New Approaches to Generate Data to Measure the Progress of Decarbonization of the Building Stock in Europe and Spain

Abstract

The European Commission has initiated efforts to establish indicator frameworks for monitoring building renovation policies and the decarbonization progress of the building stock, to be developed by EU Member States. The chapter suggests that the use of emerging technologies can improve the quality and availability of data for this purpose, focusing on two specific technologies whose potential is explored for the case of Spain. These technologies are, on one hand, georeferencing and automated cross-referencing of existing data, and, on the other, the Digital Building Logbook (DBL). The results of the study show that georeferencing and automated cross-referencing applications include calculating solar potential and estimating energy production, consumption, and emissions using Urban Energy Models (UBEMs). The UBEM, applied to Spain, enables the collection of previously unavailable indicators, improving data availability and quality mainly in the subjects of ‘An overview of the general characteristics of the national building stock’ and ‘An overview of the energy characteristics of the national building stock’. Examining the feasibility of collecting indicators through the DBL indicates that close to 69% of all necessary indicators for monitoring building renovation policies can be obtained. However, challenges in realizing DBL's full potential involve undefined tool models, owner awareness, funding uncertainties, regulatory alignment, and technical hurdles for large-scale implementation.