News

The European Commission has selected six projects for co-funding in Czechia aimed at promoting sustainable social infrastructure, improving the energy efficiency of public buildings and modernising transport infrastructure. The projects will receive EU support worth EUR 8.9 million under the Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM).

As part of the activities linked to the 10th anniversary of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme, CINEA has launched a new interactive publication showcasing the contribution of CEF Energy to building a future-proof European energy network.

Four projects have been selected following the 2023 CEF Energy call for preparatory studies for cross-border renewable energy (CB RES) projects. The awarded projects involve five EU countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Portugal), and cover different sectors such as offshore wind, green hydrogen and solar PV.

This newsletter summarises, amongst many other items, the latest and most relevant content published in the BUILD UP portal on June’s Topic of the Month: ‘Net-zero technologies and buildings’, specially selected by our editorial team to keep you up to date on this key topic. In summer, we are featuring content related to ‘Passive cooling solutions for buildings’, addressing topics such as building design, energy consumption and energy savings, indoor comfort, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and market-available cooling technologies. Explore our overview article below and if you want to share articles, papers, case studies or webinars, get in touch now and we will help to promote them through our portal and social media channels!

Passive cooling techniques can provide thermal comfort without electricity, offering invaluable tools to combat Europe's increasingly intense summer heatwaves. These systems can also help mitigate energy poverty, despite high installation and maintenance costs for some. However, in warmer regions, relying solely on passive cooling is premature due to technological and cost challenges. The most sustainable approach combines passive strategies with low-emission active cooling methods, reducing overall energy consumption. Discover more in this overview article.

Resilient cooling systems are vital for sustainable buildings. Governments should prioritise holistic approaches, incentivise adoption, and train the workforce to achieve long-term sustainability goals.

Eurac Research organised a recent webinar which delved into the role of the INFINITE project in providing an environment to manage building data. The recording is now available.

The RENOVERTY tool presents an overview of financing mechanisms for home renovation, available within the pilot countries of the LIFE project, and relevant to the implementation of Rural Energy Efficiency Roadmaps (REERs).

The Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, recently achieved LEED Platinum v4.1 certification, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability.

Smart building solutions are essential for achieving net-zero emissions in offices amidst the challenges of returning to work post-pandemic.

The European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy provides a summary with the most significant changes of the revised Energy Efficiency Directive, adopted by the EU Parliament and Member States in 2023 to enhance energy efficiency targets.

EU Project Coordinator, Project Manager and Researcher at CARTIF, Javier Antolín Gutiérrez shares some insights about the building renovation process and its key role in achieving net-zero energy buildings.

This month we delve into Net-zero technologies and buildings with Sébastien Delpont, Co-founder and President of Ressorts and Director of EnergieSprong France.

The renovation wave requires an integrated, participatory, and neighbourhood-specific approach that is customised to the local environment. A digital tool called RESTO (Renovation Strategy Tool) has been developed to help local municipalities automate calculations for comprehensive renovation strategies, by utilising public databases at the neighbourhood level.

Integrated photovoltaics has emerged as key to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions across different sectors, such as building, transport, and agriculture. This article reviews the competitiveness of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and Infrastructure-Integrated Photovoltaics (IIPV) in residential applications.

The new EU Net Zero Industry Act supports manufacturing net-zero technologies, significantly impacting building sector decarbonisation by boosting green technologies like heat pumps and solar panels. The building sector can enhance the act's goals by optimising these technologies' lifecycle impacts and integrating them with energy efficiency and passive heating and cooling systems.

A momentous closing event marked the culmination of the 2023-2024 programme on Friday, 21 June at North Light. After nine months of application process, intensive training sessions, coaching, mentoring, and three leadership walks, 45 brilliant colleagues from all six Executive Agencies proudly received their certificates, celebrating their journey of growth and empowerment. Congratulations to all of them!

The Plastic Free July initiative gives an opportunity to join a huge community in reducing plastic waste. 326 million people worldwide took part in the challenge last year. Be one of them and choose to reduce single-use plastics!

The Summer Lunch on Tuesday 25 June was a great occasion to get together and enjoy many diverse flavours from all over Europe and beyond! A special thanks to all colleagues who brought a dish and to our HR team for the overall organisation of the lunch. You can find photos of the event in the ‘Photos and videos’ section on CINEAnet.

The campaign is organised by the European Union (DG MARE and EEAS) in partnership with the United Nations, and with the friendly collaboration of the Smurfs. It is in line with Mission Ocean and Waters objective to cut pollution: it is estimated that up to 37 million tonnes of plastic waste will reach the ocean annually by 2040, greatly endangering marine life. It will last until October, with a peak on 20 September, the World Clean-up Day. You will find below more information about the campaign and how to take part in it and join forces!