19 November 2017
Joint industry letter for a simple and effective ‘Smartness Indicator’
WindEurope has joined efforts with other industry associations and NGOs from the energy, manufacturing, standardisation, construction and building sectors to raise the need for an effective smartness indicator for buildings. This indicator is introduced by the proposal for a revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. It aims at indicating a building’s ability to actively manage its internal, self-generation and/or storage for both heat and electricity. The European Commission is now working with a consortium of consultancies led by VITO on a joint study that should develop a common definition and methodology for this indicator.
WindEurope and other associations call on the consortium to focus on active measures of flexibility in their study, and not the passive efficiency measures within a building which are already addressed by the Energy Performance Certificate. This would be the best way to ensure that the indicator becomes a meaningful tool for building owners and occupants in order to unlock the vast flexibility of Europe’s building stock, and eventually support the wider energy system to integrate larger shares of renewables.
