Zero alert for low energy savings in buildings in Portugal
Portugal is the country of the European Union (EU-28, in this case) that presents the lowest values of energy savings in residential buildings, in the three levels of renovations – medium, light and deep -, alerts ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável. With regard to non-residential buildings, the situation is not very different, with the lowest rates of light and medium renovation, and the second lowest rate of deep renovation.
The information is in the new report of the Joint Research Centre, a research group of the European Commission, which analyzed the progress of each Member State in relation to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The best performing countries in this field are Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, with energy savings of 395.2 kWh / m2a, 346.2 kWh / m2a and 340.9 kWh / m2a, respectively.
The data indicate that from 2005 to 2018, the energy consumption of the construction sector decreased by 5%. In residential buildings, there was a 10% reduction in final energy consumption, and in services, energy consumption increased by 2%, due to economic growth, the authors reveal. However, they point out that the rate of renovation of buildings in this field is still very low.
“A paradigm shift is needed in the construction sector for better energy performance, substitution of fossil fuels for renewable energies and the development of sustainable and circular practices throughout its value chain” defends ZERO. “Portugal is still below the desired energy performance for buildings and it is necessary to advance with levels at national level, in line with current economic and political policies to comply with the objective of climate neutrality.”
The policies recommended in the report are, according to the Association, “a great opportunity to achieve synergies between the different directives, present a strong regulatory framework, analyze the potential of countries in this matter and further increase the role of citizens and citizens in the sector. building and members of the energy communities at this time of transition. We can all be provided for in the transition and we can all benefit from the opportunities”, he guarantees.