Glazing potential: energy savings and CO₂ emission reduction

Potential impact of high-performance glazing on energy and CO2 savings in Europe

Glazing Potential | Energy savings & CO2 emission reduction

The brochure illustrates the main findings of a scientific study by TNO on the quantification of both energy and CO2 savings that can be realised for heating and cooling of buildings thanks to high-performance glazing across the 28 EU Member States in both horizons 2030 and 2050. In addition to full potentials, it also simulates the impacts of several window replacement rates, all compared to a baseline scenario.

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Glass for Europe commissioned a study on energy savings and CO2 emission avoidance of high performing glazing to the independent research institute TNO Built Environment and Geoscience (TNO).

This study is a quantification of both energy and CO2 savings that can be realised thanks to high-performance glazing across the 28 EU Member States in both horizons 2030 and 2050. In addition to full potentials, whereby all windows are equipped with high-performance glazing across all EU buildings, it also simulates the impacts of several window replacement rates, all compared to a baseline scenario.

The study draws on recent scientific sources to define input parameters such as today’s Europe building stock and performance, the evolution in the energy mix, the penetration of high-performance heating and cooling equipment, etc.

The study is based on 5 different scenarios and for each of them provides output data for the 28 countries of the EU:

A 1% window replacement rate in 2020
A 10-year scenario applying a 1% window replacement rate annually between 2020 and 2030
A maximum saving potential by 2030
A 1% window replacement rate in 2030
A maximum saving potential by 2050

The below data are extracted from scenarios 2, 3 and 5 to illustrate saving potential by 2030 and 2050 and the potential linked to enhanced window renovation by 2030.

Annual saving potential in 2030

The below data show the amount of energy savings and related CO2 emission avoidance that could be achieved annually in 2030 if high-performance glazing were to be installed in all EU buildings. This data offers a reference point to quantify what can be achieved in the medium term, if the right measures were to be put in place.

Energy performance properties of glazing used in this scenario are based on readily available products in the EU market. Glazing have been selected to offer optimal energy performance to different building types, in seven climatic zones and taking into account facades’ orientations.

Non-residential buildings with large glazing façades are equipped with different types of solar control glazing across all climatic zones.

For residential buildings, solar control glazing is applied on all buildings’ orientations in the southern regions of Europe. In the other climatic zones, solar control glazing is used in the south orientation and several types of Low-E glazing are used on the north, west and east façades.

2030
Annual energy savings

2030
Annual CO2 emission avoidance

Energy savings				CO₂ avoidance
	Total		Heating	Cooling	Total		Heating	Cooling
	ktoe	%	ktoe	ktoe	kt	%	kt	kt
Austria	1579	– 37	1548	31	1116	– 37	1087	29
Belgium	1518	– 42	1498	19	2397	– 41	2356	40
Bulgaria	1066	– 35	1013	54	237	– 34	200	37
Croatia	534	– 40	523	11	536	– 40	525	11
Cyprus	54	– 26	18	36	82	– 33	6	76
Czech Republic	1323	– 40	1295	28	1190	– 40	1164	26
Denmark	797	– 42	787	10	404	– 43	400	4
Estonia	316	– 45	313	3	106	– 40	101	5
Finland	1197	– 43	1166	31	268	– 41	254	14
France	8901	– 42	8789	112	7580	– 43	7554	26
Germany	15888	– 37	15576	312	20175	– 37	19667	508
Greece	725	– 26	239	486	546	– 28	150	396
Hungary	1312	– 40	1283	28	1573	– 40	1550	23
Ireland	594	– 42	586	7	829	– 42	818	11
Italy	3946	– 26	1300	2646	4929	– 27	1545	3384
Latvia	547	– 45	542	5	267	– 45	263	3
Lithuania	832	– 45	824	8	314	– 44	309	4
Luxembourg	69	– 42	68	1	102	– 40	99	2
Malta	27	– 26	9	18	60	– 33	5	55
Netherlands	2411	– 42	2381	30	3279	– 41	3222	57
Poland	4953	– 40	4847	106	5045	– 40	4921	124
Portugal	720	– 26	237	483	265	– 22	153	112
Romania	3280	– 35	3115	165	2946	– 35	2869	77
Slovakia	695	– 40	680	15	754	– 41	746	9
Slovenia	259	– 40	253	6	153	– 40	150	3
South	8214	– 26	2706	5508	7622	– 26	2529	5093
Spain	2742	– 26	903	1838	1739	– 25	670	1069
Sweden	2063	– 43	2009	53	159	– 39	147	12
United Kingdom	8862	– 42	8750	112	11462	– 42	11358	104
EU28	67210	– 37	60554	6656	68512	– 37	62290	6222

Annual saving potential in 2050

The below data show the amount of energy savings and related CO2 emission avoidance that could be achieved annually in 2050 if high-performance glazing were to be installed in all EU buildings.

This 2050 data take into account an increase of renewables in the energy mix, yet data shows that 37,4% of CO2 emissions from buildings could be saved thanks to high-performance glazing . The contribution of glazing to achieve a climate neutral Europe could be much higher while considering the uptake of products such as switchable/electrochromic glazing, glazing-integrated photovoltaics or other novel glazing technologies, which have not been considered in the this study.

Energy performance properties of glazing used in this scenario are based on not yet available products, whose properties have been defined by a pool of glazing experts taking into account the potential evolution of glazing performance over the next decades. Glazing have been selected to offer optimal energy performance to different building types, in seven climatic zones and taking into account facades’ orientations.

Non-residential buildings with large glazing façades are equipped with different types of solar control glazing across all climatic zones.

2050
Annual energy savings

2050
Annual CO2 emission avoidance

Energy savings				CO₂ avoidance
	Total		Heating	Cooling	Total		Heating	Cooling
	ktoe	%	ktoe	ktoe	kt	%	kt	kt
Austria	1579	– 37	1548	31	1116	– 37	1087	29
Belgium	1518	– 42	1498	19	2397	– 41	2356	40
Bulgaria	1066	– 35	1013	54	237	– 34	200	37
Croatia	534	– 40	523	11	536	– 40	525	11
Cyprus	54	– 26	18	36	82	– 33	6	76
Czech Republic	1323	– 40	1295	28	1190	– 40	1164	26
Denmark	797	– 42	787	10	404	– 43	400	4
Estonia	316	– 45	313	3	106	– 40	101	5
Finland	1197	– 43	1166	31	268	– 41	254	14
France	8901	– 42	8789	112	7580	– 43	7554	26
Germany	15888	– 37	15576	312	20175	– 37	19667	508
Greece	725	– 26	239	486	546	– 28	150	396
Hungary	1312	– 40	1283	28	1573	– 40	1550	23
Ireland	594	– 42	586	7	829	– 42	818	11
Italy	3946	– 26	1300	2646	4929	– 27	1545	3384
Latvia	547	– 45	542	5	267	– 45	263	3
Lithuania	832	– 45	824	8	314	– 44	309	4
Luxembourg	69	– 42	68	1	102	– 40	99	2
Malta	27	– 26	9	18	60	– 33	5	55
Netherlands	2411	– 42	2381	30	3279	– 41	3222	57
Poland	4953	– 40	4847	106	5045	– 40	4921	124
Portugal	720	– 26	237	483	265	– 22	153	112
Romania	3280	– 35	3115	165	2946	– 35	2869	77
Slovakia	695	– 40	680	15	754	– 41	746	9
Slovenia	259	– 40	253	6	153	– 40	150	3
South	8214	– 26	2706	5508	7622	– 26	2529	5093
Spain	2742	– 26	903	1838	1739	– 25	670	1069
Sweden	2063	– 43	2009	53	159	– 39	147	12
United Kingdom	8862	– 42	8750	112	11462	– 42	11358	104
EU28	67210	– 37	60554	6656	68512	– 37	62290	6222

2030 annual savings thanks to a doubling of window renovation

Nearly half of the maximum saving potential identified for 2030 could be realised in 10 years by doubling the window renovation rate with high-performance glazing. This represents annual savings of 36,4 Mtoe in 2030 for the European Union. By seizing this potential of window renovation, around 20% of the EU energy efficiency objective for 2030 could be met.

To quantify these savings, a conservative 2% window replacement rate across Europe is assumed as a business as usual scenario. A doubling of building renovation, as contemplated by European institutions, means that the window replacement rate would reach 4% per year, all things being equal, and that the worst performing windows are prioritised for renovation.

Non-residential buildings with large glazing façades are equipped with different types of solar control glazing across all climatic zones.

Glazing potential: energy savings and CO₂ emission reduction

Glazing Potential | Energy savings & CO2 emission reduction

Download:

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Annual saving potential in 2030

2030
Annual energy savings

2030
Annual CO2 emission avoidance

Annual saving potential in 2050

2050
Annual energy savings

2050
Annual CO2 emission avoidance

2030 annual savings thanks to a doubling of window renovation

2020 - 2030
Annual savings in 2030 from doubling the window renovation rate during 10 years

Cumulated savings over 10 years

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