EU building energy law review options outlined
(07 Feb 08) The European commission could propose EU-wide minimum requirements for the energy performance of buildings as part of a shake-up of existing legislation, officials have revealed.
The 2002 directive on the energy performance of buildings has so far had only a limited impact in many EU countries. The commission is planning to table a revision of the rules later this year. At the sustainable energy week event in Brussels on Thursday, senior officials outlined some of the policy options being considered for the overhaul.
Under current rules efficiency standards for new and renovated buildings are set by national governments. The commission says this approach will be maintained in principle in the revision, but that it could propose minimum EU-wide efficiency requirements in order to drive improvements in the worst performing countries.
Martin Elsberger, an official from the commission's energy department, outlined several possible options for setting EU standards. The EU executive could propose overall limits on energy use expressed in kilowatt hours per square metre, he said. But this would be "very challenging" given the wide variations in building type and climatic conditions across the EU.
A more workable option could be to establish subdivided performance requirements for individual building components, such as the outer shell, said Mr Elsberger. This would give member states more flexibility but still provide limits on overall energy consumption, he argued. A third option, either on its own or in combination with minimum EU standards, would be a non-technical approach requiring member states to concentrate renovation efforts on the worst performing existing buildings.
Other possible changes include reducing the current 1000 square metre threshold above which new and renovated buildings must meet minimum performance requirements. The commission gave no indication of where the new threshold might be set. But it did confirm that it intends to strengthen the role and requirements of building energy performance certificates, and will propose linking them to financial incentives such as tax breaks.
In response, Jan te Bos of the European insulation manufacturers' association (Eurima) described the revision as a "unique opportunity". Given the time it will take to agree and implement the new rules and the length of the renovation cycle, the decisions taken now will affect the energy performance of EU buildings for decades to come. "It really is now or never", he concluded.
Follow-up: European commission , tel: + 32 2299 1111, plus EPBD website.
Published with permission of ENDS Europe Daily
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