Background:
For several years now, the European Commission has been working towards the goal of making buildings fit for a climate-neutral future. The key pillars of this effort are the ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ package (2016) and the European Green Deal [1]. The focus is on making buildings more energy-efficient, making better use of renewable energy and integrating smart technologies more effectively – always with an eye to the comfort and needs of users.
An important tool for this is the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI). It assesses how ‘smart’ a building is, i.e. how well it:
- interoperates with renewable energies and future energy systems,
- optimises its energy consumption,
- responds to user needs and
- last but not least, contributes to the stability of increasingly dynamic electricity and energy grids.
With the revision of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the SRI was introduced in June 2018 as a voluntary assessment tool. In several studies – coordinated by a consortium led by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) – a calculation methodology for the SRI was developed on behalf of the European Commission.
At the end of 2020, the EU officially adopted this methodology and brought it into force by regulation from 1 January 2021 [2]. At the same time, a five-year trial phase began, in which Member States can participate on a voluntary basis. Since autumn 2021, there has also been a European SRI platform where representatives of the Member States and other stakeholders are working together on the further development of the SRI.
The current draft for the renewed revision of the EPBD provides that the SRI methodology is to be made mandatory for large non-residential buildings from 1 January 2026. Until then, the methodology can and should be further improved and adapted within the framework of the pilot phase.
Aim of the project:
The aim of the project is to further develop an Austrian methodology for assessing the ‘smart readiness’ of buildings (SRI Austria 2.0). Building on preliminary studies [3], [4], [5] already carried out by the submitting consortium, this methodology will be tested, analysed and improved in a practical context using eight specific demonstration buildings. In parallel, an in-depth examination of the EU SRI methodology will be carried out in order to provide a well-founded assessment of its strengths and weaknesses from an Austrian perspective. The project results are intended to support the BMK and the OIB in shaping the SRI in Austria during the ongoing EU-wide test phase.
The project will implement and analyse measures in four different building typologies in line with the focus of the EU SRI methodology – residential buildings, office buildings, educational buildings and care homes.
The measures implemented are then examined to determine the extent to which they contribute to the three central pillars of Smart Readiness as defined by the EPBD 2018:
- energy flexibility (in particular load shifting and better integration of renewable energies),
- energy-efficient operation and
- user comfort.
The measures are based on the ‘services’ defined in the EU methodology and are intended to enable new energy services at building level. Their impact is analysed using various indicators and presented transparently. The aim is to clearly illustrate the links between specific measures and a building’s Smart Readiness.
Another component of the project is the development of a national online platform through which buildings can be assessed in a standardised manner using various SRI methods. This platform enables self-assessments, benchmarks and comparisons of different building types, and forms the basis for a growing building pool from which robust recommendations can be derived. The subsequent integration of the EU methodology is planned.
Innovation:
Methodologically, the project adopts both a qualitative and a quantitative approach: measures are implemented and simulated in the demonstration buildings and evaluated using various assessment methods. In doing so, both the EU SRI methodology and Austrian approaches are being further developed; their advantages and disadvantages are being analysed and the findings reported back to the European Commission. Particular attention is paid to linking the SRI input data with existing energy performance certificate data, as well as to the further development of quantitative assessment methods, in order to achieve a high level of acceptance in practice.
As the SRI places a strong focus on load shifting and the improved use of renewable energy, international studies suggest a CO₂ reduction potential of approximately 5–40% per building. Overall, the project provides a sound basis for decision-making regarding the introduction and design of an SRI in Austria, supports the federal states in implementing measures and funding schemes, and strengthens Austria’s position in the EU-wide further development of the Smart Readiness Indicator.
Literature
[1] MITTEILUNG DER KOMMISSION AN DAS EUROPÄISCHE PARLAMENT, DEN EUROPÄISCHEN RAT, DEN RAT, DEN EUROPÄISCHEN WIRTSCHAFTS-UND SOZIALAUSSCHUSS UND DEN AUSSCHUSS DER REGIONEN, Der europäische Grüne Deal. Brüssel, den 11.12.2019, COM(2019) 640 final inkl. Annex
[2] Vorschlag für eine RICHTLINIE DES EUROPÄISCHEN PARLAMENTS UND DES RATES über die Gesamtenergieeffizienz von Gebäuden (Neufassung). COM(2021) 802 final; 2021/0426(COD). Brüssel, den 15.12.2021. Wörtlich im Artikel 13 (2): „Die Kommission erlässt bis zum 31. Dezember 2025 einen delegierten Rechtsakt gemäß Artikel 29, in dem die Anwendung des gemeinsamen Systems der Union zur Bewertung der Intelligenzfähigkeit von Gebäuden gemäß Anhang IV auf Nichtwohngebäude mit einer Nennleistung für eine Heizungsanlage oder eine kombinierte Raumheizungs- und Lüftungsanlage von mehr als 290 kW vorgeschrieben wird.“
