The inclusion of Resource Efficiency as one of the Flagship initiatives in the EU 2020 strategy demonstrated the recognition that  energy and resource efficiency will be the major competitiveness indicators of the  future in view of  global population growth and spreading industrialization. The new financial perspectives for the 2014-2020 EU budget should reflect and mainstream this recognition.  Territories have also realized that to achieve this competitive edge, they must not only offer decent local jobs and housing, but must ensure that these jobs and housing are generated, built and managed resource efficiently and sustainably. Efficiency and Competitiveness go hand in hand.

You have to pay to save but saving pays back !! Latest feedback from the CECODHAS Housing Europe energy campaign (Power House Europe) shows that securing enough up-front finance continues to be the major concern for our members when it comes to energy efficiency. Front-running housing organizations are looking to white certificates, energy service contracting and pay as you save schemes and in some cases delivery of energy services to fill the financial gap left by dropping public incentives and restrictions on access to private finance. It is clear however that while these mechanisms can be a complement to subsidies, low interest loans and reduced VAT rates, they can not yet be seen as a replacement.  With this in mind, the message emerging from February’s energy summit which underestimates the need for public support for the transition to a more efficient Europe, although hardly surprising in the current budgetary climate,  was a worrying one. The EU must continue to send the right message, as it did with the decision to allocate a possible 8 billion to energy efficiency in homes through the ERDF.  This decision acknowledges the fact that public investment in efficiency is not money down the drain. Indeed a 2009 UNEP study shows that in Germany for example the overall stimulus package is expected to create 25,000 jobs in manufacturing and construction for retrofitting buildings. Research in Hungary has shown that a programme to renovate annually 5.7 per cent of the total floor area, could generate up to 131,000 jobs. 

The potential of the EU budget to drive Europe's energy and resource efficiency agenda must be fully exploited.  

Vit Vanicek, President, CECODHAS Housing Europe.

From March 1st to 4th a POWER HOUSE group will see and hear about the Austrian experience in Passiv Housing and Low-energy refurbishment into Vienna, Linz and Wels. Along with the Brussels Minister for Housing the group of housing federation representatives from all over the EU will visit some of Austria’s leading passive housing projects including Eurogate, the world’s largest passive house settlement in Vienna and Solar City in Linz.

The visit was arranged to coincide with the World Sustainable Energy Days’ Conference on Renovation strategies for domestic, public, commercial buildings & social housing that will take place in Wels. Find information about development of WSED Conference here.

For information on future POWER HOUSE EUROPE study visits and events click here.

After reviewing the outputs of completed Intelligent Energy European Funded projects, based on a needs analysis conducted with their members, the Power House France team selected the most useful ones for social housing organisations in France and grouped them according to the planning, construction and use phases of the building. Power house France toolkit is available on-line.

It is also possible to find on Power House France website a progress report on the use of European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) by housing organisations. This report shows the ERDF amounts available for retrofit projects by region, 70% of the amounts available in France, the expected performance improvements, examples of projects supported by the ERDF and the future proposals for the extended use of funds in the post 2013 funding period. This work is a useful tool to communicate with partners at local level.

USH published also the report "Energy efficiency: Europe supports your project." This report contains a summary of EU energy policies, a presentation of the ERDF measure to improve the energy performance of dwellings, calls on European energy projects of interest to social housing bodies and the results of projects.

To read more about activities in France including the main obstacles being encountered and how HSH is reaching out to its members please consult this  link.

In Sweden, there are 16 national environmental goals, one of which entitled ‘Good built Environment’ affects SABO’s work in the Powerhouse Europe considerably. This objective includes a number of milestones, one of which covers Energy use in buildings 2020/2050.

It calls for the reduction of the total energy use in heated homes and buildings. The reduction should be 20 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050 compared to 1995. By 2020, the dependence on fossil fuels for energy use in the housing sector is to be reduced, while the share of renewable energy should grow steadily.

2020 Goals of the Swedish climate and energy policy are:

• At least 50 percent of the Swedish energy will be produced from renewable sources;
• Greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden will be reduced by 40 percent compared to 1990;
• Energy efficiency is to be increased by 20 percent.

As a result of EC Directive on energy efficiency and energy services, the parliament has also adopted an indicative target of at least 9% more efficient final energy consumption by 2016 compared with the average for the years 2001-2005.

To read more about activities in Sweden including the main obstacles being encountered in particular the lack of subsidised loans nor any state grants for energy efficiency when renovating which currently means that very few renovations with an energy focus are being carried out due to high costs. Read also how Sabo is reaching out to its members please consult this link.

The new UK Government has introduced a new Energy Bill to make provision for the arrangement and financing of energy efficiency improvements to all existing homes (the Green Deal). The Green Deal is designed to enable accredited energy efficiency improvements to be carried out without up-front costs to residents and for a charge to be collected via their home’s energy bill. The Government has stated that it will be a new and radical way to improve the energy efficiency of people’s homes. However, to ensure the Green Deal work for all existing homes there are changes that need to be made to issues of consent, funding (via the energy company obligation) and assessment of works to be carried out.

The Federation has a Green Deal working group to examine the role housing associations can play in delivering and ensuring tenants benefit from Green Deal. It will also examine the barriers to Green Deal for social housing tenants and leaseholders. It is anticipated that the work from this group will feed into the DECC housing advisory group on Green Deal.

The meetings have looked at how Green Deal will be financed and how housing associations might work with contractors to identify and unblock some of the potential barriers. It is essential that housing associations are a central part of this delivery and ensure that tenants benefit from the proposals. Some of the major barriers are around ensuring take-up of Green Deal, ensuring it is both affordable and feasible for tenants, targets tenants in fuel poverty and is deliverable in flatted accommodation. The role of the future supplier obligation (ECO) will be crucial in ensuring future retrofit work is possible in social housing. The Federation is making amendments to the Energy Bill and has written a report to identify the barriers to Green Deal.

To read more about activities in England including the main obstacles being encountered and how NHF is reaching out to its members please consult this link.

In the framework of the Spanish POWER HOUSE Platform, AVS, in collaboration with Federcasa and EMVS is organizing a Workshop on the use of ERDF for Social Housing renovation to be held on Tuesday 22 March 2011 in Madrid (interpretation in Spanish, French and Italian provided).
The following day, on Wednesday 23, participants will also have the opportunity to visit some social housing projects on energy efficiency and passive architecture developed by the AVS’s member EMVS (Social Housing Enterprise of the Municipality of Madrid).

Please download here the programme of the event.

For further information, do not hesitate to contact Mr Carlos de Astorza Spanish POWER HOUSE Platform Coordinator.

The sole responsibility for the content of this Newsletter lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

For further information, please visit www.powerhouseeurope.eu