The SRI Observatory: the site to find everything on building smartness policy and research

The policy and research context surrounding the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) is dynamic and geographically diverse. The SRI Observatory is the site to stay up to date on the latest Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) policy developments at the EU level, to track and compare national implementation status, and to find out about the most relevant research developments in the field of building smartness. It is a result of the Smart Square EU-funded project and was recently launched during REHVA Brussels Summit in November 2023.

Policy context of the SRI

The 2018 amendment of Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD) [1] outlined the impact of the energy system digitalisation in the energy landscape, from integration of renewables to smart grids and smart-ready buildings. As a result, smart-ready systems and digital solutions in the built environment are to be promoted through the provision of targeted incentives. Consequently, the introduction of the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) as a common European scheme for rating the smart readiness of buildings.

The power to adopt acts to supplement the directive and to establish the definition of the SRI and the calculation methodology was delegated to the European Commission. The powers regarding the modalities for its implementation were also conferred to the Commission with a view to ensuring uniform conditions for implementation of Directive 2010/31/EU. As a result, the Commission Delegated Regulation 2020/2155 [2] and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2156 [3] were published.

In mid-2021, the SRI Support Team was set up by VITO, WSEE, R2M Solution, and LIST under a service contract of two years. The primary objective was to offer technical assistance to the Commission services and EU countries throughout the testing and implementation phases of the SRI. This involves aiding the Commission in establishing and maintaining a permanent setup to support the widespread adoption of the SRI across the EU, collaborating closely with both EU countries and relevant stakeholders. Additionally, the role includes providing technical support to the Commission services in crafting guidance for SRI implementation, encompassing design considerations, and exploring additional technical support at the EU level to enhance the effective implementation of the SRI. Furthermore, assistance is extended to the Commission services in promoting the SRI. In 2022, some countries launched a voluntary test phase of the SRI, while four EU-funded projects were funded under the LIFE-2021-CET-SMARTREADY topic. They aimed at creating the conditions for a global improvement of smart readiness of European buildings.

SRI Observatory

As a result of Smart Square [4], the SRI Observatory has been produced. It is the site to stay up to date on the latest Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) policy developments at the EU level, to track and compare national implementation status, and to find out about the most relevant research developments in the field of building smartness.

It is the first freely accessible online resource to gather all relevant information on the SRI policy scenario together with the latest research findings on the topic of smart buildings. With a user-friendly structure, the SRI Observatory digests the provisions laid by the EPBD and related regulations and provides easy to understand snapshots of the most relevant aspects. It also brings forward interactive maps to track the progress of the transposition of the common Union scheme in the different countries. Currently, the national information is centred on the non-committal SRI test phases, spanning an overall assessment, coordination details, timeline, and description of the pursued activities. However, as the implementation makes way through the testing, the site will adapt accordingly. The structure of the SRI Observatory enables to compare the development of the SRI scheme testing cross-country. In addition, the site is a repository of the body of research on building smartness. It centralises the information on the diverse EU-funded initiatives related to the promotion and market up-take of the SRI, while mapping the most relevant scientific peer-reviewed publications on building smartness. At the SRI Observatory, the 2023 outlook on the SRI can be downloaded free of charge. Additional annual reports on the SRI will be made available in the coming years. Also, as a result of the Smart Square project, other resources have been produced to increase the knowledge on the SRI; markedly, the SRI FAQ and the SRI Virtual Training Centre. They can be freely accessed through the SRI Observatory.

The SRI Observatory was launched during REHVA Brussels Summit in November 2023 and will be under Smart Square project framework until 2025. Afterwards, it will be further exploited by REHVA, ensuring the sustainability of this resource that so much has to offer to public authorities and other stakeholders from across the smart building value chain.

References

[1]     The European Parliament and The Council of the European Union, Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, vol. 276 LNCS, no. May 2010. Strasbourg: The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, 2018, pp. 75–91. Accessed: Jun. 16, 2022. [Online]. Available: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/844/oj.

[2]     European Commission, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2155 of 14 October 2020 supplementing Directive (EU) 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing an optional common European Union scheme for rating the smart readiness of buildings. Brussels: European Commission, 2020, pp. 9–24.

[3]     European Commission, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2156 of 14 October 2020 detailing the technical modalities for the effective implementation of an optional common Union scheme for rating the smart readiness of buildings. Brussels: European Commission, 2020, pp. 25–29.

[4]     Smart Square research project funded by the European Union, under the Grant Agreement Nº 101077241.