Energy transition of Europe’s building stock. Implications for EU 2030. Sustainable Development Goals

Energy transition of the EU building stock, from being an energy waster to being highly energy efficient and an energy producer, is a prerequisite for Europe’s carbon neutrality, as well as for meeting Europe’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Achieving these targets requires shifting the emerging energy renovation market from a market of step-by-step and shallow energy renovation financed by grants to a market of industrialized and holistic energy renovation leading to zero energy buildings financed by long-term loans. This paradigm shift is an opportunity for the construction industry to improve its productivity by industrializing the energy renovation process through the use of modern production technics and innovative technologies as well as business models. The industrialization of energy renovation will lead to cost reduction, making zero energy buildings affordable for all EU citizens, regardless of their income.