Glazing potential: energy savings and CO2 emission reduction
Potential impact of high-performance glazing on energy and CO2 savings in Europe
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.
To receive the full study report please send your request to info@glassforeurope.com.
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
from heating
from cooling
2030
Annual CO2 emission avoidance
from heating
from cooling
2030 savings: breakdown per country
More details in the table below.
If you cannot visualize the entire table, please turn your phone to landscape view.
| Energy savings | CO2 avoidance | |||||||
| Total | Heating | Cooling | Total | Heating | Cooling | |||
| ktoe | % | ktoe | ktoe | kt | % | kt | kt | |
| Austria | 1789 | – 29 | 1742 | 47 | 1439 | – 29 | 1368 | 71 |
| Belgium | 1664 | – 32 | 1615 | 48 | 2868 | – 31 | 2756 | 112 |
| Bulgaria | 1180 | – 27 | 1149 | 31 | 411 | – 21 | 306 | 105 |
| Croatia | 655 | – 34 | 642 | 13 | 690 | – 33 | 666 | 24 |
| Cyprus | 57 | – 19 | 32 | 25 | 88 | – 18 | 21 | 67 |
| Czech Republic | 1622 | – 34 | 1590 | 32 | 1870 | – 30 | 1710 | 160 |
| Denmark | 874 | – 32 | 848 | 25 | 486 | – 31 | 460 | 27 |
| Estonia | 390 | – 39 | 386 | 4 | 156 | – 28 | 132 | 23 |
| Finland | 1363 | – 34 | 1327 | 36 | 420 | – 29 | 370 | 50 |
| France | 9758 | – 32 | 9474 | 283 | 9594 | – 33 | 9561 | 33 |
| Germany | 17998 | – 29 | 17527 | 471 | 26240 | – 28 | 24215 | 2025 |
| Greece | 760 | – 19 | 427 | 333 | 1655 | – 18 | 340 | 1315 |
| Hungary | 1608 | – 34 | 1576 | 32 | 2145 | – 34 | 2112 | 33 |
| Ireland | 651 | – 32 | 632 | 19 | 1193 | – 31 | 1132 | 62 |
| Italy | 4134 | – 19 | 2325 | 1809 | 8234 | – 19 | 3184 | 5050 |
| Latvia | 675 | – 39 | 668 | 7 | 340 | – 37 | 332 | 8 |
| Lithuania | 1026 | – 39 | 1016 | 10 | 498 | – 38 | 490 | 8 |
| Luxembourg | 76 | – 32 | 74 | 2 | 126 | – 31 | 120 | 6 |
| Malta | 28 | – 19 | 16 | 12 | 51 | – 18 | 11 | 41 |
| Netherlands | 2643 | – 32 | 2567 | 77 | 4019 | – 31 | 3805 | 214 |
| Poland | 6073 | – 34 | 5953 | 120 | 8525 | – 30 | 7830 | 695 |
| Portugal | 754 | – 19 | 424 | 330 | 413 | – 19 | 221 | 192 |
| Romania | 3630 | – 27 | 3534 | 96 | 3652 | – 26 | 3497 | 156 |
| Slovakia | 852 | – 34 | 835 | 17 | 1015 | – 34 | 997 | 18 |
| Slovenia | 317 | – 34 | 311 | 6 | 230 | – 30 | 211 | 20 |
| Spain | 2873 | – 19 | 1615 | 1257 | 3274 | – 19 | 1373 | 1901 |
| Sweden | 2350 | – 34 | 2128 | 12 | 222 | – 30 | 200 | 22 |
| United Kingdom | 9715 | – 32 | 9433 | 282 | 14376 | – 32 | 14015 | 361 |
| EU28 | 75514 | – 29 | 70028 | 5486 | 94230 | – 28 | 81434 | 12796 |
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.
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.
2050
Annual energy savings
from heating
from cooling
2050
Annual CO2 emission avoidance
from heating
from cooling
2050 savings: breakdown per country
More details in the table below.
If you cannot visualize the entire table, please turn your phone to landscape view.
| 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.
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.
2020 - 2030
Annual savings in 2030 from doubling the window renovation rate during 10 years
from heating
from cooling
Cumulated savings over 10 years
