It has been almost a year since the European Parliament's approval, and the “Energy Performance of Buildings Directive” now officially comes into force, setting medium- and long-term goals aimed at reducing European emissions of climate-altering gases.
The target for climate neutrality has been set for 2050, which the EU committed to achieving starting from December 2019. Making Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050 is one of the binding commitments of the European Climate Law.
One of the main objectives is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. A substantial decarbonization of the energy sector will be essential to mitigate climate change.
A certainly ambitious journey that requires the implementation of innovative technological solutions that can guide all countries towards this transformation.
“Green Homes” Directive: zero-emission buildings and ban on boilers
One of the measures put in place by the EU is the Green Homes directive. It provides that all new buildings must be zero emissions and equipped with solar and photovoltaic panels starting from 2028, while existing ones must reach at least energy class E by January 1, 2030, and D by 2033.
Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy, stated:
Buildings are the most energy-consuming sector in Europe. They consume 40% of energy and generate 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the least efficient buildings consume ten times more energy than new or well-renovated ones.
The directive also establishes that by 2035 it will be forbidden to use fossil fuels for domestic heating, with the abolition of incentives for the installation of methane boilers already from 2024.
The Italian situation
According to data collected by the European Commission, about 75% of the European building stock is inefficient according to the new guidelines.
In Italy, however, thanks to the nZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Buildings) standards introduced in 2020, the situation is slightly better than in the other Member States: in fact, 74% of homes belong to energy classes lower than D, that is 34% in G, 23.8% in F and 15.9% in E.
So it is clear that there is still a lot to do.