CaCo – Coordination with other CAs and other EU projects

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Coordination with other CAs and other EU projects

The new structure of EPBD CA IV includes a new function: CoCA – Collaboration with other Concerted Action programmes (CAs) and EU projects.

The CoCa function focuses on the increased need for coordination of the three CAs (EED, RES, EPBD) and with other EU stakeholders that are relevant for EPBD implementation, in order to maximise impact and to avoid duplication and redundancy of work.

Central parts of this work are the other CAs:

  • CA EED – Energy Efficiency Directive (running until 2017)
  • CA RES II – Renewable Energy Sources Directive (renewal in 2016)

The focus of the CoCa function will be on elements that are common between the three CAs, such as renewable energy integration, EE policy development, requirements for existing public buildings and their renovation, training and accreditation, information campaigns and the role of consumers, financial instruments, smart meters data collection and smart buildings in general etc.

From the CAIV EPBD, possible collaboration priorities have been identified as:

  1. Integration of renewable energy in buildings
  2. Strategies for energy renovation of existing buildings
  3. Methodologies for measuring progress in Energy Efficiency (for regular reporting to the EU Commission on monitoring and verification)
  4. Synergys between regular inspection of heating and air-conditioning systems (EPBD) and energy audits of enterprises (EED) (where low experience was reported)
  5. Use of EPC data and integration with other databases
  6. Financial instruments and policy packages
  7. Intelligent metering of technical building systems and smart metering of customer energy consumption
  8. National action plans for initiatives on Energy Performance of Buildings
  9. Smart Buildings in Smart Grids

CoCA will potentially cover most of the EPBD articles, supporting and complementing the work in the CA IV Core and Cross Cutting teams (CTs and CCTs).

The first CoCA dedicated session of the CA IV was during the 1st plenary meeting in Copenhagen in November 2015 where all CAs were represented, this allowed for an overview of existing collaboration practices and relevant topics from the three CA’s different points of view. Special priorities converged to:

    1. Integration of RES in buildings (with a focus on NZEB and RES District Heating and Cooling)
    2. Methodologies for measuring progress of Energy Efficiency (use of data)

DG ENER organises a yearly meeting between the coordinators of the 3 CAs to discuss the interaction between DG ENER, EASME and the 3 CAs: the overall strategy for collaboration will be discussed here. Owing to the timing of the current programmes, the CAs shift the collaboration from formal Working Groups to continuous interactions, mainly based on mutual participation in other CA meetings[1], increased access to material and through ad hoc exchanges of information and work on results. The level of cooperation will be identified in conjunction with the specific topic and will be aimed at pooling different expertise and providing added value, privileging a bilateral approach.

Future collaboration with other CAs is predicted to be strengthened based on the topic: Business models for RES in Buildings and Smart buildings. Engagement of key EU stakeholders will continue based on better data for decision-making on energy performance of the building stock.

Coordination with other initiatives (e.g. IEE/H2020 projects) and stakeholders

There is a wide range of stakeholders involved in activities surrounding the energy performance of buildings, and a lot of experience on EPBD implementation has been gained through IEE/H2020 and other EU projects. Many of these project focus on buildings and initiatives, which are relevant for the full implementation of the EPBD and for maximising the outcomes of this legislation.

An effective implementation of the EPBD can only be achieved if central stakeholders are engaged in the process. Beyond reporting on common / complementary topics with other CAs, CoCa will be in charge of involving and monitoring EU projects, participation within the CA IV EPBD and investigating opportunities for combined action, including stakeholders event.

Coordination with CEN

Even though CEN standards are not always directly implemented in the national energy performance procedures, many countries use CEN compatible approaches. Multiple paths and requirements for annexes complicate their usage and there work is needed to develop standard conditions and values for these calculations where the collaboration in the CA EPBD can support implementation nationally. Supporting instruments and simplified data collection procedures are needed to discuss and improve CEN implementation further. Coordination with CEN will include sessions and workshops in connection to CA plenary meetings and development of standard values will be part of the CA Plenaries. The Cross-cutting Team for Technical issues (CCT1) will handle the technical content of this CEN related work.

 

[1] This happened in first CA EPBD meeting in Copenhagen and more recently in CA EED meeting (March 2016), on Cost-effective energy Renovation of public buildings  (art.5). NZEB buildings, will often require renewable energy: CA RES has a session in their next meeting in May and CA EPBD will participate.