The role of energy-efficient renovation in the sustainability of cities and settlements: European experience

Abstract

Building renovation is one of the industries with the largest investment gap. To achieve the proposed climate target of 55% by 2030 in the EU, additional investments of around €275 billion will be required annually. In the housing sector, the lack of simple, attractive and easily accessible state incentives for renovation and the absence of common financial products are often the main obstacles. The experience of energy-efficient renovation in European countries allows for calculated decisions when modeling housing policy and achieving sustainable development goals. To support this, some countries have already introduced minimum common efficiency requirements that apply from a certain date or at certain points in the building's life cycle. Such requirements form the basis of companies' expectations and work best along with reliable energy performance certificates and reliable financing. As for residential buildings, insufficient understanding of energy consumption and energy saving is seen as an important barrier for more participants in open public consultations on renovation work than any other obstacle. Various interests of building owners and users, differences in opinions among different owners, and difficulties in planning renovation work are also major obstacles to the formation of sustainable cities and settlements.