Using state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies to renovate existing properties and construct new ones could enable Europe's construction sector to almost eliminate its carbon emissions by 2060, a new study suggests.
Published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, the research is the first to fully assess the potential for energy demand reduction across the construction sectors of the United Kingdom and all European Union member states.
It highlights that 75% of Europe's building stock is currently classed as energy inefficient, with total floor space also projected to increase by more than 20% over the next three decades.
In spite of this, employing a combination of technologies including solar energy and heat pumps within both residential and non-residential properties could reduce the total energy used to heat and cool buildings by up to 97%.
With growing concerns over energy security, particularly in light of recent geopolitical events, the researchers say that harnessing such technologies could significantly reduce energy costs as well as enhancing people's health and quality of life.
More broadly, they say, transitioning towards a net-zero building sector offers substantial potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change and play a pivotal role in meeting the targets set out in the Paris Agreement and other global climate goals.
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