European Energy Performance of Properties Analysis (EEPPA)

Challenge Platform: Transforming the Built Environment

Project Start Date: 05/2013

Lead partner: Knight Frank, UK

Project type: Pathfinder – Explores relevant climate arenas to identify and prioritise innovation opportunities

Project lead: Etienne Cadestin, Knight Frank

Partners

This project involves 4 partners in 2 European countries:

Concept

The European Energy Performance of Properties Analysis (EEPPA) project is playing a crucial role in helping to improve the transparency and understanding of energy efficiency in European building stock. By analysing the technology, policies and market opportunities, the project is preparing the ground work for the creation of a unified European Energy Performance Certificate index.

The climate change issue

Today, every EU member state involved has rolled out Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) that apply to both the sale and letting of properties. Without a single pan- European overarching Energy Performance Certificate, investment into large-scale international energy and carbon reduction building retrofit programmes is currently being hindered. Having an overarching EPC index would help to increase the transparency and understanding of the energy efficiency of buildings across Europe and provide valuable market knowledge for investors and external stakeholders.

The Project Solution

The EEPPA pathfinder project is investigating the barriers for the development of a unified index of Energy Performance Certificates across Europe. This includes analysing the technical barriers, such as software, database, development of algorithms and models.

The EEPPA pathfinder project will also investigate the political and policy barriers to development as well as the financial and marketing opportunities. The result of the project will be the development of the concept to create a unified European Energy Performance Certificate index in May 2014.

The role of Climate-KIC

Through Climate-KIC, the lead partner Knight Frank was able to put together a consortium of experts composed of The Institute for Sustainability (UK), The Climate Group (global) and the Valencia Institute of Buildings (Spain). By working with Climate-KIC, the project received the funding it required and access to the partners and contacts needed to move the European Energy Performance of Properties Analysis forward. With the greater legitimacy of being an EU funded project, those involved have invaluable access to work closely with the European Commission and high-level Government representatives across Europe.