MEHI’s four-part series of studies aims to identify the key pillars of the domestic energy efficiency policy framework for buildings and to make recommendations for its improvement based on international experience and national practice.
The European Green Deal is the starting point for energy and climate protection efforts at national and EU level in recent years. The EU’s Green Growth Strategy has set the goal of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, with a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030. One of the cornerstones of the strategy is to increase energy efficiency, with a focus on building renovation to reduce energy costs for households, reduce energy dependency, reduce energy poverty, boost the construction sector, support SMEs and local jobs.
The Renovation Wave strategy for modernising Europe’s building stock aims to double the renovation rate and increase the depth of renovation in Europe, while achieving greater energy and resource efficiency in renovation. Hungary has not yet achieved a breakthrough in the renovation of its housing stock, which has the highest potential for energy savings. The potential for complex renovations of residential buildings, i.e. a domestic renovation wave, was examined in detail in the MEHI study “Hungarian Renovation Wave: 2021: Examining the potential for energy efficiency upgrading of the Hungarian housing stock, and the broad impact of certain support instruments”.
The aim of this four-part study series is to identify the key pillars of the domestic energy efficiency policy framework for buildings and to make recommendations for its improvement based on international experience and Hungarian practice.
The study, entitled “Systemic barriers to energy renovation in Hungary”, identifies and assesses the shortcomings and barriers to renovation of a framework that promotes a wave of domestic renovation. Its focus is on the pool of professionals supporting and implementing mass renovation in Hungary, the need for technical assistance and awareness raising, and the need to monitor progress.
The study “Energy Efficiency First and its Application in Hungary” presents the definition and rationale of the principle, presents good examples from abroad and explores the possibilities of applying the principle in the building sector in Hungary.
The study “Good practices in private financing of energy upgrades” examines the possibilities for private financing of the volume and depth of renovation. Given that the investments needed for a large-scale renovation wave can only be realised with a significant mobilisation of private capital, the study reviews the most common financing solutions and assesses their domestic applicability.
The study, entitled “Public support schemes for energy efficiency retrofits”, reviews the public support schemes available to encourage energy efficiency retrofits, the objectives of a financing scheme, the success criteria for an optimal scheme and other factors that influence cost-effectiveness. We present some good international examples where significant energy savings have been achieved at national level, and finally we analyse some current domestic residential applications and make recommendations for making the support scheme more effective in encouraging energy efficiency renovations.
Studies completed so far by “Put Energy Efficiency First” (#1Enhat) in Hungarian:
