The challenges to implement Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEB) and achieving minimum shares of Renewable Energy are tremendous. There are various indications raising concerns regarding the reliability of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) declarations and the quality of the works.
Achieving a significant improvement requires strong commitment from authorities and other major players, as well as sufficiently broad societal support.
The QUALICHeCK Project responded to these challenges by:
- identifying issues in respect to existing procedures;
- highlighting best practices for easy access to reliable EPC input data, delivery of improved quality of the works, as well as more effective compliance frameworks (“lead people to do what they declare”);
- raising awareness and engaging relevant stakeholders.
The focus has been mainly (but not limited) on:
- 9 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Greece, Romania, Spain and Sweden
- 4 technology areas:
- Transmission characteristics: this includes opaque components (walls, roofs, …) windows and doors, as well as the handling of e.g. thermal bridges.
- Ventilation and airtightness: this includes performance of ventilation systems, as well as envelope and ductwork airtightness.
- Sustainable summer comfort technologies: this includes a wide range of technologies and concepts, e.g. solar control, thermal mass, ventilative cooling strategies, cool roofs, …
- Renewables in multi-energy systems: this also includes a wide range of energy systems, whereby the common feature is the presence of renewables (heat pumps, solar collectors, biomass, PV, …)
- innovation
- the residential sector
Close interaction was promoted with the Concerted Actions on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (RES) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), as well as BUILD UP Skills. The communication strategy supported both the broad dissemination of project outcomes and the constructive engagement of authorities and stakeholders.
The QUALICHeCK Project was completed on 2017.02.28 as planned. The QUALICHeCK Platform continues beyond the project’s duration; For further information, see www.qualicheck-platform.eu.