Energy Efficiency in the Building Sector: a Sustainable Future

Energy savings and energy efficient buildings are considered a key way for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, taking into consideration that in fact buildings are responsible for over 40% of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions. The building sector is furthermore one of the largest in Europe and a major motor for its development. The EU Directive 2010/31/EC defines concrete goals for energy savings and for the use of renewable energies in buildings.

The EnEf project aims at designing training modules and contents to be delivered to entrepreneurs and managers of the building industry. These trainings will focus on energy efficiency in buildings. This project will contribute to cost effective energy efficiency, significant emission reductions and cost savings to Member States.

This will be achieved by creating in partner countries, generally in Europe, an accessible training approach enriched by an e-Learning platform, visual elements simulations and interesting practices in building industry with final results especially in terms of: Emission Reduction, Improved Comfort, Improved Indoor Air Quality, Quality Construction and indirectly for the owners Strong Position for High Resale Value, Easy Access to Preferred Mortgage Financing.

In the first phase the project will wider and deeper analyse the gaps of the current training systems concerning energy efficiency in building as well as the lessons to be learned from the more developed systems in partner countries. The proposal aims at participating to change the situation under the previous point also through a new vision of the topic.

There is a too much fragmented vision into components of the system (buildings, machinery, photovoltaic panels, systems control, and lighting) without losing sight of their integration into a single framework that considers the entire system-building plant. This fragmentation of standards, languages and specialisations, leaves on the ground most of the potential for energy efficiency and renewable sources that could be exploited. The overall approach must be redefined and must pass the idea of an efficiency linked to the replacement of the component towards the idea of developing Total Energy Architecture.

ENEF is a project co-funded by the European Commission in the framework of the Life-long Learning Programme, Leonardo Da Vinci – Development of Innovation.

For more information, see the project Website at:

http://www.enef-project.eu

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