The Sustainable Buildings Programme in Upper Austria

Panel: Panel 5: Energy Efficiency Markets & Financing Mechanisms

Authors:
Christiane Egger, O.Ö. Energiesparverband
Christine Öhlinger, O.Ö. Energiesparverband

Abstract

In the region of Upper Austria a comprehensive building programme has cut energy consumption in 95% of all new single-family houses by more than 30% since 1993. This was achieved by a soft loan programme which combines a financial incentive with an information element (energy advice session). This programme is operated by O.Ö. Energiesparverband, the regional energy agency, and includes the following programme elements:

An overall energy co-efficient of 65 kWh/m^2a ("useful heating factor") has to be met,
Each family participates in an obligatory, individual energy advice session (1 hour),
For every house owner an "Energieausweis" (energy label) is issued,
If these criteria are met, the house owner receives a soft loan of 3,600 Euro. In 1998 the scheme was extended to building retrofitting using the same procedure (65 kWh/m^2, obligatory advice, energy label). Since summer 1999, the amount of money granted is increased to 7,200 Euro if the energy co-efficient is below 50 kWh/m^2a.
So far the following results have been achieved (1993-2000): Number of houses 25,000 houses

Influenced building space 4,412,500 m^2

Energy savings 119 million kWh/year

CO_2 reduction 24 million kg/year

Total programme expenditure 104 M Euro
A new programme supports the so-called "Passive House" buildings with exceptionally low energy consumption. Additional support measures include a "Boiler exchange programme" supporting the replacement of old fossil boilers and a Third Party Financing - Programme for local authorities helping to develop a TPF market.