Building directive in the service of ESG. How expensive will thermal modernisation be?

The amendment to the so-called Buildings Directive adopted by the European Parliament will force thermal modernisation in both residential and non-residential buildings. Opponents of the directive are sounding the alarm about the high costs. Is this right? - In many cases, it should be seen as an opportunity that supports the ESG goals set by many companies. Besides, today's investment in retrofitting means future gains in energy savings. It is worth looking at this account," emphasises MEP specialist Marcin Kosieniak.

In March this year. In March this year, the EP adopted an amendment to the legislation which aims to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. The proposed amendment to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is intended to make the property sector climate-neutral by 2050. More of the worst-performing buildings are to be renovated.

"Thermo-modernisation is assumed and built in as an integral part of this legislation. The key premise boils down to making changes that reduce a building's energy demand - if only by preventing what we refer to as heat leakage. Here, of course, replacing windows or insulating walls immediately comes to mind, but there are many more solutions if HVAC specialists look at specific examples," explains MEP specialist Marcin Kosieniak, co-owner of the PM Projekt design office.

How much energy savings cost.

As the regulations indicate, from 2030 onwards, all newly constructed buildings should be zero-emission, and public buildings must already meet this condition in 2028. The revision of the Buildings Directive (EPBD) also stipulates that member states will ensure thermal modernisation in both residential and non-residential buildings.

In the former case, the target is set as a reduction in average primary energy consumption (by 16 per cent, by 2030 and by 20-22 per cent, by 2035), and in the latter, the need to renovate 16 per cent of non-residential buildings with the worst energy performance by 2030 and 26 per cent, by 2033.

The greatest concerns of the opponents of the directive relate precisely to this aspect related to thermal modernisation, which often means a rather expensive investment.

"The process related to thermomodernisation is in each case complex and multifactorial, because of course we need to take into account insulation of walls or roofs, replacement of windows, replacement of heat sources or even installation of ventilation, but in various cases we can precisely plan this process so that the investment turns out to be good not only from the point of view of the requirements of the directive, but also from the business point of view. Because today ESG requirements translate into business efficiency and the real estate industry understands this very well," says Kosieniak.

Additional profits.

"Cooperation with HVAC engineers and specialists is key here. Especially as the range of solutions in specific cases is much wider and you can exploit the possibilities inherent in the building and its specifics. Not to mention the fact that modernisation of, for example, production facilities often brings additional benefits which significantly increase the comfort of work - for example, in the halls of production plants, the temperature can be adequately reduced using solutions proposed by us with precise calculations as to how to do it and where to obtain heat or cold from," points out Marcin Kosieniak, MEP specialist and co-owner of the PM Projekt design office.

It is estimated that in Poland, old buildings account for 38 per cent of total CO2 emissions.