The European guide analyses why renovations fail to meet their energy objectives and proposes concrete measures to close the gap between projected and actual performance.
The 'Bridging the Energy Performance Gap' guide, by Energy Policy Group (2026), identifies the discrepancy between predicted and actual energy performance as one of the main risks to the climate transition of Europe’s building stock. Within the context of strengthened regulation driven by the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive, the EU aims to accelerate both the rate and depth of renovations to progress towards climate neutrality by 2050. However, these objectives may be undermined if interventions fail to deliver the expected energy savings.
The analysis, focused on Central and Eastern European countries, confirms that this gap can be significant and results from cumulative shortcomings across the entire project lifecycle. From the planning phase — marked by incomplete data and compliance-driven approaches — to implementation and the operational stage, where insufficient control and monitoring limit outcomes, the causes are multiple and systemic. In response, the guide proposes a set of measures for public authorities addressing financing, planning, implementation, and monitoring, to ensure that public building renovations achieve high and verifiable energy performance over the long term.
