Advancing Sustainability: Key Measures in the EPBD Recast for Green Building Transformation

National Building Renovation Plans

To ensure that MS reach the emission reduction targets, national Building Renovation Plans will be enforced. These must, on the one hand, have a stronger focus on financing the renovation and, on the other hand, ensure the availability of skilled workers to proceed with the sustainable renovations. Thus, member states are expected to share an outline of financial measures, investment needs and administrative resources to reach their national renovation milestones.

Alongside their Building Renovation Plans, MS will have to set up building renovation passport schemes. These documents will provide tailored roadmaps for the renovation of specific buildings in several steps to significantly improve energy performance. It would give the opportunity to clearly map, through expert certifications, what can be done to improve the energy performance of a specific building.

The creation of one-stop shops (OSS) is one of the mandatory indicators included in the template of the national Building Renovation Plans. These suppliers provide “integrated solutions” as services and assistance in multiple steps of an energy renovation, helping with the facilitation and/or coordination of renovation work. For buildings with an EPC label below C, MS will be required to invite owners to an OSS to receive renovation advice either immediately after the EPC expires or five years after the issuance of the performance certificate.

A report from the European Commission (2021) finds that these OSS solutions could incentivise between 5% and 6% of the renovation volume desired by the renovation wave in 2030.

Energy topics

The EPBD recast will also include articles to gradually phase out fossil fuel boilers. Indeed, as of January 2025, subsidies for stand-alone fossil fuel boilers will be banned. Alongside will also come a legal basis for MS to implement regulation on heat generators. The EU wants to completely phase out boilers powered by fossil fuels by 2040.

The agreement also states that MS must ensure that new buildings are solar-ready. In other words, that they are fit to host rooftop photovoltaic or solar thermal installations. This should be the case where it is technically, economically and functionally feasible for new public and non-residential buildings over 250m² as of December 2026. All existing public buildings (over 2000m²) as of the end of 2027, all of those over 750m² as of December 2028 and finally, all public buildings over 250m² as of December 2030.