EVoCH Expert Seminar Koblenz, May 13, 2011.

Content:

Conclusions

Energy-efficient restoration of historic buildings and historic town centres leads to various benefits: start-up companies, securing and creating of new jobs, new ways of dwelling, increased attractiveness and strengthened culture tourism. However, the expert seminar on May 13 in Fortress Ehrenbreitstein showed that chains of value creation can only be exploited within strategic interdisciplinary networks of the energy sector, architecture, city and regional planning, monument preservation, tourism, municipalities, private and public bodies of cultural heritage, project development and economic promotion. The participation of about 60 representatives of various disciplines, with approximately one third coming from Spain, Italy, Norway, Belgium and Austria, demonstrates that the topic is of importance in whole Europe. The conclusions of the seminar led to a ten-point-program, see “conclusions of expert seminar” (documents).

Participants of the seminar appreciated the showcase of German and European examples of energy-efficient restoration of single buildings and historic city centres and asked for the creation of a platform to identify and disseminate further best practice. The EVoCH project partners want to follow up this request here on the project homepage. For a provisory list see the document “ Best Practice (105 kbytes) ”.

A 10-point-program for value creation:

1. Monitoring and participation in energy efficiency discussions: Climate and Cultural Heritage should be considered Public Goods, and thus they should be preserved in the most sustainable way. Therefore, it is important that cultural heritage bodies and institutions actively monitor and participate in the discussions on energy efficiency measures and establish a framework about needs, best practice and most efficient solutions which take the special conditions of historic buildings adequately into consideration.
2. Interdisciplinary approach: An interdisciplinary approach and holistic thinking is vital and the main source for coming to sustainable results in energy efficient restoration of historic building.
3. University education and interdisciplinary approach: The interdisciplinary approach is not reflected in university curricula yet. University degrees that combine the knowledge of both disciplines are regarded as essential in order to support the issue.
4. New materials – new skills: The seminar clearly demonstrated that the built heritage (both the protected and the historic buildings), has great economic potential in carrying out necessary energy efficiency measures. Correct energy efficiency measures can easily reduce the energy use of historic buildings by 70-80% by simple measures that do not degrade this heritage. Another 10-15% reduction in energy use can be achieved by improved energy control systems and use of alternative energy sources. However, training about new materials and methods for craftsmen, engineers and all experts in monument conservation into highly professional and energy efficient heritage protection measures is necessary. An “energy efficient restoration certificate” for craftsmen is highly recommended.
5. Calculations for benefits: There is the need to improve the methods of calculating the turnover of the building restoration to help private investors analyse the real benefit of restoring instead of tearing down old buildings and new construction. These calculations must include the whole lifecycle of buildings and as thus consider waste disposal and the energy efficiency of materials. 
6. Social benefits of restoring: restoration results in a higher rate of employment, higher skills, higher quality of workers, non-delocalization of jobs, increase of local identity. This should also be accounted by public administrations and considered in the tax and subsides policies.
7. Networks as a success factor: The increasing amount of protected assets during the last decades due to the enlargement of the Cultural Heritage concept makes necessary to search for Public-Private-Partnerships in order to make its management economically sustainable. The social point of view should be considered on the public building restoring programs much stronger. Local inhabitants and activities should be preserved as part of the values of the assets, and their needs should be taken in account.
8. Need of pilot actions and best practice platform: Pilot actions should be developed in order to show by real examples the benefits, and to encourage private owners and investors to choose restoring. A European platform with existing best practice models that can be easily adapted to other contexts should be created and disseminated.
9. Need of strategic approach: An interdisciplinary approach needs to be implemented from the very beginning of restoration projects including maintenance measures after the restoration in a strategic and professionally elaborated way. This is not a matter of round table talks but a strategy behind all decisions which consider as many economic and social effects together with the relevant actors. 
10. Need of consulting services: There is an enormous need of consultancy, for public as well as private owners. The need of financing models, operation models and utilization models is obvious and should be supported by policies on local, regional, national and European level. A completely new business field is nascent in terms of product and services design.