Review of 50 years of EU energy efficiency policies for buildings

Review of 50 years of EU energy efficiency policies for buildings

•EU policy efforts on energy efficiency in buildings stared in the 1970s in response to the oil crisis.•The first comprehensive EU policy was the SAVE directive in 1992, introducing policy actions still relevant today.•A major step forward was the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in 2002 an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy and buildings Vol. 225; p. 110322
Main Authors: Economidou, M., Todeschi, V., Bertoldi, P., D'Agostino, D., Zangheri, P., Castellazzi, L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15-10-2020
Elsevier BV
Subjects:
Buildings
Climate policy
Cost-optimal methodology
Energy demand
Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency directive
Energy management
Energy performance certificate
Energy performance of buildings directive
Energy policy
Environmental policy
EU energy policies
Nearly zero energy buildings
Priorities
Reviews
Cost-optimal methodology
EU energy policies
Energy performance certificate
Energy efficiency directive
Energy performance of buildings directive
Nearly zero energy buildings
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Summary:•EU policy efforts on energy efficiency in buildings stared in the 1970s in response to the oil crisis.•The first comprehensive EU policy was the SAVE directive in 1992, introducing policy actions still relevant today.•A major step forward was the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in 2002 and its subsequent amendments.•Mandatory energy performance standards are progressively converging towards near zero energy buildings.•Additional policies and financing are needed for the full decarbonisation of the building stock. The reduction of energy demand in buildings through the adoption of energy efficiency policy is a key pillar of the European Union (EU) climate and energy strategy. Energy efficiency first emerged in the EU energy policy agenda in the 1970s and was progressively transformed with shifting global and EU energy and climate policies and priorities. The paper offers a review of EU energy policies spanning over the last half century with a focus on policy instruments to encourage measures on energy efficiency in new and existing buildings. Starting from early policies set by the EU in response to the Oil Embargo in the 1973, the paper discusses the impact of EU policies in stimulating energy efficiency improvements in the building sector ranging from the SAVE Directive to the recently 2018 updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive. The review explores the progress made over the last 50 years in addressing energy efficiency in buildings and highlights successes as well as remaining challenges. It discusses the impact of political priorities in reshaping how energy efficiency is addressed by EU policymakers, leading to a holistic approach to buildings, and provides insights and suggestions on how to further exploit the EU potential to save energy from buildings.
ISSN:0378-7788
1872-6178
DOI:10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.110322