BUILD UP

BUILD UP
Name	BUILD UP
Type	International initiative
Founded	2010s
Headquarters	Brussels
Region served	Europe
Focus	Energy efficiency, building renovation, skills development

BUILD UP

BUILD UP is a European initiative focused on accelerating renovation and energy efficiency in the built environment through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and policy support. It operates at the intersection of technical practice, policy implementation, and skills development, engaging a range of stakeholders including public authorities, industry associations, training providers, and research institutions. The initiative interfaces with major European programs and directives to align renovation activity with regional climate and energy targets.

Overview

BUILD UP functions as a platform that aggregates technical guidance, case studies, training resources, and policy tools to support the retrofit and modernization of residential, commercial, and public buildings. It connects practitioners, such as architects, engineers, and contractors, with institutions like the European Commission, European Parliament, European Investment Bank, and national ministries. The platform leverages links with networks including CEN technical committees, RENOVATE Europe, Energy Cities, and vocational stakeholders like European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training to promote uptake of best practices. It synthesizes outputs from research projects funded under frameworks such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe to inform implementation.

History

BUILD UP emerged in the context of European policy developments addressing energy consumption in buildings during the 2010s, when the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and related legislative instruments intensified focus on renovation. The initiative built upon earlier collaborations among entities such as Intelligent Energy Europe, Concerted Action on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and project consortia funded by INTERREG and LIFE Programme. Over successive programming periods, BUILD UP coordinated with projects led by institutions including Fraunhofer Society, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, and TNO to translate research into practice. Milestones include integration of guidance aligned with the European Green Deal and the Renovation Wave communication to scale up deep renovation ambitions across member states.

Objectives and Scope

Primary objectives include raising the skills base of construction professionals, reducing energy demand in the building stock, and mobilizing investment in renovation. BUILD UP targets multiple sectors through curricula development with partners like CEDEFOP and accreditation schemes promoted by bodies such as EASME and CEN. The scope covers technical aspects—thermal envelope, HVAC systems, renewable integration—as well as financial instruments linked to institutions such as the European Investment Bank and national development banks. The initiative also supports compliance with certification schemes exemplified by Energy Performance Certificate regimes and voluntary labels like BREEAM and Passive House.

Projects and Initiatives

BUILD UP curates and disseminates project results from a wide range of initiatives: demonstration pilots on deep retrofit led by consortia including R2M Solution, large-scale renovation programs such as those funded through ELENA technical assistance, and skills projects in partnership with European Builders Confederation and FIEC. It showcases exemplar renovations, Baltic and Mediterranean renovation clusters coordinated with URBACT, and urban regeneration pilots connected to Covenant of Mayors. The platform coordinates with research initiatives such as SCORE and QUALICHeCK to validate quality assurance approaches and with innovation actions under Horizon Europe to promote digital tools like building information modelling linked to buildingSMART International standards.

Governance and Funding

Governance is typically a collaborative arrangement involving the European Commission Directorate-General responsible for energy policy, project consortia composed of national agencies (for example, ADEME, BNB), research institutes such as VITO, and industry federations. Funding streams historically include grants from LIFE Programme, support from EASME and allocations within Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, alongside co-financing by participating national authorities and private partners like energy utilities and construction manufacturers including Saint-Gobain and Siemens. Administrative oversight aligns with reporting requirements of the relevant European funding instruments and partner governance structures.

Impact and Evaluation

Impact assessments draw on indicators used by the European Environment Agency and metrics from the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive monitoring, measuring reductions in energy consumption, CO2 emissions, job creation in construction trades, and uptake of skills certification. Evaluations reference case studies from national schemes such as Germany’s KfW retrofit programs, France’s MaPrimeRénov’, and regional pilots in Flanders, Catalonia, and Nordic Council initiatives. Independent reviews by research organisations like Joint Research Centre and policy reports by IEA evaluate effectiveness, while financial results are compared with benchmarks from European Investment Bank project portfolios.

Criticisms and Challenges

Critiques focus on gaps between guidance and on-the-ground capacity, variability in national implementation across member states, and the complexity of financing deep renovation at scale. Stakeholders including trade unions and NGOs such as Friends of the Earth Europe have highlighted social equity concerns and the need for stronger safeguards. Technical challenges flagged by professional bodies like Royal Institute of British Architects and Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations include skills shortages, supply chain constraints, and integration of legacy systems. Political and administrative hurdles remain where alignment with instruments such as National Energy and Climate Plans is incomplete or where access to Cohesion Fund resources is limited.

Category:European energy initiatives