Medzinárodný workshop ABRACADABRA

Tackling climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, in order to prevent huge repercussions for the planet’s ecosystem, has become one of the most important global challenges and one of EU’s top priorities. European authorities have stepped up to act against climate change with the goal of gradually transforming EU’s economy into a high-efficiency low carbon economy. In this context the EU has set itself the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. Private households, representing 29% of the European energy consumption in 2014, are responsible for roughly 20% of all the greenhouse emissions in Europe (2015).

To achieve its goal, the EU’s Research and Innovation programme, “Horizon 2020”, has financed a number of projects aimed at tackling societal challenges and emphasising excellent science. In this framework, the ABRACADABRA project has been launched and is in line with the European Commission’s Revised Energy Performance Building Directive also endorsed by the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) political position.
ABRACADRABRA is a three-year project, launched in 2016, funded on the principle that a substantial growth in the quality and quantity of renovation of the existing building stock can have a major impact in accelerating the revolution towards nearly Zero Energy. The Project’s goal is to demonstrate to key stakeholders and investors the attractiveness of a building renovation strategy based on volumetric additions (AddOns) and Renewable Energy Resources (AdoRES) to achieve nearly zero energy.

In short ABRACADABRA shows how adding usable space through building extensions and improving indoor comfort, increases the real estate value of an existing property. This way a renovation can not only be more profitable, but also more sustainable. Volumetric additions, intended as rooftop extensions, aside or façade additions, as well as an entirely new building, should reduce the initial investment allocated for the renovation by selling or letting the additional space afterwards.

On the 6 and 7 February the project organises a 2-days event in Brussels focusing on how to finance AdoRES and Assistant Buildings to reach concrete market acceleration towards the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings target.

During the first day the project team will present the developed toolkits, to showcase how a renovation project could determine in an early stage which extensions are technically feasible and financially lucrative. This capacity building event will include a visit to a best practice building nearby. You are invited to attend this event, as well as the final international conference on 7 February 2019.

To know more about the project visit the ABRA website.