05/08/2026
The real-world performance of over 100 energy-efficient buildings across Austria for years in this recent publication. The results are striking: these buildings consume around 50% less energy than conventional ones.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz is a professor at our department.
Every heatwave brings another wave of air conditioner installations. But is that really the answer? ☀️
New research co-authored by CEU's Professor Diana Urge-Vorsatz suggests there's a smarter, long-term solution: building better in the first place.
The study, published in Energy Policy Group, evaluated the real-world performance of over 100 energy-efficient buildings across Austria over many years. The findings are striking: these buildings consume around 50% less energy than conventional ones, keep emissions well below Paris Agreement targets, and critically, maintain these results under actual operating conditions, not just in simulations.
As Austria faces increasingly frequent tropical nights and temperatures above 35°C, the implications are clear. Investing in better insulation and high-performance construction could significantly reduce the need for intensive cooling, making climate adaptation far cheaper in the long run.
🔗 Read more about the research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421526000418?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=a26634702dd05afb
Prof. Ürge-Vosatz is open for interview request on relevant topics. Contact our media team under: [email protected]
Photo source: urgevorsatz.org/
