ABSTRACT

The AIDA project aims to accelerate the market entry of nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB). This means energy efficient buildings and the use of renewable energy sources, which are both highlighted in the IEE2011 work programme. Currently, there is a lack of intense actions to spread knowledge about NZEB. It is evident, that citizens will be better prepared and more willing to adopt NZEB, if their municipality sets an example thus giving them direct access to and experience of NZEB. Raising awareness towards NZEB among local authorities and building planners becomes a key factor. So, in particular the target group of this proposal are primarily municipal representatives as market multipliers on the demand side, and also architects and master-builders on the supply side. AIDA offers action tailored to suit each of these groups including study tours, operational success stories, presentation of existing tools, active support for municipalities and close cooperation with key actors. In summary: The core objective of AIDA is a widespread market adoption of NZEB, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, which are important factors to reach the 2020 targets. In this context two assumptions can be drawn:

1. NZEB will become a mainstream trend in Europe before 2020, if main stakeholders and the public are well informed and both consider sustainable building as a matter of course.
2. The wide-spread use of sustainable building technologies can be accelerated by creating local seeds as starting point for technology diffusion all over Europe. These seeds, created in municipalities, are the beginning for best-practice learning by common exchange of knowledge and transnational cooperation, even beyond the project’s timeline.

AIDA objectives will be achieved by an active involvement of key actors: Associations of municipalities and architects. AIDA has a notable benefit for the target group and contributes to EU’s 2020 targets significantly in enabling a sustainable future.