Identifying and managing risks involved in the transition to the EU nZEB decree

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the risks and challenges related to the change in building construction projects to the European Union (EU) zero-energy building (nZEB) decree in the year 2020. Another goal was to create solutions to those risks and challenges. Design/methodology/approach – A workshop method was chosen to gather up-to-date information from the construction cluster in Finland. Findings – In the workshop, the main concern was the level of knowledge and know-how with all the parties working with construction projects. As an answer to this challenge, serious and substantial education in the organisations and competence requirements for designers and piloting as much as possible in the next few years was offered. Commissioning consultant was also seen as vital for nZEB project. Tight schedules and unfit project delivery systems were also seen as a risk for nZEB projects. However, modern project delivery systems were seen to be problematic in practice even if they were functional in theory. Originality/value – The results of the workshop are valuable for all parties working with building construction projects in Finland and the whole EU area.