Irish Green Building Council highlights role of building renovation passports under new EU directive
Tuesday 7 July 2026
Building renovation passports introduced under a new European directive will provide step-by-step roadmaps to guide long-term energy upgrades for properties.
Building renovation passports are being introduced under a new European directive to help ensure long-term energy upgrades are planned to a high standard.
According to Sinéad Hughes, Director of Innovation at the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), these passports are designed to deliver intended energy and cost savings over time.
The initiative comes in response to an update to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which emphasizes the necessity of long-term planning for energy renovations. The IGBC highlights that poorly planned energy upgrades fail to deliver required performance levels, whereas structured planning can prevent issue lock-ins, such as insulating a building without coordinating proper ventilation.
As a step-by-step roadmap, the building renovation passport links the current energy performance of a property to a long-term, zero-emissions deep-renovation pathway. This phased approach is intended to help property owners spread capital costs while ensuring all works are executed in a holistic and technically sound manner.