LightingEurope calls for more ambition in the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

The European Commission has published its proposal for a targeted revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. It is estimated buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union.

“We support the intention of the European Commission to accelerate the renovation of buildings across Europe,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou, Secretary General of LightingEurope.

“Europe’s lighting industry has today the technology and products we need to deliver significant energy savings – up to 10% of the overall European energy consumption by 2030. We regret to see that lighting is not specifically addressed in the revised proposals. The mandate of the SRI in large non-residential buildings is a step in the right direction but more ambition is needed. Renovating buildings to transition to LED-based lighting systems, integrating controls and sensors, will not only deliver up to 48-56 TWh of electricity annually by 2050 – it will also offer significant benefits to the occupant’s visual comfort, well-being, and productivity,” she added.

LightingEurope will further assess the new proposed measures and puts its technical expertise at the disposal of EU institutions to help shape these new measures to ensure that they benefit human comfort, safety, well-being, and the environment and will foster fair competition and growth for the European industry.

Background
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive was last amended in 2018. The targeted revision, which is part of the EU Green Deal and the EU Renovation Wave Strategy, aims at addressing the decarbonisation of the buildings sector to deliver on the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate goals.