Welp MagazineThis CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) specifies a workflow and an overall quality and process management methodology for the initial (engagement and decision making) phase of the retrofit process in existing multi-occupancy residential buildings with owner communities in CEN member states. This CWA targets all relevant stakeholders in the initial phase of the energy retrofit process including owner communities, property and facility managers, owner community management boards, planners, energy efficiency consultants, financial institutions, and policy makers.
Why you need the CWA 17382:2020 Standard?
The decision to carry out an energy retrofit for a building is a complex process. It brings together the building and its occupants (exit strategies), with the asset owner (energy consumption, emissions, assets), owner community management board, owners of the building’s individual units (strategies and implementation plans), financial institutions (investment risk assessment, strategies, energy performance predictions, liability), and policy makers (legislative framework and tax incentives). It also requires a broad set of skills to develop, implement, and monitor energy efficiency measures and stimulate a culture of energy efficiency.
Tools and a framework for the governance, management, implementation, and measurement of the retrofit process are needed so that the building performs in the way it is intended to within the timeframe proposed.
Whilst the energy consumption of buildings is influenced by many factors, the initial phase of the retrofit process is the critical time when key decisions are made. The CWA 17382:2020 Standard satisfies the requirements for an overall methodology for the initial phase of the retrofit process that is transparent, measurable, flexible, transferable, and based on international best practices.
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard defines a full process starting with the engagement with the owner community, and ending with the implementation of the retrofits. A structured and disciplined process is needed to improve the chances of success. The CWA 17382:2020 Standard improves energy efficient investment decisions through excellent performance.
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard addresses the different stakeholders involved as well as focuses on the activities of the processes. It helps address issues commonly encountered in the retrofit process with a well-defined and proven methodology, allowing easy transfer across CEN member states.
What is the CWA 17382:2020 Standard?
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard is a methodology to support investment decision making in the retrofit of multi-occupancy buildings. It’s based on a number of well-established methodologies for energy retrofits of buildings as well as the performance-based regulation (PBR) of residences in Germany. It combines the best practices from both of these with a number of practical innovations.
Reducing an area’s net greenhouse gas emissions is a global challenge. The European Union is very clear in its Directive on climate change that buildings must be improved toward energy efficiency targets of a reduction of 20% from 2006 levels by 2020. To achieve this the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive 2010/31/EU) incentivizes investments in energy efficiency through the provision of financial support by financial institutions (i.e., loans and mortgages).
The financial support requires that the investment decision has been made with a well-defined and transparent methodology, and this is what CWA 17382:2020 Standard provides.
Why is the CWA 17382:2020 Standard needed? How does it help reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard targets all relevant stakeholders in the initial phase of the retrofit process including owner communities, property and facility managers, owner community management boards, planners, energy efficiency consultants, financial institutions, and policy makers.
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard is very much in line with current EU legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and provides a framework for energy retrofit manufacturers and contractors, facility managers, entrepreneur community management boards, financial institutions, and policy makers to understand, coordinate, and implement an energy retrofit project from A to Z in an organized, transparent, and flexible way.
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard provides a standardized approach to retrofits with a common terminology to reduce confusion and misinterpretation amongst all stakeholders and to set a framework for standard quality and process management.
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard enables reduced retrofitting times for energy efficiency investments from the planning phase to completion. This in turn will reduce emissions from buildings by enhancing their thermodynamic performance.
What is the major focus of the CWA 17382:2020 Standard?
The focus of the CWA 17382:2020 Standard is allocating responsibilities and tasks along the process from the residents’ point of view and the entire lifecycle of the building, and how the retrofit process addresses the different decisions and benefits for the owner community, facility managers, owner community management boards, planners, energy efficiency consultants, financial institutions, policy makers, and the occupants.
A sustainable retrofit process cannot just be defined and implemented by property managers; it requires a solution where all the different stakeholders share the same common vision and contribute to the success of the retrofit. The CWA 17382:2020 Standard targets the business model that must be in place between all parties involved.
How is the CWA 17382:2020 Standard different from other standards?
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard is a very practical tool that enables its users to focus on the entire lifecycle of the building. For example, retrofitting projects aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions do not need to be just concerned with how the building performs when it’s completed. Of equal importance to the success of the retrofit are the energy-related decisions that are made at the beginning and during the course of the project, namely:
- Who is responsible for the management and retrofit process?
- Who is responsible for the decision making on the retrofit project?
- Who is the decision maker and how will the decision maker be engaged?
- How can the communication within the owner community and between the owner community and the facility manager, contractor, project owner, etc., be improved to help ensure a successful project?
- What information is needed for the decision making, and how is it acquired and presented?
The CWA 17382:2020 Standard is different from other standards in that it not only defines clear gate-keeping responsibilities for the individual parties involved, but also in that it provides a complete solution for the overall retrofit process as well as solid recommendations for effective implementation.
