"Energy efficiency in buildings is no longer just an abstract phenomenon, but a viable tool to increase quality of life and protect the environment. Increased energy efficiency brings direct benefits to those who choose to build or renovate to nZEB standards, reducing consumption costs and environmental impact. In addition, in order to meet the requirements of the revised EPBD Directive, adopted in April 2024 by the European Parliament, with deadlines for 2030 and 2050 respectively, the rate of energy renovation in Romania should triple," said Mihai Moia, ROENEF Executive Director.

Supported by ING Bank Romania as main partner and sponsor and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests and the Department for Sustainable Development of the Romanian Government, the project brings to the forefront state-of-the-art solutions for increasing energy efficiency in buildings through a series of events organized in six Romanian cities: Iași (16-17 September), Constanța (19-20 September), Brașov (26-27 September), Oradea (30 September-1 October), Cluj-Napoca (3-4 October), Timișoara (10-11 October). Each event will benefit from the support of local authorities as well as other entities such as universities and professional associations. All this in a context where, according to the European Union, buildings are responsible for about 40% of total energy consumption in the EU and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions from energy.

The majority of renovations made by individuals to the buildings they own are more likely to be triggered by other events, such as moving to a bigger house, changing the use of a room, etc. One encouraging fact is, however, that 83% of homeowners (according to an Ipsos survey for ING) have taken measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes in the last 3 years, along with the renovation. They indicated, however, that beyond some basic measures to reduce consumption, they still do not know all they could do for lower bills and less polluting consumption. In only one out of 5 buildings was it possible to significantly reduce the consumption of kwh needed to heat and light the house by more than 60%.

"We, ING Bank Romania, are once again alongside our customers and society in the transition to a green economy. There is a great need to support approaches related to better energy use by offering advantageous practices, solutions and financing sources. That is why we have been involved with our partners, ROENEF, in building the Energy Efficiency Caravan program - integrated services that target the whole process that home or building owners should go through to become more energy efficient. In addition to facilitating such initiatives, we provide individual customers with solutions such as low-interest mortgages and personal needs loans (eco-loans) for the purchase of housing or products with low environmental impact: solar and photovoltaic panels, cars with carbon emissions below 50gCO2/km, heat pumps, boilers, convectors, collectors and auxiliary installations, thermal and electrical energy storage units produced from renewable sources and many others", said Iulia Rusu, Business Strategy Lead at ING Bank Romania.

The ROENEF Caravan aims to attract a varied audience, ranging from individuals interested in building or renovating houses to nZEB standards, real estate developers, builders, designers, energy auditors, to representatives of local authorities and public institutions or journalists interested in learning more about the field.

An energy-efficient demonstration house will tour the 6 cities

The main attraction of the Caravan will be the nZEB demonstration house, on display in each of the six cities, showcasing the solutions it contains. At the same time, participants will have the opportunity to attend seminars and workshops dedicated to energy efficiency solutions - which will include applied technical discussions dedicated to specialists -, to attend the presentation of examples of best practices in the field and to learn about dedicated financing solutions, both public (grants, subsidies, etc.) and private (banking instruments dedicated to energy efficiency projects in buildings).

Among the energy efficiency technologies and solutions to be showcased will be: joinery and glazing systems, blinds and shading systems, air-to-air heat pumps, interior and exterior insulation systems, intelligent control and monitoring systems, ventilated facades, photovoltaic panels with storage solutions, underfloor heating and intelligent lighting systems, etc.

The main speakers of the events, in addition to representatives of local authorities, will be Mihai Moia - ROENEF Executive Director, Sergiu Petrea - architect and systems integrator of the nZEB demonstration house, as well as representatives of the Romanian Energy Auditors Associations.

Key partners of the project include renowned companies such as Alukonigstahl, Aluprof Romania, Daikin, Danfoss, Knauf Insulation, Peri Romania, Rockwool, Saint Gobain, Schneider Electric, Signify, Somfy, Ursa Romania, Velux and Fibran. They provided the energy efficient solutions and equipment implemented in the nZEB demonstration house. The Caravan also benefited from the support of other institutional partners such as Glulam, Equitone, Energypro Development, the Association of Mineral Wool Producers and Importers in Romania and the Association of Romanian Municipalities.