7/31/2019 091207 PR EPBD Recast Final

1/1

PRESS RELEASE

Energy performance of buildings: photovoltaic systems to become astandard product in new buildings

Brussels, Monday 7 December 2009

Today, at the Energy Council the Swedish Presidency was congratulated for the agreementreached on the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Any new Europeanbuilding will have to be nearly zero energy by 2020, meaning that a very large share ofenergy consumption will be provided by renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic technologies

are amongst the best suited to be integrated in buildings. However no target has been setfor existing buildings which currently represent about 99% of the building stock.

EPIA hopes that the new EPBD will ensure a strong boost for on-site renewable energy sources(RES) like photovoltaics (PV), which as a decentralized and sustainable energy technology is easyand quick to install in housing and has the ability to provide a significant share of the householdand commercial energy demand. The threshold of 1000 m2 present in the previous EPBD has nowbeen removed, opening possibilities to improve the energy performance for all sizes of edifices.

The new directive stipulates that the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should to avery significant extent be covered by energy coming from renewable sources, including renewableenergy produced on-site or nearby. EPIA recommends that when transposing the directive in the

national law, EU member states should focus on developing the potential of on-site RES, whichcan turn energy consuming buildings into more energy independent even autonomous or positiveenergy buildings.

For existing buildings, using alternative systems, such as RES is encouraged; EPIA believes thisconstitutes progress but still not enough, as existing buildings currently represent 99% of thebuilding stock. Therefore Member States should be more ambitious and propose a concrete targetfor this major segment of the market when transposing the law.

If well implemented by the 27 EUcountries, this new piece of legislation will be essential to meetthe target set by EPIA to reach 12% of Europes electricity demand by 2020 with photovoltaicenergycommented Eleni Despotou, EPIA Policy Director.

Photovoltaic technology can be integrated in many ways in buildings either on the roof (e.g. byreplacing the tiles), on external building walls, as semi-transparent faades (inside the glass), asshading element or skylight (semi transparent roof).For more information on how to integrate PV in buildings see the publication: Building integratedphotovoltaics.

For more information:Marie Latour, Media Relations: +32 2 400 10 13 m.latour@epia.org

With more than 200 Members drawn from across the entire solar electricity sector, the EuropeanPhotovoltaic Industry Association is the worlds largest photovoltaic industry association and represents

about 95% of the European photovoltaic industry. EPIA members are present throughout the whole value-chain: from silicon, cells and module production to systems development. EPIAs mission is to deliver adistinct and valuable service driven from the strength of a single photovoltaic voice.

European Photovoltaic Industry AssociationRenewable Energy HouseRue dArlon 63-67 1040 Brussels, Belgiumwww.epia.org

http://www.epia.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/EPIA_docs/publications/epia/BIPV_FINAL_reprint_2009_FINAL_pp.pdf&t=1260030337&hash=b76a8ec07c06b07814ae4181a7140079http://www.epia.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/EPIA_docs/publications/epia/BIPV_FINAL_reprint_2009_FINAL_pp.pdf&t=1260030337&hash=b76a8ec07c06b07814ae4181a7140079http://www.epia.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/EPIA_docs/publications/epia/BIPV_FINAL_reprint_2009_FINAL_pp.pdf&t=1260030337&hash=b76a8ec07c06b07814ae4181a7140079http://www.epia.org/http://www.epia.org/http://www.epia.org/http://www.epia.org/http://www.epia.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/EPIA_docs/publications/epia/BIPV_FINAL_reprint_2009_FINAL_pp.pdf&t=1260030337&hash=b76a8ec07c06b07814ae4181a7140079http://www.epia.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/EPIA_docs/publications/epia/BIPV_FINAL_reprint_2009_FINAL_pp.pdf&t=1260030337&hash=b76a8ec07c06b07814ae4181a7140079