Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Energy efficiency of buildings — The contribution of end users (exploratory opinion)
Date: 2008-02-14
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: building, energy consumption, energy policy, energy saving

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Energy efficiency of buildings — The
contribution of end users (exploratory opinion)

(2008/C 162/13)

On 16 May 2007 the Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on

Energy efficiency of buildings and the contribution of end users

The Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 23 January 2008. The rapporteur
was Mr Pezzini.

At its 442nd plenary session, held on 13 and 14 February 2008 (meeting of 14 February 2008), the Euro-
pean Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 195 votes in favour with
1 abstention.

1. Conclusions

energy consumption of existing buildings and new builds, as
well as for certification and inspection procedures.

The Committee recognises that energy efficiency is a
1.1
fundamental factor when it comes to taking care of the climate
and achieving the targets set by the EU in Kyoto and the new
ceilings set by the European Council in March 2007 in the field
It therefore recommends stepping up
of reducing emissions.
efforts aimed at consumers.

1.7
The Committee would reiterate the importance of
avoiding setting unsustainable restrictions on Member States, in
the face of international competition, and ensuring that owners
who rent out or occupy a property are not forced to shoulder
costs that they cannot afford.

The Committee is convinced that there is great potential
1.2
for saving energy, particularly from
in the building sector
heating, air conditioning, motive power and lighting as well as
through insulation techniques, in building design and use.

1.3 When defining measures to increase energy efficiency,
account should also be taken of the benefits of the widespread
use of cost-effective technological
innovations, enabling end
users to take more informed decisions regarding their individual
energy consumption.

1.4
The Committee believes that innovative methods must
be developed so as to address the issues of information and
financing for end users more directly: it is essential that owners
and tenants do not see these new Community measures as a
new tax levied on such a primary asset as the home.

The Committee believes that new cultural stimuli and
1.5
incentives will need to be devised, both to offset the higher
costs and to raise interest in:

— project research,

— revised building methods,

— the use of better materials in the building process, and

— new structural methods.

In the Committee's view, the work of the CEN (the Euro-
1.6
pean Committee for Standardisation) should be stepped up, in
line with the Commission's brief on the matter, which provides
for the definition of harmonised standards for measuring the

1.8
The obligations and costs arising from the certification
process should in the Committee's opinion be accompanied by
publicity campaigns, so as to guarantee fair access to improved
energy efficiency, in particular for residential buildings, built or
managed in the context of social policy, and blocks of flats,
particularly in the new Member States where most blocks of
flats are standard-type buildings; for such buildings, standard
certificates can be used.

1.9
The Committee would stress the importance of devel-
oping Community initiatives to harmonise the activities of
Member States in terms of energy efficiency, so as to make real
progress towards greater European coherence, while taking local
conditions into account.

1.10
The Committee recommends a number of measures
that could encourage end users to be more mindful of energy
efficiency in general and more specifically in buildings:

— free advice on energy and public financing of

feasibility

studies;

— tax credits and/or subsidies for carrying out ‘energy audits’;

— tax relief for the consumption of fuel for heating, electricity
and motive power and economic incentives and deductions/
reimbursements for the purchase of energy efficient and
environmentally-sound technologies or for the installation
of better heat insulation in existing buildings;

— low-interest loans for the purchase of energy efficient equip-
individual

ment and installations (e.g. condensing boilers,
thermostats, etc.) and for work involving ESCOs (1);

(1) ESCO = Energy Service Company.

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— tax relief or deductions for investments in R&D activities, or
in pilot projects, with a view to promoting the dissemination
of new technologies, in the field of building-sector energy
efficiency, making the most of the opportunities provided by
the 2007-2013 Seventh Framework
for
Research and Technological Development (FP7), the Compe-
titiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), the
LIFE+ programme and the Structural and Cohesion Funds;

Programme

— EIB loans, above all for the sustainable renovation of large,
ageing public or public service buildings and social housing;

— assistance to families on low incomes and pensioners for
improving the energy efficiency of housing, and long-term,
low-interest loans aimed at improving the energy efficiency
of buildings;

— fixed-price

standard packages

regular maintenance
services for boilers and centralised air-conditioning installa-
tions, to be provided by qualified staff;

for

— a Community website linked to national sites, easy for end

users to access;

— the preparation of European teaching materials, in all Com-
focussed on the various professional
regarding the issue of a European

munity languages,
groups concerned,
‘housing licence’ (2);

— the incorporation of key education-related themes in rele-
education

vant Community programmes — the EU's
programme; FP7-RTD; Marie Curie; EIB, Universities;

— the provision of

information and training materials for
schools at all levels, for professional and union associations,
and for consumers and their organisations.

the final consumer,

From the point of view of

1.11
the
Committee feels that consideration must be given to the obsta-
cles hindering the promotion and implementation of energy
efficiency in buildings
in Europe: barriers of a technical,
institu-
economic, financial,
tional, management-related and socio-behavioural nature and
barriers
linked to inconsistencies of approach (imbalances
between heating/air-conditioning, no consideration of the local
climate).

legal, administrative, bureaucratic,

2. Introduction

The Presidency Conclusions of

2.1
the Brussels European
Council (8/9 March 2007) stress ‘the need to increase energy
efficiency in the EU so as to achieve the objective of saving 20 %
of the EU's energy consumption compared to projections for
2020 […]
“and identify” energy-efficient and energy-saving
behaviour of energy consumers, energy technology and innova-
tions and the energy savings from buildings’ as priority areas.

(2) To certify awareness of the need to use resources efficiently. See similar

proposal for a European computer licence.

Energy efficiency of buildings is an issue which falls
2.1.1
within the scope of
the Community initiatives on climate
change (commitments under the Kyoto Protocol) and security of
the green papers on
supply, particularly in the context of
security of energy supply and energy efficiency, on which the
EESC has commented on several occasions (3).

2.1.2
accounts for around 40 % (4) of the EU's energy consumption.

consumption in buildings-related services

Energy

2.1.3
For heating alone, the average consumption of dwell-
ings in many regions of Europe is 180 kWh/m2/year. This
shows that many European nations' buildings are particularly
poor performers when it comes to energy efficiency.

2.1.4 Many factors contribute to this. On the one hand, few
consumers are aware of
the ever-increasing difficulties of
obtaining energy at affordable prices; on the other, architects,
building firms and the countless small entrepreneurs who work
in the building sector (5) tend to pay little attention to energy
sound construction when
efficiency
building and to prioritise aesthetic aspects and follow passing
fashions such as floor quality, luxury washing appliances, attrac-
tiveness the vitrification of external facades, type of material and
size of window frames.

and environmentally

2.1.4.1 Moreover, many administrative bodies, particularly
municipal engineering departments and public health offices,
fail to pay enough attention to the issue when it comes to
recording energy consumption of buildings as part of checks
ensuring that they provide safe accommodation or are insuffi-
ciently informed.

2.1.4.2
there is
Nevertheless, contrary to common belief,
great scope for increasing energy efficiency, in existing as well as
new buildings, particularly in multi-occupancy accommodation
in cities (6).

2.1.5
As regards renovation of existing infrastructure, the
contracts that can be concluded with Energy Service Companies
(ESCOs) have an important role to play: under these contracts,

(3) Opinion on the Green Paper — Towards a European strategy for the
security of energy supply, rapporteur Ms Sirkeinen, OJ C 221 of
7.8.2001, p.45; exploratory opinion on a strategy for an optimal
energy mix, rapporteur Ms Sirkeinen, OJ C 318 of 23.12.2006, p. 185;
exploratory opinion on Energy Efficiency, rapporteur Mr Buffetaut, OJ
nr C 88/53 of 11.4.2006; opinion on energy end-use efficiency and
energy services, rapporteur Ms Sirkeinen, OJ C 120 of 20.5.2005, p.
115; opinion on an Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, rapporteur Mr
Iozia, OJ nr C 10/22 of 15.1.2008.

(4) 32 % in transport, 28 % in industry — Source: European Commission,

DG ENTR.

(5) The building sector's GDP accounts for over 5 % of the EU's total GDP.
(6) If the average energy consumption of buildings in European regions fell
to 80KWh/m2/year, i.e. into Class D, much of the energy used in the
building sector could be saved. This is clearly in line with the spirit of
Directive 2002/91/EC.

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the companies are entrusted with the improvements to be made
to existing buildings,
to make — sometimes substantial —
savings on energy costs. The company is paid with the money
saved from the reduced consumption (7).

2.1.6
Additionally, numerous measures could be taken in
small-scale renovations such as external shutters on windows,
the installation of smart meters, which allow consumers to
monitor their consumption in real time on an ongoing basis, or
gas-fired water heating plant (top boxes) that can reduce costs
and harmful gas emissions by 40 %. Air ventilation micro-
systems have also proved to be remarkably efficient in flats,
while paying attention to the type of material used, for example,
for a transparent vertical panel (windows) can reduce heat loss
from a flat by at least 20 % (8). The use of water-saving renova-
tion techniques also cuts down on energy consumption.
In
connection with the energy bills, energy suppliers shall inform
the consumers clearly and free of charge about the consumption
of
the
consumes to be able to put their present consumption into
perspective.

the corresponding period of

the year before,

for

2.1.7
The EESC firmly believes that initiatives in this sector
can bring huge savings, thus helping to achieve goals related to
climate change and security of energy supply. Given that there is
relatively little scope for action in the short- or medium-term in
the area of energy supply conditions, it is necessary to influence
end users, i.e.:

— increase energy end-use efficiency;

— contain demand for energy;

— promote renewable energy production (9);

— provide for better energy management, on the basis of self-

control.

2.1.8
better use of energy resources:

There are a variety of factors which prevent saving and

— cultural considerations;

— difficulty of handling the change;

— lack of know-how;

— inadequate fiscal policy;

— not enough enterprise partnerships;

— lack of information.

2.1.9
The potential for energy saving in the building sector is
huge, especially when it comes to energy consumption for
heating, motive power and lights in the use-phase of
the
building. This is shown by what are known as passive build-
ings (10), which harness huge saving opportunities, spurring the
Community's competitiveness and innovation by keeping the
focus increasingly on development and use of new, more energy
efficient technologies.

2.1.10

The energy policy's strategic objectives seek to:

— reduce pollutant and climate-change emissions, with due
regard for the particular characteristics of the environment
and the region;

— promote competitive growth in the property sector, industry

and new energy technologies;

— focus on welfare and public health protection as related to

energy policy.

2.1.11 When defining measures to increase energy efficiency,
account should also be taken of the benefits of widespread use
of cost-effective technological innovations. End users can take
more informed decisions
individual energy
consumption if they are given appropriate information, such as
details of measures laid down to increase energy efficiency,
comparisons of end users' profiles, and specific, practical techni-
ques relating to energy-powered appliances (11).

regarding their

All kinds of information on energy efficiency, espe-
2.1.12
cially the related costs, should be widely disseminated in the
appropriate forms to interested parties. The information should
also cover financial and legal aspects and should be presented in
information and advertising campaigns which provide a clear
picture of best practices, at all levels.

2.1.13 Measures limited solely to technical aspects are neces-
sary, but not sufficient, to reduce energy consumption in the
building
the
constantly-developing technology and its many and varied users
also needs to be addressed.

sector. The

interaction

complex

between

2.1.14
As part of the previous Intelligent Energy — Europe
Programme (2003–2006), the initiative of an EPBD Buildings
Platform was developed (12). This provides services facilitating
the implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy
performance of buildings, which entered fully into force at the
beginning of 2006. The directive includes the following require-
ments, which apply to the Member States:

(7) There are currently three types of contract: the first-out performance
contract, the shared savings contract and the guaranteed savings
contract.

(8) This is achieved by using a low-emission window made up of two glass
panels with a layer of noble gas between them (krypton, xenon, argon).
(9) The contribution of renewable sources: solar radiation intercepted by
the Earth: 177 000 TW; solar radiation at ground level: 117 000 TW;
Global primary energy consumption: 12 TW (Source: University of
Bergamo, Engineering department).

— method of calculation of the integrated energy performance
of buildings and related energy performance requirements;

(10) ‘Passive’ buildings are buildings which consume less than 15 KWh/m2/

year.

(11) End users should already be provided with some of this useful informa-

tion under Article 3(6) of Directive 2003/54/EC.

(12) EPBD = European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

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— minimum joint EU requirements on the energy performance

of new buildings;

— minimum requirements on the energy performance of large
existing buildings that are subject to major renovation;

— energy certification of buildings, which is mandatory for
new buildings, buildings subject to major renovation and all
flats subject to change of occupancy (13);

— regular inspection of boilers and of air-conditioning systems
in buildings, and assessment of heating installations in
which the boilers are more than 15 years old.

2.1.15
public and consumers
approach which takes various factors into account, including:

From a technical point of view it is essential that the
realise the need for an integrated

— the quality of heat insulation;

— the type of heating and air-conditioning installations;

— the use of renewable sources;

— the orientation of the building;

2.1.17
Community innovation and research programmes
play a decisive role in developing the energy efficiency of build-
ings, as regards the technological goal of developing ‘zero
energy’ intelligent buildings, i.e. ‘positive energy’ buildings which
produce more energy than they consume, using the most
common alternative forms of energy such as solar, wind and
geothermal energy.

At Community level,
Competitiveness

in addition to the above-
2.1.18
mentioned
Framework
Programme (CIP), a decisive role in supporting the development
of clean energy technologies is played by the Seventh Frame-
work Programme for RTD, which provides for a special thematic
priority under the ‘Cooperation’ specific programme.

Innovation

and

European technical standardisation has an essential
2.1.19
role to play in the energy efficiency of buildings sector. The CEN
— European Committee for Standardisation — has been
instructed by the Commission to draw up the technical regula-
tions necessary for the implementation of the above-mentioned
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (15), as follows:

— harmonised standards on measuring energy consumption

for existing buildings;

— harmonised standards for new buildings;

— the prevention of damp problems and the formation of

— uniform standards for certification;

mildew.

— joint standards for inspection procedures.

2.1.15.1

There are essentially two basic indicators:

— the specific energy demand of the building envelope:
this estimates the performance of the envelope, which mini-
mises heat loss in winter and limits over-heating in summer;

— the entire specific primary energy demand: in addition,
this estimates the performance of the set of installations
which convert primary energy into accommodation comfort
and into various services.

To achieve

2.1.16
the goal of keeping down energy
consumption and pollutant and climate-change gas emissions,
policies are also needed which:

1. flank heat

insulation measures

energy-saving
measures) with substantial improvements in installation tech-
nology (active energy-saving measures);

(passive

2. extend the range and scale of energy-saving measures;

3.

integrate renewable sources
systems;

into high-efficiency ‘hybrid’

4. target

innovative systems:

solar cooling, micro CHP,

trigeneration, heat pumps and hybrid plant (14).

(13) In the event of purchase, sale, renting out or inheritance.
(14) Average energy concentration: solar panels:~ 0,2 kW/m2; wind
turbine: ~ 1-2 kW/m2, hydraulic engine: ~ 5 000 kW/m2; heat engine:
~ 10,000 kW/m2 (Source: University of Bergamo, Engineering depart-
ment).

2.1.20
Almost 30 (CEN) European standards have been
drawn up (16). The Member States have already confirmed their
intention to implement them on a voluntary basis. Should it be
observed that voluntary conformity with the standards is not
being achieved, appropriate legislation should be introduced to
make them binding.

2.1.21
In any case, it is the Commission's responsibility to
provide Member States with the instruments necessary to
develop an integrated, uniform methodology for calculating the
energy performance of buildings. Once the Member States have
established minimum energy-efficiency requirements, these must

(15) Cf.

footnote 16 for

the UN-CEN/CENELEC reference standards

drawn up thus far.
WWW.CEN.EU/CENORM/BUSINESSDOMAINS/SECTORS/UTILITIE-
SAND ENERGY/NEWS.ASP.

(16) EN ISO 6946 Building components and building elements; EN 10339
Air-conditioning systems for thermal comfort in buildings; EN 10347
Building heating and cooling; EN 10348 Building heating; EN 10349
Building heating and cooling; EN 13465 Ventilation for buildings; EN
13779 Ventilation for non-residential buildings; EN 13789 Thermal
performance of buildings; EN ISO 13790 Thermal performance of
buildings; EN ISO 10077-1 Thermal performance of windows, doors
and shutters; EN ISO 10077-2 Thermal performance of windows,
doors and shutters; EN ISO 13370 Thermal performance of buildings;
EN ISO 10211-1 Thermal bridges in building construction; EN ISO
10211-2 Thermal bridges in building construction; EN ISO 14683
Thermal bridges in building construction; EN ISO 13788 Hygro-
thermal performance of building components and building elements;
EN ISO 15927-1 Hygrothermal performance of buildings; EN ISO
13786 Thermal performance of building components; EN 10351
Building materials; EN 10355 Walls and floors; EN 410 Glass in
luminous and solar characteristics of
building. Determination of
glazing; EN 673 Glass in building. Determination of thermal transmit-
tance (U value); EN ISO 7345. Thermal insulation – Physical quantities
and definitions.

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be reflected in ‘energy performance certificates’, which are essen-
tially marks conferred on buildings, similar to those conferred
on household appliances. However, the certificates for buildings
are more elaborate and complex and are accompanied by
recommendations on how to improve performance.

2.1.25
End users often have to take important decisions
regarding investments, for instance when renovating houses or
deciding to make significant changes to houses still being
planned or built. Decisions to invest in new technologies that
allow significant energy savings can have major repercussions
on the energy performance of buildings. Examples include:

Research projects have clearly demonstrated that,
2.1.22
along with a building's technical
the attention
which its users give to energy saving — be they residents or
users of workplaces during the daytime — is a decisive factor in
energy consumption.

installations,

2.1.22.1
For instance, it is worthwhile promoting a culture
of dressing more appropriately in high temperatures, e.g. not
wearing jackets and ties in the summer (17), as well as appro-
priate winter attire, to enable the temperature in apartments and
offices to be kept at approximately 20 or 21 °C (18).

2.1.23
Even the orientation of a house affects the quantity of
heat needed to make it comfortable for its inhabitants. The per-
capita energy consumption for heating identical terraced houses
can vary by a factor of 2,5 (and by a factor of 3 for detached
houses) while electricity consumption can vary by a factor of 4
or 5.

In view of the above and other considerations, the
2.1.23.1
existing legislation should be fleshed out with some precepts for
energy efficiency, not only for buildings but also for neighbour-
hoods.

Increasingly, even at school age (19), people should be
2.1.24
made more aware of the significant amount of primary energy
required by their homes for:

— providing heating in the winter;

— keeping them cool in the summer;

— heating water;

— running lifts;

— providing lighting;

— running domestic appliances;

and that with a little care and readiness much of this energy can
be saved (20).

(17) See decision by the Japanese prime minister.
(18) The temperature in Brussels' Renewable Energy House does not exceed

21 °C in wintertime.

(19) Joules, the unit for measuring energy, and watts (joules per second),
the unit for measuring electrical power, should be included in school
curricula alongside the notions of metres, litres and kilograms ....

(20) The cheapest sort of energy is the sort that has been saved!

— materials that offer better insulation;

— frames

(doors and windows) with improved transmit-

tance (21);

— solar protection mechanisms, such as simple shutters for

instance;

— the choice or adjustment of the heating system (22);

— the installation of additional systems such as photovoltaic
vertical

solar heating, or horizontal or

technology,
geothermal heating systems (23);

— the prevention of damp problems and the formation of

mildew.

2.1.26
It is clear that to change the frame of reference gener-
ally used to date, new cultural stimuli and incentives will have
to be found to compensate for the higher costs and to increase
interest in:

— planning-stage research;

— revised building methods;

— the use of quality materials in the building process;

— new structural designs, to enable solar heating equipment to

be fitted (24);

— the optimum positioning of solar panels;

— prior

surveys
geothermal technology.

for

the use of vertical or horizontal

(21) The transmittance value is set increasingly to equal and exceed the

aesthetic value of housing fixtures.

(22) Condensing boilers have efficiency of 120 % compared to traditional

boilers, which have efficiency of 80 %.

(23) Vertical geothermal technology is based on the principle that the
temperature of the ground is higher deeper down. Therefore a quantity
of water sent down a pipe at a certain depth comes up at a higher
temperature and requires less heat to reach the temperature necessary
to heat a building. Horizontal geothermal technology exploits the
constant temperature of the earth at a depth of 4 or 5 metres and
therefore provides water at a higher temperature than the ambient
temperature, in a coil placed at that depth. This means that the thermal
delta is lower. The amount of heat needed to bring a quantity of water
from 6 °C up to 30 °C is very different to that needed to bring it from
14 °C to 30 °C.

(24) ‘Solar cooling’: solar energy can also be used to generate air condi-
tioning devices, with considerable energy savings. The process is based
on a heat absorbing cooling device. The use of solar collectors as
generators of power to run cooling devices enables the panels to be
used during the sunniest periods.

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2.1.27

The following incentives deserve to be considered:

— an increase in the buildable area;

— a reduction in some of the taxes levied on construction and

renovation projects;

— streamlined planning permission procedures;

— allowances for the greater thickness required by an opaque
vertical structure (a wall), when furnished with layers of
insulating material;

— the award of quality labels, on the basis of the level of

saving achieved.

2.1.28
Any measures adopted with a view to securing signifi-
cant energy savings should take into account the fact that the
majority of Europeans live in existing buildings and that new
buildings constitute only a small percentage.

One problem with rented accommodation is that it is
2.1.29
generally the owners
the cost of energy efficiency-
increasing measures (e.g. new door and window frames, high-
efficiency boilers, clean energy generators), whereas it is the users
that benefit from the resulting lower costs.

that bear

This problem could be avoided by backing the ‘third-
2.1.30
party financing’ method (25). This
involves encouraging
energy-saving initiatives in buildings, carried out by companies
linked to lending bodies, paying off investments over a fixed
number of years with the average savings made as a result of
lower energy costs in the years following completion of the
work.

2.1.31
One valid financing system used in the industrialised
countries, which could be backed and extended, is demand side
management (DSM). Energy producing or supplying companies
invest in projects for the energy-related renovation of the build-
ings within their responsibility. The savings made after the work
cover the expense.

fall on the end users and the public. The Czech Republic, for
instance, has managed to use some of
the funds granted
through cohesion policy for the renovation of residential build-
ings.

2.1.34
The main area requiring attention is the need to
ensure that building renovation is carried out with concern for
the objectives of keeping energy
energy conservation.
consumption and pollutant gas emissions down are to be met,
policies are needed to:

If

— flank heat insulation measures (passive energy-saving) with
to installation technology

the necessary improvements
(active energy-saving);

— extend the range and scale of energy-saving initiatives, not
least using policies that provide for financial and planning
incentives;

— disseminate ‘hybrid’ systems, i.e. systems that combine tradi-
tional energy with alternative or clean energy inputs, so as
to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

2.1.35
To be genuinely effective, a policy aimed at promoting
energy savings in buildings must secure, alongside public invol-
vement, the commitment of the various professional associa-
tions and entrepreneurs in the various sectors, namely:

— professionals;

— promoters of green and bioclimatic urban planning;

— project managers;

— energy managers;

— ESCOs;

— construction companies;

— real estate companies;

— building sector manufacturers;

— providers of service and maintenance.

2.1.32
Clearly, the system could be improved with the right
legal framework, encouraging energy suppliers to invest in reno-
vating the heating systems of buildings for which they supply
energy.

3. The current situation

3.1 The current situation within the EU

2.1.33
The complex issue of saving energy in residential
buildings is one facing most of the EU's new Member States.
The burden of this cost and complexity must not be allowed to

(25) This is the subject of an EU recommendation in Article 4 of Directive
EEC No. 93/76 (OJ L 237/28 of 22.09.1993). In this instance it is a
technical–financial device applied in the form of a contract, for the
overall provision of auditing, financing, installation, operation and
maintenance by an external company commonly known as an ESCO
(Energy Service Company) and required to pay for the investment in
new devices, by mortgaging part of the financial value of the expected
energy saving for a number of years. See appendix.

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings has been
3.1.1
the objective of many Community provisions,
including: the
1989 Directive on construction products (26) and the construc-
tion-related elements of the 1993 SAVE Directive (27), a 1993
directive on the energy certification of buildings (28), the 2002
Directive on the energy efficiency of buildings (EPBD) (29), Direc-
tive 2005/32/EC of 2005 establishing a framework for the

(26) Directive 89/106/EEC.
(27) Directive 93/76/EEC.
(28) Directive 93/76/EEC (repealed by Directive 2006/32/EC).
(29) Directive 2002/91/EC.

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relating to products,

setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-using products (30),
and the 2006 Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy
services (31). Meanwhile there have been many other legislative
the directive on
measures
boilers (32), the office equipment decision (33), the directive on
household appliances and the labelling of energy consump-
tion (34),
the directive on the energy efficiency of refrigera-
tors (35), and the directive on ballasts for fluorescent lighting (36).
The 2002 EPBD Directive deals specifically with improving the
energy efficiency of new and existing residential and non-resi-
dential buildings.

such as

The deadline for

3.1.2
transposing this directive was 4
January 2006, but various Member States have requested and
been granted an extension (37), while others, are subject
to
infringement procedures by the Commission for failed or incor-
rect
the Member States
should have established criteria for energy certification by the
end of 2007.

transposition (38). Nevertheless, all

3.2 The current situation in relation to types of housing and climate

for

In Romania,

3.2.2.2
instance, 4 819 104 residential
buildings were counted in 2002. There were 83 799 housing
blocks containing 2 984 577 apartments. They account
for
approximately 60 % of existing flats. Furthermore, 53 % of resi-
dential buildings are over 40 years old; 37 % are over 20 years
old and only 10 % are under 10 years old.

the countries of

In over 95 % of the big apartment blocks, common
3.2.2.3
to all
the former Soviet bloc, energy for
heating, ventilation and water heating is supplied by centralised
systems. Studies carried out in 2005 on this type of building
calculated potential energy savings of 38-40 %.

3.2.2.4
These major energy losses can be put down in part
to the end users, the poor quality of materials, insufficient heat
insulation, old high-consumption technologies, obsolete heating
installations, high-consumption lighting, inefficient firing instal-
lations, poor quality pumps, etc. Another reason is inefficient
energy management, with considerable losses (40) paid for in the
long run by the consumer. Energy efficiency is the most
accessible, the least polluting and the cheapest of all the
available options.

3.2.1
In order to address fully the issue of end users' contri-
bution to the energy efficiency of buildings, one has to consider
the specific characteristics of the vast areas of the EU concerned,
with regard in particular to:

3.2.3 Climate zones

— the various types of building stock,

— the various climate contexts.

3.2.2
Types of building stock. In the new Member States
and the five East German Länder, the building stock has poten-
tial for considerable energy savings, compared with building
stock in the other 15 Member States.

The building stock in these areas is for the most part
3.2.2.1
the legacy of post-war town planning, and is based on the use
of prefabricated components making up large multi-storey
multi-occupancy blocks. These were built using rapid mass
production and homogeneous, standard, centralised technolo-
gies. They also went without any maintenance or restructuring
for long periods (39).

(30) Directive 2005/32/EC.
(31) Directive 2006/32/EC.
(32) Directive 92/42/EEC.
(33) Decision 2006/1005/EC.
(34) Directive 92/75/EEC.
(35) Directive 96/57/EC.
(36) Directive 2000/55/EC.
(37) See, Italy, among others …
(38) See reasoned opinion sent to France and Latvia, 16.10.2007.
(39) Overview on energy consumption and saving potentials — Carsten
Petersdorff, ECOFYS GMBH, Eupenerstrasse 59, 50933 Cologne,
Germany. May 2006.

3.2.3.1
In the main climate zones of northern and southern
Europe, average consumption in the residential sector is equal to
4 343 kWh/year (41). This energy is used principally for heating,
which consumes 21,3 % of demand for electricity, despite being
concentrated mainly in northern and central Europe. Next in
line is the share of electric energy used by fridges and freezers
(14,5 %) and by lighting (10,8 %).

3.2.3.2
In southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia,
Malta, Greece, Cyprus, and the south of France), one of the
main factors in increased electricity consumption is the rapid
spread of
low yield residential air
conditioning units (42)
(< 12 kW output cooling power) and
their widespread use in summertime.

low power consumption,

(40) When it comes to the energy content of the fuel used, the overall
energy losses are equal to 35 % for the best performing systems and
77 % for those least efficient.

(41) Total consumption of electricity divided by the number of households.
(42) In March 2002,
the European Commission adopted Directive
2002/31/EC) aimed at the introduction of more energy efficient instal-
lations; it was supposed to enter fully into force by June 2003, but the
deadline was then postponed until summer 2004. It set the energy effi-
ciency indicators for small Class A air conditioners at 3.2. However,
there are already models on the market with higher energy efficiency
levels, ranging from 4 to 5.5 for the better models. This means that the
generalised spread of Class A is no longer an ambitious objective. It
also means that the scope for savings is still wide, as there are still a
large number of Class D and E models on the European market with
efficiency indicators of approximately 2.5.

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3.2.3.3
Residential consumption of electricity for air condi-
tioners, to which Directive 2002/31/EC applies, has been esti-
mated at around 7-10 TWh per year for the 25-Member State
EU (43). It should also be noted that in Europe, new multimedia
equipment, such as personal computers, printers, scanners,
modems and mobile phone chargers plugged in continuously
account for 20 % of household energy consumption.

In the USA, already in 1987 (46),

3.3.4
in line with the
chapters on residential building in the International Energy
Conservation Code (IECC (47)), minimum efficiency standards
were established for 12 types of household electrical appliance.
These form the basis for a number of state energy codes.

3.3 A few international comparisons

3.3.1
Energy consumption in Japan, accounts for approxi-
mately 6 % of world consumption. Measures were taken some
time ago to reduce this level of consumption and the resulting
CO2 emissions, particularly in the transport and construction
sectors, the residential sector accounting for 15 % of overall
consumption.

In the residential

3.3.2
sector, primary energy savings,
reduced CO2 emissions and energy cost savings achieved by
means of building energy efficiency measures have been esti-
mated, respectively at approximately 28 %, 34 %, and 41 % (44).
Japan's residential building energy efficiency standards (45) were
revised in 1999 and include both yield standards and prescrip-
tive standards, the objective being to achieve full application of
these standards for more than 50 % of new buildings.

The Japanese method of assessing jointly buildings and
3.3.3
the household electrical appliances used has the following
features:

a) an assessment of the energy efficiency of buildings and of

household electrical appliances;

b) an assessment of the energy efficiency of the entire house,
using total energy consumption, specifying consumption for
air conditioning, water heating, lighting and ventilation, at
the time of construction;

c) an assessment of efficiency regarding air conditioning, water
lighting and ventilation appliances during actual

heating,
use;

d) detailed measurements of efficiency when new homes are
actually lived in, with a view to reaching savings targets by
2010.

(43) See footnote 37.
(44) Energy efficiency standard as measured by Japan's ‘CASBEE’ rating.
Source: From Red Lights to Green Lights: Town Planning Incentives for
Green Building presentation to the ‘Talking and walking sustainability
international conference’, February 2007 Auckland. Author: Mr
Matthew D. Paetz, Planning Manager, BA, BPlan (Hons), MNZPI. Co-
Author: Mr Knut Pinto-Delas, Urban Designer, Masters of Urban
Design (EIVP, Paris).

(45) Japan: Law Concerning Rational Use of Energy, Law No 49 of 22 June,

1979).

3.3.5
Building energy efficiency monitoring is the responsi-
bility of individual states and in many cases individual counties,
particularly since the adoption of
the Energy Policy Act of
2005, (EPACT), which uses accelerated tax deductions to encou-
rage the owners of commercial buildings to apply energy effi-
ciency systems to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

The Model Energy Code (MEC) (48), developed on the
3.3.6
basis of the IECC in the 1980s and regularly updated including
is backed up by the US Department of
as recently as 2006,
Energy's Building Energy Codes Program, and aims to promote
ever better building energy codes and assist the federal states in
adopting and applying those codes, which are reviewed regularly
in order to:

— redefine climate zones,

— simplify prescriptive requirements,

— remove obsolete, superfluous or contradictory definitions.

3.3.7
duced to Congress with a view to:

In 2007, the Energy Efficient Buildings Act was intro-

— establishing a pilot program to award grants to businesses
and organisations for new construction or major renova-
tions of energy efficient buildings that will result in innova-
tive energy efficiency technologies;

— giving due consideration to buildings that are likely to serve

low income populations;

(46) USA: the National Energy Policy and Conservation Act (NEPCA) 1987.
(47) USA: Residential Energy Code Compliance — IECC 2006 on the resi-
dential requirements of the 2006 International Energy Conservation
Code., http://www.energycodes.gov/.

(48) In the USA, 63 % of states have adopted the MEC for residential
buildings and 84 % have adopted the ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2001
standard for commercial buildings, a technical standard developed
by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Condi-
tioning Engineers — ASHRAE and the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America — IES/IESNA. CFR. HTTP://WWW.
ASHRAE.ORG/ E
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/buildings/publications/pubs/interna-
tional_survey.pdf.

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— providing a clear definition of an ‘energy efficient building’
as one that after construction or renovation uses heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning systems that perform at no
less than Energy Star standards; or if Energy Star standards
are not
Federal Energy Management
Program recommended heating, ventilating, and air condi-
tioning products.

applicable, uses

4.5
The EESC believes any extension to the EPBD directive
should include a building-system lifecycle analysis, to illustrate
the impact on the carbon cycle. This would give consumers and
the regulatory authorities a clearer idea of the consequences
regarding the carbon emissions of the products planned for use
in the building system.

3.3.8
According to the Federal Department of Energy, DOE,
the design of new more comfortable and efficient buildings
could reduce cooling and heating costs by 50 %, while measures
aimed at applying the energy efficiency codes in buildings will
create new job opportunities in construction, renovation and
plant engineering.

4. General comments

The Committee has spoken out on a number of occa-
4.1
sions on the need to make significant and sustainable energy
savings by developing low-consumption techniques, products
and services, and on the need to change people's behaviour so
as to reduce energy consumption while nevertheless maintaining
the same quality of life.

4.2
The Committee recognises that energy efficiency makes a
major contribution to safeguarding the climate and to respecting
the commitments made by the EU at Kyoto as regards emission
reductions, and it recommends continuing and stepping up
efforts made at consumer level.

4.3
The Committee would argue that to encourage energy
savings in buildings there must be a detailed examination of the
obstacles that have prevented full implementation of the EPBD
directive, and that a transition period of approximately 10 years
should be allowed before making certification for all existing
buildings covered by the directive compulsory.

4.4
In its 2001 opinion on the draft EPBD directive, the
Committee stressed its support for the Commission initiative
and its desire to develop a common methodology for assessing
and monitoring the energy performance of buildings. However,
it pointed out that care should be taken to:
‘avoid creating
intolerable constraints for Member States in terms of inter-
national competition’ and to ‘avoid imposing charges on
property owners — whether renting out or living in their
property — that are disproportionate to their means, as
this could have the effect of neutralising the objectives of
the directive, and encouraging people to reject a united
Europe’ (49).

4.5.1
Any extension of Community legislation in this area
should in any case be subject to an appropriate impact evalua-
tion, given its likely impact on the market and the costs falling
on the final consumers, be they owners or tenants.

Care should also be taken to ensure that the desired
4.5.2
measures for improving heat
insulation allow for sufficient
circulation of air and humidity, prevent damp and do not cause
damage to the building, for instance by causing mildew to form.

As the Committee has already pointed out (50), ‘Relevant
4.6
actions to enhance energy efficiency vary widely because of
different local circumstances and actions so far. The effects of
these actions on the internal market seem limited. Against this
background it is important, in line with the subsidiarity prin-
ciple, that additional actions at EU level give genuine added
value’.

4.7
The certification process should be accompanied by
publicity campaigns, so as to guarantee fair access to improved
energy efficiency, in particular for residential buildings that are
built or managed in the context of social housing policy.

4.8
The regular maintenance, by qualified staff, of boilers,
air-conditioning installations and other alternative energy instal-
in
lations will help to ensure they are at the right settings,
accordance with product specifications, and thus providing
optimum performance.

4.9
On the basis of the positive experience of a number of
Member States, and following the results in past years of the
implementation of major Community policies, the Committee
would recommend a number of measures that could help to
promote energy efficiency in general and more specifically in
buildings:

— free energy advice;

— tax credits and/or subsidies for carrying out ‘energy audits’;

— tax relief on the consumption of fuels for heating, electricity

and motive power;

— tax relief for the purchase of energy efficient and environ-

mentally-sound technologies;

(49) Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a
Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy
performance of buildings’ in OJ C 36/20 of 8.2.2002.

(50) Opinion regarding energy end-use efficiency and energy services,

rapporteur: Ms Sirkeinen; O.J. nr C 120 of 20.5.2005, p. 115.

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— low-interest loans for the purchase of energy efficient equip-
individual

ment and installations (e.g. condensing boilers,
thermostats, etc.);

— preferential loans for ESCO initiatives;

— tax relief or deductions for investments in R&D activities, or
in pilot projects, with a view to promoting the dissemination
of new technologies focused on energy efficiency in build-
ings;

— assistance to families on low incomes and pensioners for

improving the energy efficiency of housing;

— long-term, low-interest loans aimed at improving the energy

efficiency of buildings.

4.10
The Committee believes that innovative methods must
be developed so as to address the issues of information and
it is essential that
financing for end users more directly:
owners and tenants do not see these new Community
measures as a new tax levied on such a primary asset as
the home.

Brussels, 14 February 2008.

4.11 Meeting the Kyoto Protocol objectives and saving
energy must not appear to be a simple transfer of greater costs
from the energy producing industries to the end users and Euro-
pean citizens.

4.12
In order to limit the burden on individual owners, the
Committee would argue that, wherever possible, certification
should be conducted for entire buildings using sample apart-
ments to secure certification that would be valid for all the
apartments in the building.

4.13
A website, promoted by the Commission and linked to
national websites, might be a useful way of overcoming the
institutional, management-related and technical barriers
legal,
that prevent user-friendly access for end users.

4.14
The Committee considers it to be important that it
should set a good example on energy efficiency in the manage-
ment of its own buildings. It has noted the excellent example of
its near neighbour in Brussels — the ‘Renewable Energy House’
— which shows that significant improvements in an existing
building can be achieved in a cost-efficient way. Some improve-
ments have already been made in the Committee's buildings,
and in working towards EMAS certification. The Committee is
now calling for a further report
from its administration to
review progress so far, and identify what further improvements
could be made.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS