Building a Greener Future: How Energy Performance Tools Are Transforming Our Homes

When we think about climate change, buildings might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet in the European Union, our buildings are responsible for around 40% of energy use and over a third of greenhouse gas emissions. To meet Europe’s climate goals, we need to make buildings smarter, greener, and more efficient.

That’s exactly what the latest update of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) sets out to do by improving how we assess, renovate, and manage buildings. At OneClickRENO (OCR), we are working behind the scenes to help turn that ambition into reality.

This was the focus of the recent Build Up technical article, “How EPCs are shaping new developments in line with the EPBD recast”, which features the insights of several OneClickRENO researchers.

If you've ever bought or rented a home in recent years, you’ve probably seen an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It gives a snapshot of how energy-efficient a building is and includes some basic recommendations for improvement. EPCs are mandatory in several scenarios across the EU, but surprisingly, it is estimated that less than 10% of buildings currently have one—leaving enormous untapped potential.

Then there’s the building renovation passport. Think of it as a step-by-step renovation roadmap designed specifically for your building. Based on its current condition and your needs, it helps plan upgrades that improve comfort, cut energy use, and move your home closer to zero emissions, one step at a time.

The EPBD recast encourages the integration of EPCs and BRPs, and with good reason. While EPCs show where your building stands today, BRPs help chart a course for future improvements. Used together, they provide a powerful combination.

But here’s the catch: managing multiple building assessments can quickly become complex. That’s where interoperability, the ability of different tools to “talk” to each other, comes in. Instead of fragmented systems, imagine a unified approach where one assessment feeds into many uses. That’s the goal of One Click Reno and other EU-funded projects like iEPB.

Check out the Build Up article and learn more about this topic!