In response to the energy performance of buildings directive, each EU member state has rolled out its own specific energy performance certificate that applies to transactions of properties.
However, the assessment methods developed differ significantly across Europe and this makes inter-comparison of building performances difficult.
This, in turn, makes it difficult for the private finance to be leveraged in conjunction with public funds for investments in building efficiency renovation. A more transparent view of opportunities across Europe is today required given the urgency to mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions.
"A more transparent view of opportunities across Europe is today required given the urgency to mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions"
The European energy performance of performance of properties (EEPPA) project, is designed to provide such enhanced transparency and investment activity through the compilation, standardisation, and sharing of building performance data, whilst at the same time supporting member states with their reporting and implementation requirements under the energy efficiency directive and related policies.
The project is supported by Climate-KIC, the largest public-private innovation partnership focused on mitigating and adapting to climate change.
"The EEPPA initiative seeks to improve the transparency and value of building performance information to a variety of end-users"
The EEPPA initiative seeks to improve the transparency and value of building performance information to a variety of end-users by creating a platform to compile and standardise information from existing registries across the EU.
EEPPA will use for this the four main data sources on building performance available that member states are required to store the energy performance certificates (EPC), reports from inspections of heating and air-conditioning systems, energy audits for all end-users (enterprises, SMEs, and home owners) and inventories of public building performance, which all obey to national or regional rules or standards.
By improving the transparency and understanding of energy efficiency in European building stock, it is expected that such an overarching EPC index will provide valuable market knowledge for investors and external stakeholders.
It should also inform policy development allowing, in particular, the stimulation of investments where opportunities are the greatest.
It will also provide large real estate (such as Knight Frank, the Climate-KIC partner who triggered this initiative) and building companies with the data and tools allowing them to make informed decisions to prioritise action and keep track of the environmental performances of their building portfolio.
The EEPPA project shall also provide regional and local governments with a better understanding of the building stock performance in their area, therefore allowing them to shape specific policies to support investments in energy efficiency.