Energy security

Energy independence starts at home

Energy security is built with more than power plants and pipelines — it’s also built in the places where we live and work. When Europe’s buildings waste less energy, families are better protected from price shocks, industry becomes more competitive, and our energy system becomes harder to disrupt.

Europe’s building stock is a vital factor in building energy independence

Almost 60 percent of the EU’s primary energy is still dependent on fossil fuel imports. The fastest way to reduce that exposure is not to replace one fuel with another — it’s to reduce the amount of energy Europe needs in the first place. Energy efficiency turns energy security into something we can benefit from immediately, building by building: less wasted energy, lower demand, and fewer imports required to keep homes warm and businesses running.

Today, three out of four buildings in Europe are energy inefficient, meaning a significant portion of Europe’s current consumption ends as energy waste. The consequences are already visible:

Demand peaks drive up energy prices that impact families and industrial competitiveness
Strain on electricity grids increases the risk of disruptions
Grid congestion slows down renewables and the wider transition

Without deep improvements in building efficiency, Europe risks shifting dependency and volatility from imported fuels to an overstretched power system. Efficiency first reduces the problem at the source — making electrification more feasible, affordable and secure.

The case for energy efficient buildings

Efficient and flexible buildings in an electrified system could lower peak demand by almost 50 percent by 2050, delivering:

312 BEUR saved annually compared to decarbonising at today's renovation rate
44.2 BEUR optimised annually in distribution grid investments
50 percent average reduction in energy bills across Europe
Lower electricity costs for European industry, boosting competitiveness

In practice, this means fewer extreme peaks, less stress on networks, and a more stable system that can absorb renewables and electrification at pace.

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Fossil fuel imports accounted for

of EU's primary energy in 2024

Energy efficient buildings could reduce energy bills by

across Europe

Energy security needs safe renovation

Energy security is about protecting people. As Europe renovates at scale, “building right” must mean more than lower demand — it must also mean resilience. The choices we make when renovating building envelopes affect both peak loads and long-term safety. Ambitious EPBD implementation can cut imports and stabilise the system, but only if renovations prioritise durable performance and fire-safe construction that protects lives and public investment for decades.

The EPBD: creating a robust energy system from within

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) directly addresses fossil fuel import dependency, grid stabilisation, and household and industry protection from volatile energy markets — but only if it's fully and ambitiously implemented.

From 2030, zero-emission building (ZEB) standards will guide deep renovations, requiring:

High-performance building envelopes — dramatically reducing energy demand
Decarbonised heating and cooling systems — ending fossil fuel dependency at building level
On-site energy generation and storage — turning buildings from power consumers into power generators
Smart grid-interactive technologies — enabling buildings to flex with the energy system

The same standards will apply to new constructions, ensuring every building added to Europe's stock strengthens — rather than strains — the energy system.

Now is the moment to reduce Europe’s energy risk at the source. Full and ambitious implementation of the EPBD — backed by credible national renovation plans, predictable financing and the skills to deliver — can cut demand, ease pressure on grids and reduce fossil fuel imports. Done right, renovation strengthens both energy security and resilience, with buildings that perform safely for decades.

Lasting benefits start with better materials

Renovation at scale is essential — but the real payoff depends on how we renovate. Constructed and renovated well, buildings can contribute to improving our health, wellbeing and productivity; reducing energy waste and costs; and strengthening local economies. Getting renovation right for the long-term entails using building materials that are durable, recyclable, and non-combustible, materials that will last for generations and can be recycled at end of their useful life. We have an opportunity to create a new generation of energy efficient, acoustically comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and fire-safe buildings – our homes, workplaces, schools, care facilities, and so much more. We need to get it right.

Learn more about the benefits of investing in renovation

Competitiveness, jobs and growth

Europe’s next jobs story is worth building

Social resilience and safety

A safe and thriving community begins indoors

Sustainable, safe and long-lasting buildings

Sustainable, safe and long-lasting buildings. The greenest building is the one that lasts

^{[1] Source: Building Renovation: a kick-starter for the EU economy (June 10, 2020)}

^{[2] Source: Building Renovation: a kick-starter for the EU economy (June 10, 2020)}