nZEB Shop - The story behind the most ambitious shop for energy efficiency solutions

When I first heard about nZEB Week in Bucharest, the event held in the fall of 2023, I wanted to meet the man behind it. Emilian Grigore is not the kind of entrepreneur who settles for less - he dreams big and builds big.

Founder of nZEB Shop, an innovative concept that combines specialized consultancy with complete solutions for energy efficiency, Emilian is also Vice-President of Pro-nZEB Cluster and green building ambassador at Romania Green Building Council. In other words, this man breathes, eats and sleeps green buildings.

I met Emilian at his office in Bucharest, wanting to know the story behind nZEB Week and the nZEB Shop brand. I quickly discovered that Emilian is the kind of man who makes you see the huge potential of the sustainable construction industry in Romania. He has infectious energy and a genuine passion for what he does.

From his Erasmus adventure in Denmark to his years in corporate life, Emilian has gained diverse experiences that prepared him for his role as a champion of energy-efficient construction. But it wasn't until he decided to leave the corporate comforts and turn to entrepreneurship that things really exploded.

In just 3 years, nZEB Shop has become a key player in the market, offering not only top products, but the know-how to build passive houses and buildings with minimal energy consumption. And nZEB Week in Bucharest was another step in an ambitious plan to transform the industry.

Of course, it's not easy. Emilian has faced challenges, from attracting sponsorship in a price-sensitive market to animosities with competitors. But when he talks about the potential for collaboration and his vision for the future, his eyes light up. He wants to put Romania on the world green building map and has the determination to do it.

In what follows, you will discover the story of a man who has turned his energy to making Romania's buildings more energy efficient. Welcome to the world of green buildings!

Revista din Lemn: Emilian, it's nice to meet you and to talk about your professional journey. Let's start with your studies. You graduated in Construction in Brasov, but you also had the experience of an Erasmus year in Denmark. What was that like?

Emilian Grigore: Yes. I finished the Faculty of Construction in Brasov, but the last year I spent on an Erasmus scholarship in Denmark, on wooden structures. I went to Vitus Bering, the University of Horsens, and I finished my dissertation on Glulam, i.e. glued laminated timber. Initially I wanted to stay in the Netherlands after that, I had a good Dutch friend, but it was just before Romania joined the EU, around 2006. I couldn't really find a job there to my liking, so I came back to the country and did another master's degree in Bucharest, on civil construction management.

RdL: You must have enjoyed your experience in Denmark! And then you went corporate, right? How did you find the transition from student life?

Emilian Grigore: After my master I went straight into multinationals, yes. First at SINIAT, the drywall manufacturer. I was technical and sales manager there. Serious business, in the top 3 in the world are Knauf, Saint Gobain and ETEX, of which SINIAT is part. I gained solid experience in management, teams, projects.

After that it was 8 years of Rockwool. We were a small gang of 6 people, growing up together. At first I was asked to develop the whole technical department. It was a great challenge, I chose my own people, built the team how I wanted. But after three years of broken promises, I lost my enthusiasm but continued to be actively involved in the projects. Then I had the position of specification director, which meant I was in charge of this side of recommending, consulting in specialized projects, passive houses, nZEB houses, any kind of houses.

RdL: And yet. You were doing well there. What happened?

EG: Exactly. Although I found myself there in the first years, later I realized it wasn't the right environment for me. Eventually, after 18 years in a multinational, I felt that I had to make the move into entrepreneurship. And a lot of people around me were telling me "Emilian, you're made for it, spread your wings and go!". That was the moment when I left and dedicated myself totally to my passion.

RdL: So you ended up founding nZEB Shop in 2020, how did you come up with the idea?

EG: Well yes, in 2020 I founded the nZEB Shop brand out of the desire to bring something new to the market - a shop, but not just any shop, but an integrated consulting concept with complete solutions. I kept thinking about what name to take so that it would have something to do with nZEB and Emag and the shop. I chose this name because it was fresh, it sounded good. And we worked on everything from logo to web domain, trademark registration, the whole package.

I wanted to fill a gap in the market, that there was a great need for consultancy on nZEB, passive houses. People kept calling me, I was in constant demand, even though I was still working with Rockwool. I felt there was a need for professional training in the field, legislation to support it, but it didn't really exist back then. So I got involved.

From a core of 4 people we quickly grew to a team of 11 by the end of 2022. It felt we were needed, we had a lot of requests, interesting projects. We were involved in optimizing the website, communication, being present at key events in the field. It was an intense period, but the results started to show. Customers appreciated that we were coming not just with products but with solutions tailored to their needs.

RdL: I imagine it was a lot of work, especially in the beginning. But here you are 3 years later with a growing business and big plans. How was the nZEB Week event in Bucharest in the fall?

EG: It went very well. We pulled hard to make it work! We rented for the first time the Laminor Arena, 3500 square meters. It was a new location for us, we knew there would be challenges with the dust, the noise, but we took it on. And it was worth it in the end. While not perfect, it turned out to be a much appreciated event. We were a small team, 11 people, with about 4 of us handling everything from sales to social media.

RdL: All in all it was a success. And with the cluster, what are your future plans?

EG: We are now focusing on the roadshow across the country, followed by Constanta in May. It's a simpler format, not on the scale of Bucharest. We want it outdoors, with the support of the faculty there. There is interest, people want to come, I estimate that it will be ok, about the same level as Timisoara.

But my eyes are on the mega-event in Bucharest in the fall of 2024. That will be the spearhead, the highlight of the year. The rest, with the caravan in other cities, gathering people, talking. That helps us grow the community, keep interest alive. But the stakes are at the end.

RdL: You're also involved in green buildings. Elaborate a bit.

EG: That's right, I am also active in the Romania Green Building Council, where it is my mission to identify projects to be Green Homes certified. It's a niche for the moment, an extremely narrow market segment, but there are interested developers, there is demand.

In parallel, I want to expand the nZEB Shop beyond energy efficiency to eco solutions in general. We have already brought super cork plasters from Italy, we have a historical monument house to rehabilitate in Bucharest with them. There are other great projects in the pipeline with natural and acoustic insulation components. It's a lot of work, but we're moving forward steadily.

RoL: Interesting projects! We'll discuss them soon. For now, thank you so much for this super interesting discussion and all the success in the world ahead!

EG: With love, and thank you too! Cheers and to as many successful events as possible! Cheers!

The future sounds great for the sustainable construction industry in Romania. Emilian and the Pro-nZEB Cluster team are already intensively preparing the next event - nZEB Week in Constantascheduled for May 17-19, 2024.

So, if you're passionate about energy efficient construction and want to keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations, don't miss this week's nZEB Week in Constanta. It is sure to be an exciting event that will add value to the whole sustainable building community.