EXPECTED IMPACTS

The Dynamic Perspective of the Energy Performance Certification (EPC)

The impacts of E-DYCE are interconnected!

Expected Impacts

Traditionally the EPC for buildings has been using analysis tools and paper data such as cadasters or building models. Moreover, analyses by incorporating several different and heterogeneous data from various sources manually is cumbersome and prone to errors. The impacts on modernization of EPC from paper-based towards digitized systems are obvious. E-DYCE will be using tools which can integrate and cross reference data from several different sources, a significant improvement both in terms of user-friendliness but also in terms of accuracy by evaluating the performance of the building in regular intervals (resolutions) up to real time.
a. Clarity of objective: reduced energy consumption, increase comfort, health and quality of life and generate savings that will be reinvested boosting the economy and preserving the environment.
b. Clarity of methods: to label the building utilizing the free-running potential.
c. Clarity of benefits: the level of expected savings will be communicated in a user-friendly way and the same will be applied for the sharing of the benefits (70% Service/ 30% tenant/ owner receives the carbon tax equivalents)
d. Clarity of data usage and security: data will only be used to conduct the certification and associated simulations in accordance to GDPR and will be processed anonymized.

E-DYCE will be providing clear, simple and useful feedback to the user in the micro, meso and macro-scales.
In the micro-scale, the users / tenants through the real time energy label of E-DYCE will be informed when energy is spent and helped the user to understand the effect of his their actions and his habits on energy performance. The possibility to inform users on their real-time behaviour in terms of energy efficiency thanks to smart metering and ICT, is expected to lead to energy savings in the range of 5-30%, in line with other studies also.
In the meso-scale, owners will be encouraged to do the right choices in terms of energy system infrastructure. A real time indication of the energy label will help the right control settings without costly and unnecessary delays. For energy saving investments, the owner will see the effect immediately and for professional building owners will be kind of a learning process favouring the most energy efficient actions. Automated building management systems are already emerging for easily quantifiable monitoring values for the building day-to-day operations in an optimal manner, mainly focusing on matters regarding the energy consumption.
In the macro-scale, government and public authorities will benefit from the immediate feedback of energy saving programs to adjust their subsidy or compliance regulations according to their real effect. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that voluntary demand response methodologies help shave the peak-demand for residential areas and educate tenants about good environmental practices.

The direct impact of dynamic certification on cost savings is established: Even when it is solely based on the optimization of building operating conditions and on the users behaviour, a one (1) energy class improvement can be expected. Communication of energy consumption by itself can motivate the user to improve their consumption patterns by 15-25%
According to model, the service provider/expert/certification organization implementing the certification with minimal or without initial investment, with no annual subscription will receive 70% of the savings generated and the the tenant/user benefits from 30% of the savings. The owners are incentivized paying less for carbon tax

According to E-DYCE, energy savings for building operation optimization may pay 70% for 5 years engineering services and 30% to motivate the tenants to participate to energy conscious behaviour. The owner in this model receive the benefit of the carbon tax credits. In this model it can be envisioned that an initial investment in the area of 100€ could be needed to cover the cost of the sensors, inspection and connection, and to motivate the user to comply and adopt the recommendations. In any case, it will also be possible to return this “down payment” at the end of the first year of operation. A one (1) energy class savings correspond to energy savings of 3€/m2 of floor per year that may be transformed into investments for jobs to perform the building optimisation, further energy savings or higher buying power for the tenants.

An energy economy of a one (1) class should save more than 23% CO2 emissions. Public authorities and optimisation agencies may promote measures for replacement of high CO2 emission energy systems. The reduction due to conscious behaviours is expected to be even more. In its current form, the energy subsidy for energy conservation actions apply only to documented renovation actions on the building and the adjustment of the operation of the building; and smart control is at present not rewarded. This approach is calling for change.

Other Impacts

United Nations sustainable development goals

Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 13: Climate action
Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Goal 9: Industry innovation and infrastructure
Goal 10: Reduced inequalities

Considering the inclusion in demo cases of school buildings, specific actions devoted to students (primary, middle and high schools) will be conducted during the specific E-DYCE demo cases to:

  • Involve students on energy and environmental problems, including EU actions (e.g. Energy labelling; United Nations SDG)
  • Expand student knowledge, by visiting demo cases and being involved in demo case monitoring, strengthening young peoples’ skills and employability on the topic of energy certification, reduction of building energy consumptions and user behaviours’ consciousness.

The adoption of E-DYCE will also benefit society and the everyday life of the European citizen. E-DYCE is designed to be scalable and applicable into virtually any scenario.

  • It is intended to be accessible to every household, even featuring only the basic functions.
  • Working on planning activities for the development of ideas and communicating outputs to the whole territory.
  • Making all buildings and building typologies (included traditional houses without mechanical systems, such as Mediterranean ones) able to be included in EPC actions.

Furthermore, the definition of a more reliable EPC approach able in being technology neutral, will increase the potential impact of integrated solutions for building energy efficiency, allowing to create new jobs in the green economy.
The potential applicability of the proposed labelling approach can cover an incredibly large amount of buildings, with special regards to almost all residential buildings and small offices. The entire set of solutions used to guarantee comfort in free-running buildings may be applied to an even larger amount of buildings including both existing and new ones.