ESMIG members welcome the proposal for a revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) to contribute to the achievement of the EU’s energy and climate objectives for 2030, and the climate neutrality objective for 2050.
The decarbonisation of the buildings sector is indeed vital to deliver on the EU’s climate and energy objectives, given that buildings are responsible for 40% of total energy consumption. Within this context, energy efficiency is an essential element. The smart meter is directly linked and indispensable in achieving energy savings. The deployment of intelligent metering systems in buildings is necessary not only for enabling consumer awareness and participation, but also for electro-mobility. It is crucial to enable the consumers to acknowledge and change their consumption patterns and to encourage them to engage in energy generation and demand response. This can only be done if they receive accurate and timely information on their energy consumption. The smart meter is the only way to have a reliable and certified measurement of the energy consumed and/or generated by a building at a specific time of use.
However, there are still untapped opportunities such as data interoperability and analytics, dynamic tariffs and real-time information which are crucial components of consumer empowerment. The system needs to be designed for consumers to enable them to participate in the energy market, and to protect their rights and privacy. Smart meters and the aforementioned untapped opportunities would also serve as enabling technologies for a wide range of European companies to provide services and further expand the smart energy technology sector of the economy.
Therefore, an ambitious revision of the EPBD, which will not only reduce building’s energy consumption, but will also enable a more end-user focused, more decarbonised and more digital energy system is needed.