Promoting the integration of RES & RUE measures in historic buildings

Project Description

The project New4Old is committed to significantly contribute to Renewable Energy Sources (RES) & Rational Use of Energy (RUE) market penetration in historical buildings through a two-fold approach:

• Creation of a network of Renewable Energy Houses (REH) which will serve as focal points for the sustainable energy policy discussion in the different EU Member States & contribute to the commercialisation of RES & RUE equipments.
• Capacity building among architects and planners through guidelines and training activities in the field of building integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency into historic buildings. Inspired by the success of the REH in Brussels, it is the intention of this project to lay the ground for the creation of publicly accessible REH lighthouse projects, which will serve as a base for further stimulation of the market replication of RES & RUE technologies in the respective countries. All REH of the network will always feature the latest renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies available and will serve as demonstration projects for the proposed communication and marketing activities.

Project Duration

September 2007-September 2010

NOW ONLINE: PRESENTATIONS OF THE FINAL WORKSHOP BUILDINGS FOR THE FUTURE

 "BUILDINGS FOR THE FUTURE" The energy performance of buildings through a smart combination of renewable energy and energy efficiency

Gathering more than 120 participants, the “Buildings for the future” conference provided the opportunity to share ideas and discuss between the Renewable Energy Industry, the Energy Efficiency industry  and the Buildings sector. The event presented the findings of the IEE-project “New4Old” and served as platform to kick-start the new smart-e buildings campaign, coordinated by EREC. The  PROGRAMME was articulated into 4 sessions:
Participants in the 1^st session focused on the EU legislative framework supporting the energy performance of buildings. They set out a vision of what can be achieved provided the right policy framework is in place. The second session - Integration of RES & RUE in old buildings – New4Old - explored how can historical buildings respond to the challenges of integration of energy efficiency and renewable energy into the building sector. Demonstrations and capacity building appear as crucial elements in this respect. As a key outcome of the New4Old project, the consortium released Technical guidelines for the building actors and initiated a REH network in Europe. The debate, associating actors from the energy, the conservation and planning sectors, with architects and engineers, historic building owners and tenants was very rich in discussions regarding the complexity of heritage principles and planning and conservation laws. This debate was followed by the 3^rd session focusing on net-zero energy buildings. Best practice examples were presented and discussed by the panel, providing the audience with technical and economical information. “100% RES by 2050 – implications for Europe’s buildings?” was the question raised in the last session. The role of cities and municipalities in achieving this vision as well as the role of key renewable energy technologies were pointed out in these prospective scenarios. A strong commitment from all concerned parties, the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy sectors, looking at both demand and supply, will be crucial in paving the way to bring down the energy footprint of the building’s sector.