One of Europe’s leading voices on energy efficiency has urged Australia to continue its building renovation efforts to support electrification, protect vulnerable households and strengthen the resilience of the electricity grid.
Adrian Joyce, Efficient Buildings Europe secretary general, said Australia was making meaningful progress despite strong headwinds and should not be afraid to continue pushing for ambitious renovation standards.
“It has taken tenacity, creativity and political courage to get the EU to where it is today. From what I’ve seen over the last week, Australia understands the policy needs and is well on its way to emulating our experience in Europe,” Joyce said during his keynote address at the Energy Efficiency Council’s Efficient, Electric Homes: Market Acceleration Summit.
The one-day summit explored how Australia can rapidly scale energy renovation across millions of existing homes so they become efficient, electric and powered by renewables.
Joyce pointed out that electrification is the future of energy, and reducing energy consumption through energy efficiency will make the transition to a clean energy future easier.
The secretary general reminded the conference that beyond achieving lower greenhouse gas emissions, renovations to improve the energy performance of homes are “pure common sense”.
“Energy renovations of homes boost property value, reduce energy costs, and improve health and quality of life, particularly for the most vulnerable.”
Joyce highlighted several lessons Australia could learn from the European experience in designing renovation programs. These include stable, long-term policy frameworks rather than annual budget cycles, limiting government incentives to only certified installers to protect consumers, and providing independent expert advice to streamline the process for building owners.
To back up this last point, he highlighted that a network of 68 ‘one stop shops’ has been established in Portugal, helping homeowners there to access the support they need to upgrade their homes in a climate similar to many parts of Australia.
At the summit, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel launched the Efficient, Electric Homes: Market Acceleration Plan, which outlines how the industry, government and community can work together to accelerate deployment, build trust and grow the market for the products and services that will deliver efficient, electric homes.