2025 marked an important milestone in the implementation of the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Member States intensified work on their National Building Renovation Plans, which must be submitted before the end of this year. In parallel, the European Commission released several key documents and guidelines providing further clarity on the EPBD’s requirements and long-term objectives.

Against this evolving policy backdrop, several themes shaped discussions within the BUILD UP community. These included national renovation strategies, the role of digitalisation and data in energy performance, advances in building technologies or financing mechanisms for deep renovation, among others. The community also selected a dedicated topic, 'Energy poverty and vulnerable people: how not to leave them behind in the energy transition of the building sector', reflecting growing attention to social aspects of decarbonisation.

This article revisits the most relevant expert contributions published on BUILD UP through the 2025 Topics of the Month. Together, these insights illustrate the sector’s progress, challenges and emerging solutions as Europe accelerates towards a decarbonised building stock.

Looking ahead, 2026 is expected to be equally exciting. We invite experts, practitioners and organisations to share best practices, events, research and innovations through the BUILD UP portal. BUILD UP will support their visibility through our communication channels.

Energy-efficient and healthy buildings 

Overview Article: Acceptable indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency standards: can buildings meet both (and for everyone)?

Technical Article: Advancing Energy Efficiency through fast-track renovation of residential buildings

Solutions for the building renovation sector  

Overview Article: Sustainable retrofitting of buildings through the lens of an industrialised approach

Technical Articles: 

• Boosting building renovation through industrialisation and digital knowledge sharing: the INFINITE approach ​
• Panel insulation technology for more efficient building renovation

Smart buildings and smart technologies for energy efficiency 

Overview Article: What makes a building ‘smart’: technologies driving energy efficiency

Technical Articles: 

• Bridging the Smart Readiness gap: A holistic approach to smart buildings ​
• BuildON: Advancing smart and sustainable buildings in Europe

Competitiveness in the construction industry: focus on digitalisation

Overview Article: Building the future: How digitalisation and artificial intelligence are reshaping competitiveness in Europe's construction sector

Technical Articles: 

• From parametric to generative design: The next evolution of Building Information Modelling (BIM) ​
• Digitalización e inteligencia artificial en el sector de la construcción en España: reto y oportunidad

Skills development in Europe's construction and building sector 
 

Overview Article: Skills in Europe’s construction and building sector: New developments in the EU policy framework

BUILD UP Skills roadmaps experts: Special interviews (Part 1) (Part 2)

Technical Article: Advancing building skills in Europe: The role of sustainability certification schemes

National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs): practical implementation through EPCs, SRI, Renovation Passports

Overview Article: National Building Renovation Plans under the EPBD: Towards a zero-emission building stock

Technical Articles: 

• Harnessing Energy Performance Certificates for deep energy renovation: Recommendations from QualDeEPC
• Primi passi verso l’implementazione della EPBD IV in Italia: la conoscenza del parco edilizio

• Ενσωμάτωση της Ευφυούς Ετοιμότητας στην Ενεργειακή Αξιολόγηση Κτηρίων: Προς ένα Ενιαίο Πιστοποιητικό Απόδοσης των Κτηρίων (Integrating Smart Readiness into Energy Performance of Buildings: Towards a Single Building Performance Certificate)

   

How to maximise solar energy in buildings

Overview Article: Maximising solar energy in buildings: Fostering deployment and skills

Technical Articles: 

• Solar energy in buildings: The potential of solar heat for efficient implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
• Solar energy utilisation of a novel compact integrated thermal energy storage system in Thessaloniki ​
• Montenegro’s solar transformation: rooftop energy for all
• Skupnostna sončna elektrarna na Smoletovi: od ideje do priklopa (Community solar power plant in Smoletova: from idea to connection)

Financial instruments and initiatives in place at the local level

Overview Article: Financial instruments for an energy-efficient building stock: from EU support to local action

Technical Articles: 

• What makes a project bankable? Rethinking finance for energy efficiency in buildings
• DeliverEEM: delivering the Energy Efficient Mortgages ecosystem
• Social cost-benefit analysis for addressing the Energy Efficiency First principle
• Scaling energy performance contracting: lessons from ENERGAP (Slovenia) and the PROSPECT+ project
• SMARTER4EU: reducing systemic financial risk through exemplary net-zero energy and green homes

Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS)

Overview Article: Minimum energy performance standards and progressive renovation trajectories: from the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to national enforcement

Technical Articles: 

• CHRONICLE project: bridging the gap between BIM, BEM, and SRI
• Smart compliance, staged upgrades and quality indoor spaces: EPBD tools that deliver renovation results
• The OBSERVE project: supporting the development of mandatory energy performance standards and building renovation plans
• Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and renovation trajectories in focus across Member States

Supporting the consumers: the role of one-stop-shops

Overview Article: Supporting consumers through renovation: the growing role of One-Stop-Shops

Technical Articles: 

• Strengthening residential energy renovations through one-stop-shops across scales of action and support
• Building the one-stop-shop framework for public building renovation
• The OSR-Coop project: cooperative one-stop-shops driving Europe’s citizen-led renovation
• Support service for Citizen-led renovation – an EU initiative
   

Energy poverty and vulnerable people: how not to leave them behind in the energy transition of the building sector

Overview Article: Tackling energy poverty in Europe’s building transition: ensuring no one is left behind

Technical Articles: 

• Aligning local realities with policy ambitions: co-creation for rural energy poverty alleviation
• Healthy homes for all: challenges and lessons learnt on supporting energy-poor households
• Breaking the cycle: addressing energy poverty among people with disabilities in Europe 

• Inclusive pathways to renovation: how blended finance can drive a just energy transition

   

(Note: Opinions in the articles are of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the EU).