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Policies and Measures Addressing Climate Change: Building and Housing, 2010
Policy Name
Austria
Federal Promotion of
Extraordinary Efficiency in Buildings
Data
effective
26 Jan 2006
Description
Residential buildings must clearly exceed regulatory standards to qualify for state funding. The agreement includes
an initial insulation standard of 65kWh per square metre, falling to 25-45 kWh/m2 by 2010. It also introduces new
incentives for use of renewable heating systems. Total funding available is to remain at EUR 1.78 bill. The programme is expected to generate 10,000 additional jobs.
Energy Efficient Hous- Jan 2007
ing Programmes –
Constitutional Treaty
between Austrian Federation and Länder
The Länder (federal provinces) administer subsidies of more than EUR 2 bill. annually for housing support programmes. The agreement provides for:
• shift of subsidies from construction of new dwelling to thermal renovation of existing dwellings;
• high quality standards for thermal renovation, including the whole building shell (exterior walls, windows and doors,
ceilings and roof);
• maximum energy performance codes for newly constructed buildings that go well beyond standards that are foreseen in general construction codes;
• replacement of old fossil fuel heating systems by highly efficient systems based on renewable energy (solar or biomass) or natural gas.
Energy Consulting for
Households:
KlimaAktiv leben to
Employ ChimneySweepers as Climate
Ambassadors
Nov 2005
Part of the larger Austrian climate strategy, the KlimaAktiv leben campaign partners with the nation's chimney
sweepers to publicize energy efficiency measures in residences. The chimney sweepers visit households and bring
with them easy-to-implement energy-saving advice while identifying possible needs for expert consulting in energy
efficiency matters or useful investments in energy-saving and climate protection measures. The chimney sweepers
supply households with specific advice on how to save energy. To assess the need for professional energy consulting, they complete a questionnaire together with the customer to gauge the interest of the household in receiving
further information, more intensive consulting by an energy consultant, or in taking specific rehabilitation action.
Following the chimney sweepers' visits, the Austrian Federal Provinces energy consultants assist households with
qualified consultation.
Denmark
Finance Act 2009 –
Energy Target for
State Institutions
2009
In addition to the Circular outlining obligations for state institutions to undertake energy-saving measures, the Finance Act 2009 imposed an energy-saving target on state owned institutions. According to the target, energy consumption in 2011 must be 10% lower than in 2006.
France
District Heating
Classification
1999
A decree on 5 May 1999 introduced a simplified procedure for classifying district heating using renewable energy or
cogeneration, allowing local authorities to obligate new buildings in specified zones to be connected to the district
heating grid.
Finance Law 2009:
Sustainable Energy
Provisions
2009
The 2009 Finance Law contains various provisions to increase financing for energy efficiency investments and in
support of renewable energy, e.g.:
• Zero-interest loans for house purchase; The loan amount is increased by EUR 20,000 if the building meets standards beyond those required under current building regulations;
• Eco-loans: 0% loan for energy efficient renovation;
• Tax credits for the interest paid on loans used to acquire or construct a new home, requiring that homes meet current building code efficiency requirements;
• Lower taxes on biofuels.
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Policies and Measures Addressing Climate Change: Building and Housing, 2010
Policy Name
Data
effective
Description
France
(cont.)
Retailer Sustainable
Commerce Agreement
2008
On 29 Jan 2008, the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Planning signed a five-year
agreement with the Federation of Retail and Distribution Enterprises, representing 26,500 outlets nationwide. The
agreement commits the retail sector to establish packaging waste and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
Retailers agreed to undertake detailed analysis of the CO2 emissions of all their activities, to better assess emissions
from merchandise transportation and in-store activities. They also pledged to improve energy efficiency in stores, by
switching to low-energy lighting and upgrading refrigeration and freezer systems. They also committed to acquiring
at least 20% of their overall energy use from renewable energy sources by 2020.
Efforts to educate consumers about the environmental impact of products are also included in the agreement. Retailers will double the number of products bearing EU certified eco-labels over the next 3 years.
Retailers are to design and implement, over 2008 to 2009, a new sustainable commerce communication plan.
Greece
National Plan to
Combat Air Pollution
2008
A new plan to combat air pollution was announced in May 2008, which will penalise motorists driving high-CO2 emitting cars with heavier taxes and restricted access to city centres.
Vehicles will be subject to a new road tax system, calculated on the level of pollution rather than on engine capacity,
as is the current case.
Financial incentives will also be provided to encourage a switch to more environmentally friendly cars and to remove
older vehicles from the road, including those without catalytic converters.
The plan also states that restrictions will be imposed on industrial plants with significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Details on these restrictions have not yet been developed. In addition, households will be required to switch their
boilers from heating oil to natural gas within 3 years of when a natural gas supply becomes available in there area.
Ireland
Amendment of Part L
of the Building Regulations
2008
On 21 Sep 2007, the Irish government published draft building Regulations under Part L of the building code, which
addresses energy efficiency for homes. The draft regulations provide for a dramatic improvement in energy efficiency
standards in Irish homes. They are aimed at ensuring that new housing stock in Ireland is built to the highest international standards, where they will be cheaper to run and will have a much lower impact on the environment.
The draft Regulations provide for inter alia:
• A 40% improvement in energy efficiency for new homes in 2008;
• A 40% reduction in CO2 emissions;
• A mandatory minimum renewable energy requirement in all new homes, such as solar heating systems or biomass
systems (e.g. wood pellet);
• New buildings should also be future-proofed to be easily upgraded to higher energy and CO2 standards in the future.
The regulations were further amended in the course of 2008, with provisions for them to apply to existing buildings
extended. A new methodology to measure the energy demand and CO2 emissions of new non-residential buildings
was also introduced, the Non-domestic Energy Assessment Procedure (NEAP). New non-residential buildings must
also meet the requirements set out in section L1 of the building code.
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Policies and Measures Addressing Climate Change: Building and Housing, 2010
Policy Name
Data
effective
Description
There will be a phasing-in period for the Regulations, as recommended by experts who have worked on them, in
order to provide time for the industry to adjust. The intention is that the new rules will apply to all new housing planning applications after 1 Jul 2008. From 1 Jul 2009 they will apply to all new homes that have not been substantially
completed at that stage, regardless of when planning permission was sought.
Ireland
(cont.)
Luxembourg
Energy Performance
of Residential Buildings
1 Jan 2008
New regulations concerning new and existing residential buildings took effect on 1 Jan 2008. All new buildings and
existing buildings undergoing significant renovation must meet new energy performance requirements.
The regulations introduced a calculation method for measuring energy performance. New buildings must be accompanied by an energy performance certificate. For existing buildings, an energy performance certificate is required in
case of change in the building's owner or tenant, as well as if significant renovation is undertaken.
The certificate provides a rating of the building's energy performance, as well as advice on improvements that can be
made. Only certified architects, engineers and experts can issue the certificates. The Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, along with Luxembourg's Energy Agency, provide specialised training for professionals on energy performance certification.
Portugal
Implementation of the
CHP Directive
25 Mar 2010
Decree-law 23/2010 transposes into Portuguese Law Directive 2004/8/CE of the European Parliament and the
Council of 11 Feb, on the promotion of cogeneration based on a useful heat demand in the internal energy market. It
aims to increase energy efficiency and security of supply by creating a framework for the promotion and development of high efficiency cogeneration of heat and electricity based on useful heat demand and primary energy savings in the internal energy market.
This law regulates the activity of cogeneration, establishing its legal status and remuneration. The tariff is based on 2
modalities, according to the choice of cogeneration, accessible to efficient cogeneration and high efficiency cogeneration.
Incentives are provided based on 3 criteria: reduction of primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions compared
with the separate production of electric and thermal energy; cogeneration production that is efficient and uses renewable resources; and promoting the participation of cogeneration in the electricity market.
Slovak
Republic
Energy Efficiency Act
1 Jan 2009
(some provisions in force
from Jan 2010
and Jan 2013)
The Energy Efficiency Act implements the EU Directive 2006/32/EC on energy end-use efficiency and energy services into the Slovak legislative system. The relevant Act supplements missing legislation in the sphere of rational
energy use.
Energy consumers must comply with operation economy rules for energy-consuming equipment. Owners of nonindustrial buildings with floor space of 1000 m2 and more with centralised space heating must provide hydraulic balanced heating systems in the building and thermostatic valves for heaters.
Spain
Energy Saving and
Efficiency Plan 20082011
2008
The Spanish government on 1 Aug 2008 approved the Spanish Industry Minister's 2008-2011 energy saving and
efficiency plan announced 2 days earlier. The plan contains 31 recommendations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide
emissions and saving EUR 4.14 billion in oil imports, or 47 million barrels per year over 4 years.
The new plan will cover the transport, industrial, residential, tertiary and agricultural sectors. Measures follow four
lines of action: transversal measures, mobility, buildings and energy savings.
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Policies and Measures Addressing Climate Change: Building and Housing, 2010
Policy Name
Data
effective
Description
Recommendation concerning buildings, e.g.:
• Establishing temperature limitations for air-conditioned non-residential and public buildings, excluding hospitals and
centres that require special environmental conditions. Minimum temperature for the summer will be 26 degrees
Celsius, and maximum temperature for the winter will be 21 degrees Celsius;
• A portion of the existing line of credit for renovating tourism infrastructures, totalling EUR 500 million in 2009, will be
set aside to finance investments that promote energy savings in these facilities;
• The Royal Decree on Energy Efficiency in New Buildings will be modified so as to require new Spanish general
administration buildings to achieve a high energy rating.
Spain
(cont.)
Australia
BCA 2010: 6 Star
NatHERS Rating for
Buildings
1 May 2010
The Building Code Australia (BCA) has energy efficiency provisions for all building classifications. Australia revised
the BCA to account for energy efficiency as part of its strategic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To complement passage of the housing provisions, Australian governments agreed to implement a consistent Nation-wide
House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) to enable householders to assess the energy efficiency of houses and
make more informed choices about housing purchases and renovation. For housing, energy efficiency provisions for
detached and semi-detached dwellings were introduced on 1 Jan 2003. From 1 May 2006, the provisions were increased to a nominal 5 star NatHERS rating. From 1 May 2010, the provisions were increased to a nominal 6 star
NatHERS rating.
Since the BCA is a performance based Code, builders and designers have the option of meeting these standards in
one of two ways: by following the prescriptive "deemed-to-satisfy" provisions; or by achieving the required house
energy rating using an accredited software tool. The Australian Capital Territory Government also requires disclosure
of the NatHERS rating during the sale or lease of each house.
Japan
Basis Program for
Housing: Energy
Efficiency Standards
19 Sep 2006
To improve housing standards over the next 10 years, the Ministry has clear targets for housing by 2015:
40% of housing should have energy saving measures, for example double-paned windows (18% as of 2003); and to
increase the life span of housing to about 40 years (about 30 years as of 2003).
Revised Energy
Conservation Law
(2008)
2008/2009
The Energy Conservation Law is the pillar of Japanese energy conservation policies. The law was enacted in 1979 in
the light of the oil shock. This comprehensive law covers all sectors as follows: Energy management in manufacturing, commercial and transportation sectors; energy efficiency standards for vehicles and appliances (Top Runner
Program); energy efficiency standards for houses and buildings.
United
States
Energy Independence 2008
and Security Act of
2007
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was signed into law in December 2007. The legislation seeks to
respond to the challenge of George W. Bush's "Twenty in Ten" initiative, announced in January 2007. The legislation
seeks to expand the production of renewable fuels, reduce the US's dependence on oil, increase energy security and
address climate change. Key provisions concerning building and housing include:
• Provisions to improve energy efficiency in lighting, e.g.:
- Phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs by 2014, and improve lighting efficiency by more than 70% by
2020;
- requiring all general purpose lighting in federal buildings to use Energy Star products or products designated under the Energy Department's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) by the end of Fiscal Year 2013.
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Policies and Measures Addressing Climate Change: Building and Housing, 2010
Policy Name
Data
effective
United
States
(cont.)
Description
• Provisions to improve energy efficiency in appliances, e.g.:
- Updating the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to set new appliance efficiency standards for heating and cooling products, consumer electronic products, residential boiler efficiency, electric motor efficiency, and home appliances;
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is directed to set energy efficiency labelling requirements for
consumer electronic products.
• Provisions to improve energy efficiency in buildings, e.g.:
- Establishing an Office of High-Performance Green Buildings (OHPGB) in the US General Services Administration to promote green building technology implementation in Federal buildings;
DOE will establish energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing via the Energy Code Improvements Applicable to Manufactured Housing requirement.
PV: Photo voltaic;
kWp: Kilo Watt peak (peak performance);
CHP: combined heat and power.
Source: IAE, Climate Change Database (http://www.iea.org/textbase/pm/Default.aspx?mode=cc), last accessed 03 Nov 2010.
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