[07.12.2021] ENPOR Lunch Talk – Energy Prices Skyrocket in Europe: Will Fit for 55 help the energy poor?

Click here to view the event recording.

The third Lunch Talk focused on how the Fit for 55 Package impacts energy poverty – with invited guests Ina Karova (Energy Agency Plovdiv), Ms Louise Sunderland (Regulatory Assistance Project, RAP), Hélène Sibileau (Building Performance Institute Europe, BPIE), Emmanuelle Causse and Emil Martini (International Union of Property Owners, UIPI), and Gyorgy Sumeghy (Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy, Habitat for Humanity International EMEA).

Energy efficient renovation of the exising housing stock is one of the main solutions to reduce energy poverty. While energy efficient housing not only alleviates energy poverty, it also contributes to the reduction of CO2 emmisisons, those who struggle to meet their energy needs often live in insufficiently isolated dwellings with low energy efficiency. In the case of privately rented housing, renovating these homes require to overcome several existing conflicts and problems. We will explore why and how minimum energy performance standards could contribute to alleviating energy poverty, especcially in the private rented sector and what are the solutions and pitfalls of standards, certification schemes and compliance to these in the light of the Fit for 55 package for deep renovation in Europe.

Can Minimum Energy Performance Standards be a solution if landlords find energy performance certificates for buildings problematic? How can local, regional and national authorities convince landlords to increase energy efficiency of the private rental housing stock? What elements of the Fit for 55 Package can be of use for authorities to support the housing revolution?

Recommended reads:

• https://enpor.eu/fit-for-55-and-energy-poverty-will-emmission-trading-make-it-worse/
• https://energypost.eu/eu-buildings-renovations-get-ready-for-minimum-energy-performance-standards-meps/
• https://ec.europa.eu/energy/eu-buildings-factsheets-topics-tree/building-renovation-rates_en
• BPIE Policy Recommendations on EPBD, including on MEPS
• BPIE Paper on Deep Renovation
• BPIE Briefing on the role of deep renovation to combat high energy prices
• RAP’s resources on: Design considerations for MEPS at EU level; on considerations for introduction in Germany and Spain and EU case studies on national MEPS
• https://www.raponline.org/knowledge-center/filling-the-policy-gap-minimum-energy-performance-standards-for-european-buildings/
• UIPI’s 6 pillars for the introduction of MEPS
• https://getwarmhomes.org/
• https://comact-project.eu/
• The Right to Energy Coalition (in collaboration with RAP and Friends of the Earth Europe) outlines a socially just introduction of MEPS