How was nZEB Week in Bucharest

On 22-25 November 2023, the nZEB Week at the Laminor Arena in Bucharest, an event that brought together specialists in the field of construction and materials with an impact on the energy efficiency of buildings. nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) is the standard that all those involved in construction are now obliged to meet, and the event aimed to inform and present solutions to those who plan to build or renovate in the near future. nZEB Week is a continuation of the nZEB Roadshow events (nZEB Caravan) that took place in cities such as Brasov, Iasi, Cluj or Timisoara.

nZEB Roadshow, an international event

nZEB Roadshow is an international event that brings together organisations from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy and Romania. The aim is to promote best practice in near-zero energy buildings (nZEB) in a unique way, locally and regionally, and to stimulate the demand for qualified personnel. The organisers' idea was to design and build mobile training and demonstration units. These, thanks to deep market penetration, would serve as information centres for the general public and thus raise awareness of the benefits of the nZEB standard.

Also as part of these roadshows, policy conferences, workshops and training events were to be organised. The topics covered all the issues involved, including financial issues or the need to integrate skilled labour requirements in public procurement.

In Romania, the nZEB Roadshow event is organised by Cluster to promote near-zero energy buildings (pRO-nZEB). nZEB Week in Bucharest was organized in partnership with ZEBRO - "team of nZEB Activists working to promote energy efficient, green, sustainable buildings".

The public is increasingly interested in modern construction methods and materials

nZEB Week in Bucharest took place not two weeks after nZEB goes Passive, a similar event held in Cluj. In my opinion, it is very good that there are important events with such a message in cities with high real estate development. The aim is to get the information about the benefits of living in energy efficient houses to the public, and many people find it difficult to move from one part of the country to another. The presence of the fairs in major poles of the country only increases the number of those informed and the likelihood that they will build better and better or demand better homes. I believe that it will not take long and such a fair will appear in Iasi.

The impression is that there was the same interest in both fairs, with a large number of visitors both in Cluj and Bucharest. I only spent one day in the Bucharest fair, but I stayed a good few hours, so I could see the constant flow of visitors. The participants I spoke to said the same thing, pointing out that those who come are much more informed, ask informed questions and are very careful when making choices.

Participants covered both the construction of energy efficient homes and the supply of materials and installations

I met again in Bucharest some of the builders of houses on wooden structure with whom I met in Cluj - Litarh, Dimmer, Dorna EcoHouse, Wood Structure. At the Bucharest fair they were joined by Class Meister, Miradex, Logicassa. I was happy to meet Adrian Dumitru, from Class Meister, whom I met on the occasion of Open House Essetre. I also lingered at the Dorna EcoHouse, now honouring the coffee invitation I received in Cluj. On this occasion I learned that they want to pay more attention to the Romanian market.

Another pleasant meeting was with Constantin Tistea, KLH's representative in Romania and an internationally recognised specialist in CLT construction. I also met him in Cluj, but the very busy schedule didn't leave much time for meetings and discussions, so I took advantage now. We talked a lot with Costi about CLT, KLH and his desire to prove that it is not as expensive as people think to build with CLT.

We saw building material manufacturers, insulation suppliers, manufacturers and distributors of certified windows and doors for highly energy efficient and even passive houses at the fair. There were suppliers of heating and cooling systems, heat recovery ventilation systems, heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. There were over 70 exhibitors eager to convince visitors that it is to their advantage to build efficient homes, that an investment well made now can save them from inconvenience later.

Conferences, workshops, site visits or passive houses

The fair also hosted many theoretical presentations and workshops. On the stage set up in the same space there were debates, discussions with local authorities, real estate developers or representatives of university education. The main theme was, of course, energy efficiency and solutions to reduce energy consumption. In addition to these presentations, the organisers also took the practical side into account. During the last two days of the fair, several visits were organised to construction sites outside Bucharest.

An event that was appreciated and presented at the fair was viewing the premium passive house of the Iosif family, the only premium passive house on timber frame structure in the country, which we organized together with the builder Litarh. Wood Magazine documented all the stages of the house construction in over 10 videos made over 2 years, which you can find on the way home.ro. The viewing was well attended and the house was visited by many visitors despite the very bad weather.

I believe that the event in Bucharest has achieved its goal of informing the general public of the need to build the right energy efficient buildings. Slowly but surely, the approach to building is changing for the better which is to the benefit of us all.