Policymakers Home In On Energy Efficient HousesSummary: This article about government policy towards energy efficient houses in the United Kingdom was written for TotallyInsulated by one of Europe's leading energy efficiency journalists, Susanna Ala-Kurikka. As energy bills rise and carbon pricing takes hold, European countries are turning to energy-efficient houses as a solution to both economic and climate woes. Worldwide, homes account for 20%-25% of all man-made CO2 emissions, according to the Zero Carbon Hub , a UK government-backed body responsible for delivering zero-carbon homes. Many governments are targeting energy savings in housing to comply with commitments to reduce emissions and cut energy imports. The UK is setting the pace for higher efficiency standards by mandating that all new homes must be zero carbon from 2016. However, the precise definition of zero carbon remains unclear. Grant Shapps, the coalition government’s housing minister, pledged to resolve the issue as a matter of urgency when he took office.The coalition has opted to continue with Energy Performance Certificates for homes, introduced by Labour in line with European legislation to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. EPCs provide 'A' to 'G' ratings for buildings similar to the energy labels displayed on household appliances, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least. So far, the UK average has been 'D'. The certificates are legally required when buying or selling homes and they are also necessary whenever buildings are built or rented out. Other policies include requiring public buildings - such as town halls, libraries and hospitals - to display certificates showing their energy efficiency and requiring inspections for air conditioning systems. At EU level, the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) sets stringent energy standards for buildings in an attempt to rein in Europe’s most energy-thirsty sector. Buildings currently account for around 40% of Europe’s energy use and a similar share of its CO2 emissions. The new legislation requires all new homes erected after the end of 2020 to comply with high energy-efficiency standards. Public buildings will pioneer such standards two years earlier.As the law is designed to cater for the climatic conditions of member states ranging from Greece to Finland, defining what “nearly zero-energy” means was left to each country. Governments were left to set their own minimum standards and devise methodologies for calculating energy efficiency, leaving room for widely differing interpretations of what a highly energy-efficient building is. EU lawmakers were criticised for the lack of clarity in this respect, as well as for weak provisions on existing buildings. The legislation does not lay down firm standards but states that the energy efficiency of existing buildings must be improved during major renovations if it is technically, functionally and economically feasible. Considerations include installing smart meters and replacing heating and cooling systems with highly efficient alternatives such as heat pumps. Considering that Western Europe’s building stock is renewed at a rate of only about 1% a year, most potential for energy savings lies in existing buildings rather than new ones. Potential solutions could be included in the updated 2006 Energy Efficiency Action Plan , which the European Commission is scheduled to present in 2011. Among the ideas floated by MEPs is setting targets for a certain number of buildings to be renovated to high efficiency standards by 2020 as a priority of the plan. To read more about related subjects, please follow these links:
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