Europe is home to many traditional and monumental buildings that have become landmarks in many European cities. These buildings are a tangible link to our past and allow us to better appreciate our cultural, architectural, and societal heritage. Nevertheless, they generally require significant use of energy and generate higher than average greenhouse gas emissions. Renovating historic buildings and bringing them up to date with current energy efficiency standards is therefore essential.
Nevertheless, the issue of energy inefficiency extends far beyond historical buildings. In fact, it is deeply rooted within the foundation of our homes. According to the European Commission (EC), around half of the European residential buildings were built before the introduction of thermal standards (1970), which makes them highly inefficient. In fact, according to the EC if all existing residential buildings in the EU were renovated 44% of the energy used for residential space heating could be saved.