In a letter addressed to the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, and the Secretary General for Energy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Despoina-Leto Palierouta, POMIDA sends a “strong message” regarding the upcoming implementation of Directive 2024/1275/EU on the energy performance of buildings. As the federation emphasizes, this directive sets binding targets for reducing primary energy consumption by 2050, with the ultimate goal of achieving a net-zero emissions building stock.
Proposal to Reduce the Factor
Based on the recommendation of the federation’s energy advisor, Apostolos Efthymiadis, POMIDA proposes reducing the primary energy factor for electricity to 1.0 (from the current 2.9), arguing that the existing factor does not reflect the current energy mix of the country, where renewable energy sources now cover approximately 50% of electricity generation.
According to the federation, the current methodology underestimates the benefits of installing heat pumps, showing only limited primary energy savings, which leads to minimal improvement in the energy rating of buildings. By contrast, with the proposed revision, energy savings could reach up to 87%, allowing an upgrade of two to three energy categories.
Impact on the Housing Market
POMIDA warns that maintaining the current factor would have significant repercussions on the real estate market. It notes that hundreds of thousands of older homes may not be rentable after 2030–2035 due to low energy ratings, which would reduce supply, exacerbate the affordable housing crisis, and simultaneously devalue property assets for owners.
Alignment with European Legislation
The federation argues that, to achieve the goal of net-zero primary energy by 2050, renewable energy sources should have a primary energy factor of zero, reflecting the absence of fuel use and CO₂ emissions.
In this context, it proposes:
- Revising the electricity factor to 1.0–1.1,
- Adopting a factor of 0 for wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy,
- Updating factors for biomass and district heating,
- Regularly reviewing KENAK every two years.
As POMIDA emphasizes, these changes would enable the economically viable energy upgrading of homes and ensure Greece’s compliance with the new European framework, while also preserving the value of the existing building stock.