Renovation
Even though new buildings have an economic and environmental impact, they only constitute a fraction of the building stock.
Most of the world’s current buildings were constructed decades ago before oil crises and global warming became issues. According to the research company Ecofys, 75 % of the European savings potential lies in buildings built before 1975. These buildings have the biggest energy loss. However, if energy-efficient technology is used in renovation, reductions of up to 90 % can be obtained.
Add extra insulation
But how is this potential achieved most cost-effectively? The most economical and practical way is to renovate a building to meet the contemporary energy standards every time it is being modernised or undergoing renovation. Thereby, extra insulation can be added when the facade or roof is being renovated anyway.
In fact the European Commission is considering to make it mandatory for buildings smaller than 1,000 square meters to be energy optimised when undergoing major renovation work. According to the research company Ecofys, this would cut energy costs by 270 billion euro and save 460 million tonnes of CO2 per year when fully implemented.
