Bulgaria

17 leading companies in the Bulgarian construction market, members of BACIW, highlight in a co-signed op-ed the key role the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) plays to cut the dependence of homes and buildings in Europe on imports of fossil fuels.

The renovation of F/G level public buildings to B/C will signify a decrease in final energy consumption by 90%.

Meanwhile, each billion invested to energy efficiency can create 18,000 jobs.

The op-ed was published on February 7th at Capital.

The renovation is even more relevant at a time when a war is raging not far from Bulgaria, when energy prices have reached historically high values when energy is used as a weapon.

In order to preserve our people, our economy, our way of life and our democracy, we Europeans must do everything in our power to find a sustainable solution to these problems. The most sustainable solution is to reduce consumption without harming the comfort and health of people. EE renovation of the building stock is such a solution. EE renovation is an investment in our future, not a moment’s expense.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed via video in her opening speech the audience of REDay2022.

In here remarks she emphasised how making our buildings energy efficient is indispensable in the fight against climate change and increasing the EU’s energy resilience and independence, and how the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is our opportunity to do so.

On April the 1st during the Architectural Building Week 2022 in Sofia it was officially signed the memorandum for Renovate Bulgaria. The eight founding signatories were the following:

• Bulgarian association for construction insulation and waterproofing
• Center for energy efficiency “EnEffect”
• Bulgarian facility management association
• Bulgarian construction chamber
• Bulgarian association of architects and engineers consultants
• Bulgarian-Austrian consulting company
• Shelter for humanity foundation, part of Habitat for humanity international
• Municipal network for energy efficiency – EcoEnergy

From the REC office we are very pleased for such an event and we hope that establishing Renovate Bulgaria will help to achieve the main goal of REC to reduce the energy demand of the EU building stock by 80% by 2050 through legislation and ambitious renovation programmes.

Watch the entire launch ceremony (in Bulgarian) here.

National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) present a unique opportunity to accelerate the delivery of deep renovation across the EU. The analysis of the NRRPs in this Study demonstrates that significant renovation activity is planned and will be made possible through the successive disbursements of the Recovery Funding. But these renovations must be done properly, and the money must be spent well. This unprecedented additional injection of public funds must set the EU building stock firmly on the path to achieving its Renovation Wave goals to 2030 and meeting the 2050 climate targets.

For NRRPs to be transformational towards achieving these goals, two key aspects need to be strengthened:

1. Ensure funding delivers a step change towards realising deep (or staged deep) renovations, going well beyond the 30% minimum energy saving recommendation set by the European Commission.
2. Invest in the right enabling framework, including leverage of private finance, to create sustainable renovation markets that will grow beyond 2026.

Bulgarian profile from the study commissioned by the Renovate Europe Campaign and conducted by E3G with input from BACIW.

• Click here to read the Full Bulgarian Profile in the study