The Energy Efficiency Directive, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Smart Financing for Smart Buildings Initiative in 2016; The New Electricity Market Design and the proposal for a Renewable Energy Framework in 2016.

A smart financing for smart buildings initiative is also foreseen for 2016, with a view to improve access to funding and stimulate investment in the buildings sector.

Development of a toolbox of measures to ease the renovation of multi-apartment buildings, e.g. through modern heating and cooling equipment (such as heat pumps) and insulation materials and advice on the steps to follow Better cost-sharing to allow both tenants and owners to benefit from the investment spent to renovate old buildings and apartments, or to change their old obsolete heating systems with new efficient ones using renewable energy sources or heating sourced from smart new generation district heating networks Promote proven energy efficiency models for public schools and hospitals to provide authorities with practices on for example how to use energy service companies, energy performance and public procurement contracts or self-c ...[+++]onsumption solutions in making these buildings more efficient, how to go about energy renovation and installing heating and cooling systems supplied by clean renewable energy sources.

Semiconductors are omnipresent, not only in industries traditionally associated with microelectronics, but elsewhere too. Examples include new digital uses (very high-speed communications accessible to all, cloud computing, smart power grids, e-health, network security, intelligent transport systems) and industrial and service innovation, particularly given the challenges of sustainable development (vehicles of the future, aeronautics, intelligent and efficient energy management, particularly in buildings, intelligent terminals).

Cooperation between the ICT industryother sectors and public authorities is essential to accelerate development and wide-scale roll out of ICT-based solutions for smart grids and metersnear-zero energy buildings and intelligent transport systemsIt is essential to empower individuals and organisationswith information that will help them to reduce their own carbon footprintThe ICT sector should delivermodelling, analysis, monitoring and visualisation tools to evaluate theenergy performance and emissions of buildings, vehicles, companies, cities and regions.Smart grids are essential for the move to a low carbon economy.

On Tuesday 12 April Commissioner Oettinger will kick-off the opening ceremony with a speech dedicated to Europe’s energy future at the Charlemagne Building, Brussels.The same day, Commissioner Oettinger will give a press conference at 10.50 hours (Charlemagne), where he will present the new Smart Grid Communication.