ESMIG’s position on the Proposal on the Recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2002/91/EC
In view of the upcoming plenary vote of the European Parliament of the EPBD, the European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG) welcomes the report of the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament on the recasting of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. ESMIG congratulates the ITRE Committee for its acknowledgment of the role of smart metering in increasing the energy efficiency performance of Europe’s building stock, and urges the European Parliament to maintain the smart metering requirements in the first reading.
Smart Metering is a key enabling technology for the European Union to meet its ambitious environmental and energy efficiency goals. A 20% increase in energy efficiency, a 20% share of intermittent renewable energy in the system and a reduction of CO2 emissions by 2020 will not be possible without the introduction of intelligent metering systems. Only through the widespread deployment of Smart Metering will the European Union be able to meet its 20-20-20 goals.
The benefits of Smart Metering were recognized by the European Parliament and Council in their agreement on the third Energy Package, when they mandated a rollout of smart metering across the European Union by 2022 and required that 80% of consumers be equipped with smart meters by 2020.
The decision of the ITRE Committee to provide a strong impetus to this development by calling for smart meters to be installed in all new buildings, all buildings undergoing renovation and whenever a meter is replaced should be supported by the European Parliament in its plenary. The requirement to install smart meters in all new buildings and those undergoing major renovations will make significant progress towards meeting the deadlines imposed in the Internal Market for Electricity Directive and achieving the 20-20-20 goals. Moreover, the installation of smart meters in new and renovated buildings will bring immediate benefits, as owners and tenants can be supplied with accurate real-time information on energy consumption in the buildings they occupy.
Therefore, we urge the European Parliament to support the amendments introduced by the ITRE Committee for Recital 17b, Article 2 – point 2, and in particular Article 8 – paragraph 2a.
ESMIG is the European industry group of suppliers of equipment or services to the smart metering industry. Membership includes meter and energy display manufacturers, communications companies, as well as system integrators. ESMIG contributes to the energy policy debate by providing information on the appropriate use of smart metering technology, which can allow consumers and utilities to derive a maximum benefit for the environment, end use customers and the efficiency of energy distribution and delivery.
Download: EPBD Position Paper
