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While new residential buildings are increasingly designed to meet ambitious energy performance standards, a significant challenge remains elsewhere - in the buildings that already exist and will be standing for many years. Our expert, Lars Norrdal, Residential Director, explains further how this is.
Across Europe, a large share of buildings was constructed under very different regulations and performance expectations than those applied today. As a result, a majority of the existing building stock is considered energy inefficient. According to the European Commission, around 75% of the EU building stock has poor energy performance, and at the same time, more than 85% of today's buildings are expected to remain in use also in 2050. In this context, residential buildings must deserve particular attention as they count for roughly 75% of the Union’s total building floor area across Europe.
This altogether highlights the important role that home renovations play in supporting Europe's long-term climate and energy objectives.
Renovation as part of the climate transition
The European Union has recognised the need to improve the energy performance of existing buildings. Through initiatives such as the Renovation Wave, EU aims to increase renovation rates and improve energy performance of millions of buildings by 2030.
Renovation is therefore increasingly viewed, not only as a way to maintain buildings and improve occupant comfort, but also as an important element of broader energy and climate strategies.
Many residential renovation projects focus on measures that can improve building energy performance, including:
1. Upgrading the building envelope
Upgrading insulation, windows and airtightness can reduce heat loss and lower a building's energy demand. A well-performing building envelope is often an important foundation for improving energy efficiency.
2. Integrating renewable energy
Adding technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps can help reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based energy sources, depending on the energy source they replace and the local electricity mix.
3. Ensuring efficient heat recovery
Ventilation plays an important role in both energy performance and indoor air quality. Modern ventilation solutions equipped with heat recovery can help reduce energy losses while supporting a healthy indoor climate.
4. Adding smart HVAC solutions
Modern HVAC systems combined with advanced controls enable optimisation of heating, ventilation and cooling based on actual needs. This can help avoid unnecessary energy use while maintaining occupant comfort.
When appropriately designed, installed and operated, these measures can contribute to lower operational energy use and reduced greenhouse-gas emissions.
HVAC as an important contributor
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are major contributors to carbon emissions, especially in residential buildings. Due to ageing building stock, cold climates and continued reliance on fossil fuels, HVAC systems account for 60-75% of household energy use and energy-related carbon emissions across Europe.
However, reducing the environmental impact of buildings involves considering both operational emissions and the emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting and installing products. At Swegon, we focus on developing solutions that support improved building performance and energy efficiency when renovating. Examples include heat pumps using natural refrigerants, heat recovery technologies and systems for demand controlled ventilation (DCV).
In some cases, refurbishment and upgrading of existing equipment may offer an alternative to full replacement, helping to extend product lifecycles and reduce material consumption while meeting energy performance targets. But, an important consideration in renovation projects is practicality. Our high ambitions have driven us to develop renovation solutions for HVAC products that simplify upgrades in existing buildings and help reduce installation complexity where possible.
Extending lifecycles through refurbishment
One example of upgrade solutions is the Swegon GOLD Refurb Kit. Rather than replacing an entire air handling unit, the Refurb Kit allows older GOLD units to be upgraded to modern performance standards both regards to performance and functionality. This approach saves materials, reduces waste, and can lower embodied carbon by up to 80% compared to installing a brand new unit.
Refurbishment illustrates how performance improvements can sometimes be achieved by upgrading existing assets rather than replacing them entirely.
From challenge to opportunity
The path towards climate neutrality does not run through new construction only. It runs also through the buildings we already live in, that are expected to remain in use for another 25 years, or more. This means one thing is clear: if we are serious about decarbonisation, large-scale renovation of existing residential buildings is essential.
Renovation projects can contribute to improving building performance, supporting occupant comfort and reducing energy demand. Upgrades to ventilation solutions, controls and other building services is an important part of this process. Learn more about what we can offer from Swegon in terms of renovation solutions for residential buildings.
