European Union [EU]

European Union
NZEB Goals

NZEB goals of all member countries of the European Union are governed by the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings or EPBD, which binds EU member states to ensure that all newly constructed buildings must have a nearly zero-energy performance by 2020 and all public buildings must be nearly zero energy by 2018.

EPBD was first issued in 2002 (EPBD, 2002/91/EC) and then in 2010 (2010/31/EC) with amendments.

European Union
NZEB Strategies

EPBD binds all the member states to amend their national laws to achieve the goals set by the Directive.

Concentrated Action (CA) EPBD was launched by the EU to support member countries in amending their national laws to achieve the goals set by the EPBD. It is an information exchange platform where the members of EU share their experience in implementing the Directive with the objective imparting best practices to each other and strengthen the country level building NZEB policy initiatives.

Further to this, member states have set their own interim and final targets, and a host of strategies to accomplish these targets. Member States are also required to draw up national plans reporting on their plans for increasing the number of nZEB, definition of nZEB, policies/measures in order to stimulate the transformation of buildings that are refurbished into nZEB, interim steps towards nZEB, and implementation of Article 13(4).

European Union
NZEB Programs

The building sector in Europe Union is addressed by several European directives that need to be taken into account are designed to enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy in the building sector.

Renewable Energy Directive (RED, 2009/28/EC)

Obliges member states to set up sector specific targets for renewable heating and cooling. The policies must be applicable to new buildings and existing buildings with planned major renovations. Progress is tracked through National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs)

Energy Service Directive (ESD, 2006/32/EC)

The ESD includes measures to improve energy services and energy efficiency cost effectively. Member States are obliged to adopt a national indicative energy savings target of 9% until 2016 and to periodically report the progress and measures undertaken through NEEAPs.

Energy targets, incentive measures, regulatory support and creation of a mature market for energy services are the major stratagems employed by this directive to achieve energy efficeicny in buildings.

Energy Efficiency Directive (EED, 2012/27/EU)

The directive obliges member states to establish a long-term strategy for mobilizing investment in the renovation of the national stock of residential and commercial buildings, both public and private. The member states establish energy efficiency obligation schemes for energy suppliers of grid operators (commonly known as White Certificate Schemes) or alternative measures with equivalent effect aiming at providing efficiency measures that achieve energy savings of 1,5% per year in average

Eco design Directive (2005/32/EC) and it’s recast (2009/125/EC)

Sets minimum efficiency standards for energy related technologies and materials used in the building sector (e.g. boilers, hot water generators, pumps, ventilation, etc.)

Energy Labelling Directive (1992/75/EWG) and it’s recast (2010/30/EU)

Requires member states to establish labelling schemes for energy related technologies and materials and in this regard to include a number of technologies used in the building sector.

Outreach

The European Commission has set up an online information portal, BUILD UP, to support EU member states in implementing the directive. Building sector professionals are the primary target audience for this portal.