate, geography etc. were taken up in the country-specific databases.

The adaptability of iBRoad2EPC to specific technical, legal, and socio-economic conditions is demonstrated by the varying pilot country approaches and action plans for its implementation. For example, in Portugal, with an advanced EPC framework and high user trust, links with existing tools are key to ensuring added value. Pre-filled advice descriptions play an important role in Bulgaria where building certification currently translates to high costs for building owners. User-friendliness and securing funds for the cost of iBRoad2EPC is a common need across countries, as is ensuring the capacity to carry out deep renovations.

The above shows the versatile nature of iBRoad2EPC and its efficiency to be adapted based on the national needs, priorities, and vision while serving as a reliable and user-friendly tool.

‘The iBRoad2EPC concept was built to be flexible and modular so that Member States can gradually extend their existing EPC schemes following market developments, needs, and priorities’

BUP: How do you plan to promote the adoption of the iBRoad2EPC model beyond the six pilot countries?

MP: iBRoad2EPC can be further customised for any country implementing the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, within or outside the EU. The iBRoad2EPC consortium in fact encourages the replication of the tool and considers that there is a strategic market placement for iBRoad2EPC within each national Energy Performance Certification framework.

Reflecting on the lessons learnt during the project, following the field tests, and through in-depth engagement with stakeholders at both the national and EU levels, possible improvements have been highlighted. These enable the utilisation of the project results beyond the six pilot countries. An EU policy roadmap proposes concrete measures to maximise the uptake of iBRoad2EPC schemes beyond these countries, while another report details incentives to support deep renovation in the EU through iBRoad2EPC. Specific implementations in other contexts are already being discussed, with a very promising outlook. Stay tuned for updates!