Energy efficiency and fire safety rarely share the same spotlight. But at the C4E Central & Eastern European Energy Efficiency Forum, held last week in Cavtat, they did.

Prof Grunde Jomaas, the ERA Chair Holder of the FRISSBE project at ZAG, took part as panel leader and speaker in the session titled ‘Fire Safety in the Age of the Green Transition’. His presentation, ‘Setting the Scene: How the Green Transition Impacts Fire Safety’, opened the session on 21^st May and framed the conversation around the overlooked risks that come with energy-efficient renovation and new green technologies.

• New fire risks are introduced with the green transition from PV systems (BIPV and BAPV), batteries, and EVs. These risks are here now, so the need for solutions is imminent.

• Legislation and regulation must adapt more quickly to the evolving practices in the construction sector. It is essential that the framework offered leads to stability and predictability throughout EU so that harmonization is reached for all stakeholders.

• Decisions are currently made based on anecdotal evidence, rather than arising from proper analysis and sound statistics. It would be very valuable to have an EU depository of ‘lessons learned’ and the reasons behind legislative and regulatory fire safety changes.

HERE you can acces at the document with the 1a Panel Summary

The panel gathered experts from across Europe, including Pau Garcia Audi, Piotr Smardz, Dr Arh Anca Voiculescu, and Marcela Kubů, and engaged around 40 attendees in a focused discussion on aligning fire safety with evolving building practices and sustainability goals.

The C4E Forum 2025, organised by Renovate Europe and HUPFAS, brought together 229 participants. Across plenaries, panels, and informal events, the aim was clear: build a stronger, more connected energy efficiency community in Central and Eastern Europe.

At FRISSBE, we remain committed to contributing scientific insight where fire safety and sustainability meet.

For more details, you can explore the post-conference booklet of the C4E Forum here. Pages 19 and 20 highlight the session I was responsible for.

Read more about C4E Forum here