It has been a hectic week in Brussels for anyone working on smart buildings, the development of Energy Performance Certification (EPC), and the new Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI). 

On the 6th and 7th of May, several projects and stakeholders joined for the final event of the SmartLiving EPC and Chronicle projects, followed the next day with the EU event SRI Joint Event organised by CINEA with the European SRI Platform, and concluded by the SRI ENACT final event. 

What do all the events have in common? They work on developing standardised tools and new methodologies to advance the existing EPC and implement the SRI around Europe in line with the EPBD IV targets.

SmarterEPC, working on developing a tool that integrates EPC and SRI’s existing tools, contributed to the discussion on the best practices and examples so far and where policies can be improved to match the needs of the market and citizens while achieving the EPBD IV goals in a harmonised way around Europe. 

For a dynamic EPC and Logbooks: the SmartLiving EPC and Chronicle Projects

We started on the 6th of May with the SmartLiving EPC and Chronicle Projects. An occasion to explore the SmartLiving platform from the SmartLiving EPC project, which was developed for the calculation of smart, dynamic EPC in line with EPBD IV. The event was introduced by Ulrike Nuscheler, a CINEA officer who offered an overview of the LIFE-CET 2025 and upcoming opportunities thanks to the LIFE Programme.

 The SmartLiving Platform upgrades traditional EPCs by assessing entire neighbourhoods, integrating digital tools and non-energy factors like comfort and air quality. It enables smarter, real-time evaluations to support sustainable urban planning. Smart Innovation Norway presented CHRONICLE, a Horizon Europe project that is working on building performance digitalisation and dynamic logbooks for future value-driven services. Special emphasis was given on Human Factor as a strategic trigger of any transition in digital tools for decarbonizing the building stock.

Being the SmartLiving Platform part of the SmarterEPC Digital HUB, Sophie Dourlens Quaranta, R2M France and Coordinator of SmarterEPC, concluded the event presenting the latest results of the project, from a combined-integrated methodology for EPC and SRI Assessment, existing policies covering EPC and SRI at EU 28 level, to ongoing work on validation, data management and services for training and support to assessors and policymakers.

REHVA moderated the following panel with Andreas Androutsopoulos (CRES, Greece), Ana Cunha (Deerns, Belgium) and Paris A. Fokaides (Frederick University, Cyprus, as well as partner of Technical Manager of SmarterEPC project). The discussion covered current digital tools for decarbonising buildings and emphasised the need to raise awareness about their purpose: collecting reliable data to enable faster, informed decisions. Without trained experts and user involvement, digitalisation risks a limited or unsustainable impact. At SmarterEPC, we’re using insights from this exchange to guide our next project steps.

What is the state of the art for SRI? Outcomes from the EU SRI Joint event and SRI ENACT Conference. 

The 7th of May was fully dedicated to the latest developments of the Smart Readiness Indicator with the DG ENER and CINEA flagship event – the SRI Joint event, in the framework of the EC SRI Platform and this year supported by the SRI-ENACT LIFE project.

The day opened with a brief introduction and policy updates on EPBD IV and the LIFE Programme, highlighting upcoming funding opportunities on SRI for 2025–2026. The event featured four thematic sessions:

• An update on ongoing testing of SRI methodologies (A and B) in selected countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece), along with industry-led initiatives.
• A hands-on session on SRI calculation, including interactive quizzes for both onsite and remote audiences.
• A broader view of available tools on the EC SRI Platform, showcasing how SRI can drive sustainability in the building sector by engaging building owners, tenants, and investors.
• A strategic discussion on the updated SRI implementation roadmap, addressing technical challenges (e.g., data quality, interoperability), evolving standards, national policy differences, and stakeholder engagement.
  

   

Before the afternoon sessions, several EU projects were presented, including SmarterEPC, introduced by Cécile Barrère (R2M France, Coordinator Team).

The afternoon focused on the SRI-ENACT Final Conference, presenting key project outcomes and data from SRI assessments across eight countries (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Spain, Czech Republic, and Austria). Partners from the SmarterEPC project (R2M France, Euphyia, EPB Center, and R2M Italy) actively participated, connecting with the vibrant EU community working on smart, digital EPCs and SRI.

The event gathered over 80 participants onsite, with many more joining remotely, making for a dynamic day of presentations and valuable discussions.