To promote improved energy performance of buildings, the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires all new buildings to be nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB). However, the large-scale uptake of nZEB construction of new buildings and renovation towards nZEB levels is a challenge. Many EU Member States have not yet fully embraced nZEB due to the high costs and the skills gaps in the building sector. 

The EU-funded nZEB Ready project will increase market readiness for an effective nZEB implementation. It will address the main barriers in Bulgaria, Croatia, Portugal, Poland and Romania and support skills enhancement with a mutual recognition training and certification scheme. The project will also raise awareness about nZEB benefits.

Although legal obligations are provided at National level by transposing the provisions of the 2010/31/EU Directive, the Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) concept does not seem to be easily applicable yet in many countries. Previous research showed that defining the cost-feasible optimal integration of the technologies suitable for nZEB and the skills gaps experienced by the building sector are among the most important barriers.

Current qualification courses and training schemes are still not satisfactory and underdeveloped to face the challenge of effective nZEB implementation, while the recourse to skilled professionals for renovations and new constructions of buildings is not usual practice. Despite strong political push towards nZEB and deep energy renovation, the traditionally conservative real estate market is still slow in the uptake of the new building standards and practices, especially in the residential sector.

To respond to the challenge and use the emerging opportunities, the nZEB Ready project aims to act at market level in order to stimulate the demand for energy-related skills of construction workers and specialists in the involved countries and beyond and to increase the market readiness for an effective nZEB implementation: 

1. By addressing the key identified barriers of nZEB implementation in focused markets, 
2. By supporting the enhancement of skills framework by new market driven mutual recognition training and certification scheme for nZEB deployment that will facilitate the necessary legislative changes,
3. Through development and communication of toolboxes, tailored guidance and practical support to engage home owners and public authorities to reach the nZEB benefits.

The project will address the challenges in Bulgaria, Croatia, Portugal, Poland and Romania in order to exploit synergies related to common climatic zones, traditions and opportunities to use the benefit of a larger and easily accessible regional market.

Partners

• INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE IN CONSTRUCTII URBANISM SI DEZVOLTARE TERITORIALA DURABILA URBAN-INCERC
• ASOCIATIA CLUSTER PENTRU PROMOVAREA CLADIRILOR CU CONSUM DE ENERGIE APROAPE EGAL CU ZERO PRO NZEB
• Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia I.P.
• FONDATSIYA TSENTAR ZA ENERGIYNA EFEKTIVNOST - ENEFEKT
• CENTRUM BADAN I INNOWACJI PRO-AKADEMIA STOWARZYSZENIE
• ICLEI EUROPEAN SECRETARIAT GMBH (ICLEI EUROPASEKRETARIAT GMBH)
• UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DE CONSTRUCTII BUCURESTI
• REGIONALNA ENERGETSKA AGENCIJA SJEVER

Start date: 1 September 2021 - End date: 31 August 2024