MARIE

Build a new Energy Renovation Strategy around the Mediterranean

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    What are the conclusions from data compiled

    Despite the difficulties encountered with the census (availability of actualized data), we can make the following 4 conclusions :

    • The MARIE zone building stock is large. There are more than 10 million buildings and more than 30 million homes.
    • The building stock is ancient and energy inefficient. The majority of buildings constructed before 1980, without insulation, and prior to inclusion of effective energy efficiency criteria in building regulations.
    • In residential buildings, final energy consumption varies from 90 kWh/m2 (useful area) and space heating is always the most significant energy requirement varying from 40% to 65% of total consumption.
    • The current energy efficiency refurbishment rates in the MARIE regions compiled within this project range from 0.12% to 0.26%. This rate is 2-3 times lower than the average energy refurbishment rate in the MED area further demonstrates the need for urgent policy action. 

    Which concrete measures should be considered and tested ?

    The MARIE PARTNERS have identified 33 barriers to buildings energy efficiency improvements in the Mediterranean region. To be overcome, these barriers have been classified according to 5 strategic lines, which, divided into sub-measures, will be tested in the pilot actions.

    The 10 most significant barriers classified according to the five strategic lines :

    Common protocol

    • Incomplete, unshared, spread or asymmetric information regarding energy efficiency (EE) issues, the best available methodologies and solutions, providers of available services.
    • Lack of detailed information on the characteristics of the building stock at the regional level.

    Market activation

    • Lack of end user motivation for EE improvement. The issues of aesthetics, bigger space, fashion and updating, well-being, reducing noise are the most important motivations for refurbishment. As a consequence, there is a distortion between public policies (EE focus only) and building owners, tenants and users behaviour patterns.

    • Lack of technical skills and know-how at all levels of the supply side.

    • Lack of awareness among users on the benefits of EE investments in the long run.

    Competitiveness and Innovation

    • Low level of technical innovation in building sector (creation and dissemination of new processes and techniques).
    • Lack of technical skills and know-how at all levels of the supply side
    • Fragmented structure of the supply side at all levels of the value chain acting as a barrier to the ef cient stimulation of both supply and demand sides.

     Governance

    • Unclear, unstable and short-term oriented legislative framework for both offer and demand.
    • Poor integration of European, national, regional and local polices, and of the related administrative bodies, regarding EE and renewable energy sources.

    Economic ressources

    • The incapacity of conventional instruments to accommodate feasible EE renovation schemes.
    • Inability to account for the external, environmental and social, costs of the current situation and inactivity, rendering EE less profitable.

    How will the barriers be overcome ? Which strategy is most effective in MED space?

    Important changes affecting the construction sector urgently need to be made and implemented to achieve EU2020 objectives. Two words to summarize the MARIE partner’s approach to achieving this: COORDINATION (of public administrations) and CONCENTRATION (of public funds).

    COORDINATION of Public Administration to make sure that everyone is working together, in the same direction and at the same time, is essential. Failure to act together has been identified as a significant barrier that needs to be removed.

    CONCENTRATION of Public Funds is seen as essential to maximise the effectiveness of measures. This should be done in a way that allows all actors to scale up activities and gain force through economies of scale, critical mass and the exploitation of synergies.