Abstract
The EU aimed to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. In parallel, renewable energy sources (RES) production was expected to increase by 20%, along with a 20% overall efficiency upgrade (1). By 2030, an integrated policy framework will compel EU Member States (MSs) to direct a coordinated approach and provide investors with applicable regulatory guidelines. By that year, the EU intends to decrease domestic emissions of GHG by 40% relative to 1990 levels. National policies are designed to permanently improve energy efficiency (EE) and increase the energy produced with RES to 27% (2). In order to achieve the 2050 targets, the EU must pursue further efforts. The EU MSs have declared a goal of decreasing GHG emissions in Europe by 80–95% relative to 1990 levels by 2050 (3). Primary energy demand in the EU amounted to about 1800 Mtoe/y in 2010, principally attributed to different heating and cooling (H&C) applications (almost 900 Mtoe/y, accounting also for industrial heat). The entire building sector accounts for around 720 Mtoe/y (40% of the entire EU primary energy demand). The most significant shares of energy demand within the European building stock are assigned, in decreasing order, to space heating (SH), domestic hot water (DHW), and space cooling (SC) with around 3200, 890, and 107 TWh/y, respectively (4). Recently, the EU and all of its MSs conducted a thorough investigation to classify their building stocks based on building typologies and existing floor area, without specifying energy demand values for SH, SC, and DHW according to the various construction periods. The results presented in this book correlated with the contribution towards energy efficiency and sustainable green design features into new/existing buildings. Buildings have become a top priority in recent years for building owners, designers, contractors, engineers, and facility managers. This book intends to address a deliberate and, for the first time, established data analysis of the whole European building stock—revealing a current trend of building final energy consumption and efficiency. The results concern different sectors and types of buildings. The whole picture of the European building stock analysis has established that building energy efficiency is not just the result of applying one or more isolated technologies but rather a complex process of establishing new energy-efficient materials, equipment, and operational strategies