Energy inefficient buildings: lessons learned from Estonia

This year, of the 400.000 homes that were downgraded from F or G ratings, approximately 160.000 improved their energy performance solely due to a change in the calculation method, without any renovation work. This is a paradoxical situation: while the figures improve on paper, the actual performance of the rental housing stock remains stagnant. Yet, if we look at our European neighbors, solutions to meet the renovation challenge do exist. Estonia, in particular, has won its battle against energy-inefficient buildings by leveraging a historical advantage: wood.

Estonian and French rental housing stock share many challenges, particularly related to its age and lack of proper maintenance. Add to this the increasingly demanding European regulatory framework regarding sustainability, and the challenge for builders is significant: they must ensure quality workmanship and meet very tight deadlines, all while minimizing disruption for residents. Estonia's key to success lies in a clear strategy: large-scale renovations, especially for multi-family housing, using prefabricated timber components.

When it comes to renovation, cost is also a key factor. With rising material prices, especially for insulation and concrete, Estonian builders have opted for prefabricated timber to reduce construction costs. In the Baltic country, the results are already evident. On the one hand, crane rental costs for installing timber elements are reduced by up to tenfold; on the other hand, four times as many prefabricated timber elements can be transported as concrete ones.

Furthermore, thanks to wood, Estonia has achieved a successful model of rapid and efficient construction: in 21 pilot projects, renovation work using wooden elements was twice as fast compared to traditional construction methods. This method has already become a model exported to other European construction sites, such as Germany, where construction times have been reduced by 50%.

Estonian projects demonstrate that prefabricated wood can quickly transform an energy-inefficient building into a high-performance home. Thanks to wood, they have also reduced their heating energy consumption by up to 60%. A prime example is the renovation of the TalTech University student residence in Tallinn. With a new facade made of prefabricated wood elements, an energy-guzzling residence became a net-zero energy building in just a few months.

The challenges of energy renovation in France, therefore, are not insurmountable. The Estonian case clearly shows us that solutions exist and that wood, in particular, is a fundamental ally. By looking to Estonia, France too can turn the fight against energy-inefficient buildings into an opportunity for economic recovery.

Opinion piece by Steve Cesse, Export Advisor at Trade Estonia (LinkedIn).