SINÉAD HUGHES, Director of Innovation, Irish Green Building Council, writes that renovation passports, being introduced under a new European directive, will help to ensure that renovation works carried out over time are planned to a high standard and deliver the intended energy and cost savings.

Across Europe, the energy crisis has underscored the need to make our existing buildings more energy-efficient. Energy renovation is critical for lowering energy costs and making our buildings healthier and more resilient to price shocks. But as the recent update to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) makes clear, long-term renovation planning is needed, and poorly planned energy upgrades will not deliver the required performance.

Building renovation passports will help to solve this problem. They are a step-by- step renovation roadmap linking a building’s current energy performance to a long-term deep-renovation pathway to zero emissions. Works will be planned in a holistic and technically sound manner. This helps to spread the capital cost and prevents ‘lock-ins’, such as might occur when a building is insulated without planning for ventilation, making it more difficult to install ventilation in future.

Renovation passports supplement BERs and are intended to be living documents, evolving alongside changes in building use, investment cycles, and regulation, and supporting smart decision-making over many years.

RENOVATION PASSPORTS AND THE EPBD

The latest version of the EPBD requires all EU member states to introduce a scheme for renovation passports (it is up to each member state whether using the scheme is voluntary or compulsory).

Under the directive, renovation passports must include information on the current energy performance of the building, a visual renovation roadmap, the optimal sequencing of steps and estimated energy savings for each step.

For owners, renovation passports help to boost the value and rental appeal of buildings, lower the risk of asset stranding and increase confidence for investors that the building will perform long into the future. For occupiers, renovation passports provide a long-term plan to improve comfort, health and productivity.

IGBC’S RENOVATION PASSPORT PROJECT

To support the development of renovation passports in Ireland, in 2025 the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) launched a project, funded by SEAI, and with the support of Integrated Energy Solutions (IES) and France’s Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), to prototype a renovation passport pilot for commercial properties in Ireland.

This builds on our previous research on renovation passports in the residential sector.

In the commercial sector, our latest project asked: ‘How can we meet Ireland’s renovation passport obligations in a way that works for businesses and supports real decision-making around renovation?’ Our research was designed to generate practical insight on the following core issues:

– How can renovation passports enhance the performance and value of commercial buildings? This included engaging with experts, developing a renovation passport methodology for Ireland, testing this on real projects, training professionals, and assessing the value of renovation passports to owners, occupiers, investors and society.

– How can we implement a robust renovation passport system for commercial properties in Ireland? This included engaging with the construction and property sectors, asking what a robust renovation passport ecosystem looks like, investigating which digital tools are needed to make it work, and identifying which incentives would support its use.

DEVELOPING A RENOVATION PASSPORT PROTOTYPE

As part of the project, IES developed a digital renovation passport prototype for a representative commercial building. One of the key insights was that the value of a renovation passport lies as much in its design as in its content.

Rather than delivering outputs in report form, IES created dynamic visual dashboards designed to support discussion and decision-making. These dashboards allow users to compare renovation scenarios side by side.

The case study began by consolidating building information from across multiple sources, such as BERs, DECs, energy audits, and building surveys, depending on what was available. This information was then compiled into a digital baseline showing the building’s current energy performance.

SIMULATING ENERGY RENOVATION MEASURES

From this baseline, individual energy conservation measures were simulated, each with a dedicated dashboard. This allows decision-makers to understand the energy, carbon, and cost impacts of each measure, compare interventions and see how building performance evolves over time.

The dashboards also considered real-world constraints such as budgets and grants, payback expectations, occupancy levels and fabric constraints.

The methodology was then refined through training and testing with built environment professionals. Ultimately, this created a renovation passport process that is digital-first, scalable, and supports long-term renovation planning in the commercial sector.

DELIVERING BETTER BUILDINGS WITH RENOVATION PASSPORTS

Our national and European targets require us to accelerate renovation efforts to make our buildings more energy-efficient while improving comfort and indoor air quality. Decarbonising our building stock must be seen as a key national infrastructure project to protect us from energy price shocks and deliver healthier, more comfortable buildings that are more affordable to heat and cool.

Ireland is expected to launch a public consultation on its National Building Renovation Plan, providing an opportunity to have your say, including on how we develop and implement building renovation passports in Ireland.

For more information, visit www.igbc.ie/policy-and-regulation/renovation-passports