Zero-emission, zero-backup? The resilience gap in modern building standards

As commercial buildings move rapidly toward full electrification, modern standards optimise for efficiency and emissions – but largely assume uninterrupted power supply. In Central and Eastern Europe, where winter peaks test both grid capacity and heating systems, and where infrastructure resilience has become an increasingly strategic and geopolitical concern, this assumption deserves closer scrutiny. The energy transition in the building sector is accelerating. Updated European regulations promote zero-emission standards, electrified heating and intelligent energy management. New commercial assets are increasingly designed around heat pumps, automation systems and full integration with the electricity grid. Efficiency and decarbonisation now dominate the regulatory agenda. Yet this regulatory logic rests on an implicit premise: electricity will always be available in sufficient quantity. In Central and Eastern Europe, this premise carries additional weight. Severe winter des