15,000 buildings need annual energy upgrades

Around 15,000 buildings in Cyprus need to undergo annual energy upgrades until the year 2050, when houses will emit zero pollutants.

The issue is already being discussed in the EU, and Cyprus needs to take action to adapt.

MP Charalampos Theopemptou, of the Ecologist Party, calculated that there are around 400,000 buildings in Cyprus that need to be upgraded to achieve zero emissions.

The MP estimates that proper planning is needed now to achieve the country’s goals, as well as to save money and create jobs.

He suggests that many educational programmes should be organised to prepare energy scientists and technicians to handle the enormous amount of work ahead.

Mr Theopemptou states that specially trained energy engineers, licensed heating pump installers, companies offering insulating materials, and electronics experts for installing automatic energy control systems will be required.

He notes that after the 2015 Paris Agreement, many countries have intensified their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially within the EU.

One of the sectors responsible for a significant proportion of emissions (varying across countries) is the buildings sector.

In Cyprus, almost 50% of emissions are attributed to transport, with the remaining split between industry (especially electricity production), waste, buildings, and agriculture.

In Europe, buildings consume 40% of the energy, which is one of the reasons for the intense focus on the energy consumption of buildings over the past decades.

Cyprus was one of the last countries in the EU to implement minimum energy performance standards for new buildings, resulting in a large proportion of buildings requiring energy upgrades.

The MP explains that theAffordable Zero Energy Buildings (AZEB) standard became mandatory for public buildings in 2019 and for new constructions and major renovations in 2020.

According to the Energy Performance Law, the government was supposed to renovate 3% of its buildings annually starting in 2013 to reach the AZEB standard.

This includes schools, hospitals, and all public buildings.

The EU is now moving to the next phase, aiming for zero-emission buildings, and has set the following targets:

1. All new buildings from 2030 onwards must have zero emissions. The calculation of emissions should also take into account the life cycle of the materials used, even when the building is demolished.
2. All buildings used or owned by public authorities must become zero-emission buildings by 2028.
3. Measures should be taken to reduce household energy bills.
4. Energy consumption in buildings should be reduced by 16% by 2030 and by 20% to 22% by 2035.
5. By 2030, all public buildings and non-residential buildings should install solar panels wherever possible.
6. Agricultural buildings, places of worship, temporary structures, historic buildings, and protected monuments are exempt.
7. Countries should take measures to ensure that central heating systems powered by oil or gas are phased out by 2040.
8. From 2025 onwards, subsidies for heating systems, such as those using oil in mountainous areas, will be prohibited. Mr Theopemptou argues that priority should be given to energy upgrades in these areas to provide real help to residents.

Finally, he suggests that proper planning is needed now to achieve our goals.