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WHAT IS SRI?

1. INTRODUCTION

Smart technologies will be an essential enabler to decarbonize the building sector, while offering healthier, more efficient, safer and comfortable living environments.

To embrace this opportunity, Member States are now officially invited to contribute to the optional pilot testing of the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI), a rating scheme designed to assess our buildings’ capacity to accommodate smart-ready services, which was introduced in the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and its subsequent regulations.

To work hand in hand with and to support this roll-out and testing phase, the European Commission DG Energy has launched its dedicated technical assistance service for testing and implementation of the SRI.

2. WHAT IS SRI?

  • What makes a building smart?

The ‘smartness’ of a building refers to its ability to sense, interpret, communicate and actively respond in an efficient manner to changing conditions in relation to :

  • the operation of technical building systems,
  • the external environment (including energy grids),
  • demands from building occupants.

The SRI rates the smart readiness of buildings (or building units) in their capability to perform 3 key functionalities:

  • optimize energy efficiency and overall in-use performance,
  • adapt their operation to the needs of the occupant,
  • adapt to signals from the grid (for example energy flexibility).
  • Advantages

The SRI will raise awareness of the benefits promised by smart building technologies, such as building automation and electronic monitoring of building systems including heating, hot water, ventilation, lighting, etc.

 

SRI

Through the implementation of the SRI framework, technological innovation in the construction sector is supported, which creates an incentive for the integration of cutting-edge smart technologies in buildings.

Further information on SRI can be found on Smart readiness indicator | Energy (europa.eu)

3. SRI TESTING & IMPLEMENTATION

EU countries are invited to launch a test phase of the SRI scheme, with the support of the European Commission and the SRI technical support team.

  • SRI test phase

The smart readiness indicator was adopted by the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive “EPBD” in 2018, and its subsequent regulations (Delegated Regulation and Implementing Regulation) have triggered an optional testing and implementation phase.

Therefore, EU countries and regions may decide to implement the SRI on (part of) their territory, for all buildings or only for certain categories of buildings.

The Commission will provide support and guidance to EU countries and regions that undertake a test phase of the SRI. A FAQ will be made available and kept updated.

  • SRI Platform

The SRI platform will offer a permanent forum to allow different interested parties, including private sectors, academia, Member States representatives and the Commission Services, to meet and exchange information and share experiences on national SRI testing, implementation, recommendations on possible evolutions and next steps of the SRI.

A two year service contract has been awarded to a team comprised of VITO (Belgium), Waide Strategic Efficiency Europe (Ireland), Research to Market (R2M) Solution (France) and LIST, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology.

This contract will provide technical assistance to the European Commission services and to Member States in the first phases of the testing and implementation of the SRI. This will include the set-up of a direct support framework in cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, including a helpdesk and technical and training material. The contract will also assist in the preparation of implementation guidance and provide additional technical support. Finally, the contract will assist the European Commission services in the promotion of the SRI, including the establishment and operation of a SRI Platform, which will consist of a multi-stakeholder forum to support and monitor the implementation of the SRI, and to issue recommendations on possible future evolutions of the SRI.

A first meeting of the SRI platform will be planned for the end of the year. The format and timing of this meeting will be announced in later communications.