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GREECE
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Energy Efficiency
An obligation for new low-carbon buildings was introduced by the law for the promotion of renewable energy (Law 3851/2010). However, no trajectory to zero energy buildings can be seen.
The requirements of the Ecodesign Directive have been introduced in Greek legislation. There is labelling for white appliances and in 2009 a successful programme on energy efficient air conditioners was introduced.
A very ambitious programme called ‘Building the Future’ for energy saving in houses was introduced in November 2010. The programme wants to realise 3.1 million energy efficiency measures in buildings in the period until 2020. Due to the economic crisis the general response is relatively low and realisation of this target is questionable.
The PPC singed a memorandum of collaboration with the Centre for renewable energy to provide energy services in the residential sector (ESCO). In this pilot programme 1,000 buildings will receive an energy performance upgrade. No initial investment is required by the owners, but the refunding of the renovation cost is generated through the subsequent reductions in the energy bills.
EU regulation on building certificates has been implemented, with considerable delay of four years. The enforcement of this legislation is not very strong and problems regarding the certification of energy inspectors exist. |
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ESTONIA
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Energy Efficiency
The building stock is characterised by poor insulation, high energy consumption and a need for renovation. However, energy consumption for space heating and hot water has decreased since 1990.
A clear policy for saving energy in buildings is missing and there is no effective energy conservation plan. However, several important measures have been initiated, which target the renovation of apartment buildings and raising general awareness of energy conservation. In 2010, a separate priority was taken to increase energy saving in public sector buildings. Thus, a minimum of 700 million kroons (about € 45 m; 0.3% of the GDP) will be invested in public sector energy saving between 2010-2012.
Under a Green Investment Scheme there will be investment in energy efficiency improvements to local government buildings (66 pieces of real estate), which will lead to reduced energy consumption and consequently reduced CO2 emissions. |
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MALTA
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Energy Efficiency
The EU directives (Energy Performance of Buildings, Ecodesign) have been transposed and an ad hoc office within the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs has been created. However, implementation and enforcement of the directives by public authorities appears to be weak.
While there is a funding scheme for roof insulation in lace, additional measures to support retrofitting and ambitious performance standards are needed. |
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BULGARIA
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Energy Efficiency
The new EPBD 2010/31/EU and new Ecodesign directive 2009/125/EU were transposed and adopted in April 2011. |
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NETHERLANDS
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Energy Efficiency
The status of the previous government’s target for new buildings to be climate neutral by 2020 is currently unclear.
Ambitious targets for retrofitting houses exist, but the policies (mainly financial incentives) are not sufficient to meet the targets.
Building standards are only checked when granting permits prior to construction. Enforcement after construction is considered weak. |
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SPAIN
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Energy Efficiency
Although there are mandatory energy performance standards for buildings, there is no trajectory towards zero energy buildings. Rather, the current technical building code aims to reduce primary energy use by between 30% and 40%. A new building code is to be implemented after 2012. Whether zero energy buildings will be targeted is not yet clear.
Energy use certification for buildings is in place and includes a penalty mechanism. However, certification has yet to be properly implemented. Existing buildings are not fully integrated in the scheme.
The Plan to Increase Energy Savings introduces some short-term measures to reduce energy consumption, mainly in the transport and building sectors, resulting in approx. a 3.5% reduction in final energy consumption in both sectors. However, as the measures are temporary, its impact will be rather low.
The Sustainable Economy Law introduces a tax deduction of 10% for refurbishments which lead to energy efficiency improvement. |
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DENMARK
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Energy Efficiency
Building codes include standards for retrofit activities. For new buildings, the 2006 standards have been adjusted to require at least an additional 25% reduction in energy consumption in 2010 and a further 25% additional reduction by 2015 and again by 2020. This means that from 2020, new buildings must be below the level of passive houses. |
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ITALY
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Energy Efficiency
Developments are moving in the right direction, but much is left to voluntary initiatives. A stronger political statement is needed to increase progress towards a zero carbon built environment. Policies for new building standards exist but there is no evidence of substantial penalties for non-compliance being enforced and nor is there evidence of the expected outcomes of existing tax incentives for renovation.
The budget for 2011 extended the 55% tax deduction for 2011, for the interventions such as installation of solar panels for hot water production; substitution of heating systems; and building energy re-qualification.
A €11m per year fund for energy efficiency was established. It is also used to finance tax incentives for energy saving lighting systems in non-residential buildings. These incentives have been extended to 2011. For extraordinary building repair and renovation, a 36% tax deduction has been extended until 2012.
Sustainability rating systems such as LEED or ITACA are starting to be integrated into the requirements for new important private and public building projects. |
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LUXEMBOURG
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Energy Efficiency
Energy consumption for space heating and hot water increased substantially in the 1990-2005 period, influenced by an increase in population of around 20% between 1990 and 2005. Although there are some support schemes for energy-related retrofitting, the standards set are only moderately ambitious. While there are subsidies for energy efficient cooling appliances (refrigerators and freezers) and an information campaign oekotopten is financed by the Ministry for Sustainable Development, these measures are not broad enough to deliver substantial results. In 2011, Luxembourg made some small further steps with the implementation of EU’s energy performance in buildings directive (EPBD) requirement on gas boiler inspection. |
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HUNGARY
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Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency must be taken into consideration when designing new buildings. However, this weak implementation of the EU requirements is not likely to lead towards zero carbon buildings in the near future.
The elaboration of the National Buildings Energy Retrofit Programme is expected before the end of 2011. The current uncertainty about state subsidies for retrofitting hinders large-scale investment. |
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GERMANY
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Energy Efficiency
Existing regulation of energy efficiency in new buildings is moderately ambitious. With potential amendments under discussion a near passive house standard could be within reach by 2015.
There are several financial support mechanisms for both retrofitting measures and efforts to substantially surpass standards for new buildings. The budget supporting energy efficient buildings by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) was lowered in 2011 (partially due to frontloading of the available budget in 2009), however, it will be increased to €1.5bn per year for the period 2012-2014. The effect will not be sufficient to reach the necessary renovation rates, due to the insufficient scale of support and remaining administrative barriers. The Energy Concept goal is to double refurbishment rates. It has been argued that new instruments are needed to meet the targets.
Enforcement mechanisms for new buildings regarding standards and the obligation to use renewable heat are rather strict, albeit with room for improvement regarding on-site inspection and enforcement of modernisation measures.
The Law on Energy Using Products promotes and regulates energy efficiency of appliances, implementing the EU directive. Initiatives to provide information on energy efficient products exist, but are not yet sufficient to trigger the needed change.
Since August 2011, amendments to the regulation on public procurement mean that government purchase contracts are also based on efficiency criteria. |
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IRELAND
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Energy Efficiency
Ireland’s building regulations of 2008 require a 40% reduction in energy demand and CO2 emissions associated with heating, domestic hot water and lighting compared to the 2005 regulations. There are plans to increase this to 60% reduction and eventually to increase this reduction to 70% in a further iteration of building regulations in 2013. To this end, a pilot scheme, Low-carbon Homes, has been put in place to demonstrate the best technologies. New energy efficiency standards are in place for domestic oil and gas-fired boilers. The Better Energy Homes Scheme (formerly the Home Energy Savings Scheme) and the Warmer Homes Scheme aim to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes by subsidising the upgrade of insulation and other space and water heating technologies.
The December 2010 budget also introduced tax relief of up to €10,000 for individuals looking to make their homes more energy efficient. Relief will be given at the standard rate of income tax in the tax year following the renovation. |
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CZECH REPUBLIC
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Energy Efficiency
New buildings in the Czech Republic are subject to efficiency standards set at a low-energy level from 2012 onwards and at a passive house level from 2020 on. There is no trajectory set towards zero energy buildings. However, the eligibility standards for the support programmes for renewable energies and energy efficiency in buildings are stricter than the general building codes.
While in the past, building standards were poorly enforced, this has improved significantly in recent years. Public support programmes are linked to compliance with standards, or at even more ambitious levels.
Financial support has to be reimbursed if the required standards are not fulfilled.
For existing buildings, minor support exists for retrofitting. The current programme is not sufficient to promote high retrofit rates.
The Ecodesign Directive has been transposed into Czech legislation in 2000. There are no plans to promote efficiency beyond the EU requirements. Some public procurement guidelines regarding energy efficient and environmentally-friendly appliances exist, but their implementation depends on the specific institution (e.g. ministries, municipalities) and their internal rules of procedure. |
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FRANCE
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Energy Efficiency
New buildings in the tertiary sector and new public buildings may not use more than 50 kWh/m² after mid-2011. For privately-owned new homes, this limit will become effective by the end of 2012. From 2020 onwards, new buildings may not use more primary energy than they generate themselves from renewable energies, i.e. only zero energy new buildings will be allowed.
With regards to retrofitting of buildings, the state wants to set a good example and renovate public buildings and social housing and has allocated a budget with specific targets and a timeframe for this. For private households, financial incentives like zero interest loans and tax refunds have been set. This will, however, not lead to a sufficiently high retrofit rate. The white certificate scheme is an interesting measure, which has already led to good results, even though the target has not been very stringent. A new target, which is yet to be set, should be much more stringent.
France is a front runner regarding the landlord-tenant problem; certain conditions apply regarding the kind and amount of retrofitting measures and resulting energy consumption, but considering these, the costs can be put (partly) onto the tenant, who in return benefits from lower energy costs.
In January 2011, the second phase of France’s white certificate scheme started, lasting until the end of 2013 as part of the Grenelle II law. The building sector is the sector where white certificates are easiest to obtain, and since the beginning of the scheme, most action has been seen in residential buildings (over 80% of energy savings within the scheme); the sector is also encouraged to reach certain goals for low-income households.
In March 2011, the ministry published 16 recommendations to help reach the target for the building sector of reducing energy demand by 38% by 2020 and realising the thermal renovation of 400,000 flats per year from 2013 onwards. How these measures will be achieved cannot be judged yet. |
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POLAND
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Energy Efficiency
No strong building standards are in place for new buildings and there is no aim to reach zero energy buildings in the near future.
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has been transposed into Polish law but with serious delays. While certification exists for buildings there are no penalties for owners who do not possess these certificates. The legislation is rather weak and ineffective. The EPBD-recast will also be implemented in Poland. |
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SLOVENIA
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Energy Efficiency
Overall, there is a balanced mix of measures including information campaigns and financial incentives, e.g. investment in energy efficient government buildings. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is implemented. Slovenia has started improving its certification process. The calculation of the energy performance of buildings was updated in July 2010. There are some incentives (regulation, support and information) for the use of efficient appliances. Low interest loans of the ECO-Fund are available for energy efficiency in buildings. |
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SWEDEN
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Energy Efficiency
Relatively strict energy standards are in place, which apply to new and also existing buildings. However, no zero-energy standard is defined. Standards are differentiated according to region, but there is discouragement from national level that inhibits regions from being more progressive than the national standards. National standards are also seen by industry actors as being too weak, which should lead to stricter standards. Several small programmes support energy-efficient renovation, but some are short of funding. |
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BELGIUM
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Energy Efficiency
Tax incentives and rebates on improving efficiency are also applicable for tenants. There are also some low interest loans available. Energy Efficiency Certificates for non-residential buildings will not be implemented before the end of 2011. The majority of public buildings are obliged to make energy efficiency information publicly available. For residential buildings the Energy Efficiency Certificate is mandatory since 2009. It is used to give potential buyers or tenants information on the energy performance and costs of the house.
Wallonia and Brussels were warned by the European Commission in June 2011 for lagging behind in the implementation of the EPBD.
In the context of the exemplary role of government, an important instrument consists of promoting third-party financing opportunities: FEDESCO is established and financed by the federal government and invests as a third-party financer in projects to increase energy efficiency in public buildings via energy performance contracts, energy monitoring systems and PV panels in the 1,800 buildings used by the Federal government, for example.
The Flemish Secretary of Energy announced in September 2011 that annually 3,000 rental houses will be isolated. This way the Secretary hopes that in 2020 all Flemish houses are energy efficient. |
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LATVIA
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Energy Efficiency
The building stock in Latvia is characterised by poor insulation, high energy consumption and a need for renovation. Energy use per capita has increased significantly due to higher standards of living. The EPBD is implemented, but with low standards that are far from the objective of zero carbon buildings. A programme running from 2009 to 2013 supports energy efficient renovation contributing a maximum of 50% of eligible costs. The target groups for this programme are multi-dwelling houses and social housing. There are some small incentives to increase the efficiency of appliances such as information campaigns and labelling. Based on Regulations No. 1185 of 28 December 2010, the building sector can receive support under the measure Low energy buildings.
There are procurement guidelines for efficiency improvements in the public sector that cover energy efficient electrical equipment, energy audits and the construction of new public administration buildings. Additionally, there is a financial support scheme for municipalities and some small information campaigns. No systematic change can be expected from these measures. |
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LITHUANIA
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Energy Efficiency
The building stock is characterised by poor insulation, high energy consumption and need for renovation. Performance standards for buildings are not very ambitious. A programme was initiated to modernise at least 70% of all multi-apartment buildings by 2020 and reduce the relative consumption of thermal energy per dwelling area by up to 30%, compared to the year 2004. However, a 30% reduction is far below what is technically and economically possible and the ambition level should be increased.
There are discussions in the government about how to stimulate the building renovation process. Currently only 15% of renovation costs are subsidised by the state budget, although the subsidy is doubled if the renovated multi-apartment building reaches energy efficiency class D and reduces energy costs by not less than 40%. Increasing subsidies to 50% of the renovation cost for the 2011-2012 period is under consideration. There are some small incentives to increase the efficiency of appliances, including for example design and labelling requirements. |
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PORTUGAL
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Energy Efficiency
The National Plan for Energy Efficiency (PNAEE), includes measures for the transport, building, industry, services and public administration sectors. In 2010, the energy certification system resulted in some 400,000 energy certificates for buildings, making the system a best practice example in a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Portugal is implementing the Eco-design Directive with bonuses for highly efficient appliances. Progress has been made on new building standards (trajectory to ‘near zero carbon’ buildings in 2018) and energy certification of buildings is mandatory for all new buildings (residential and services) and for building transactions since 2008.
Other ‘efficient home’ programmes are in place, e.g. promoting anti-standby systems, efficient lighting, efficient appliances and so on. |
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AUSTRIA
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Energy Efficiency
The new Energy Strategy adopted by the Council of the Ministers at the start of 2010 includes a 3% target for the annual retrofit rate by the year 2020, with a linear trajectory starting from current retrofit rates (1% per annum). However, since instruments to support this are under the responsibility of the regions, are not ambitious enough and are not well coordinated (although a new agreement according to Art. 15a of the constitution sets common minimum standards), additional measures need to be taken to achieve the target laid out in the national Energy Strategy.
The 2011 budget foresees €100m for the thermal renovation of buildings; €70m for private households and €30m for businesses. Until April 2011, over 2,800 households were granted support of up to €5,500. It is planned to provide €100m for thermal renovation, annually.
Public procurement guidelines are detailed in an agreement (in relation to Art. 15a B-VG) and include ambitious standards for new buildings, retrofit and for technical appliances. This is a good example that could easily be followed by other countries. |
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SLOVAKIA
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Energy Efficiency
The temperature-corrected energy consumption for space heating and hot water per m² decreased by 31% between 1990 and 2005, whereas the average electricity use per capita increased by 49%. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is implemented, but the standards for buildings are not ambitious. Subsidies for housing renovation are available as loans (and financed through the sale of surplus emission allowances under the Kyoto Protocol). However, the impact is limited as efficiency improvement requirements are missing and consumers are credit-averse. The Eko Fund supports non-profit activities, e.g. the improvement of energy efficiency in buildings. |
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FINLAND
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Energy Efficiency
There is a lack of initiatives regarding energy efficiency in the building sector, but building norms are already satisfactory because of local climate conditions. There are energy grants for residential buildings that cover 20-25% of the cost of heating system improvement, external energy audits, external repair work and ventilation.
To improve the energy efficiency of buildings, regulations regarding energy consumption in new buildings will be tightened. From the beginning of 2012 energy consumption in new buildings should be around 20% lower than existing regulated levels.
Energy efficiency standards follow EU legislation. Support for energy efficiency measures in renovation is not yet sufficient. |
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UNITED KINGDOM
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Energy Efficiency
There is a target for all new houses to be zero carbon by 2016 and all new non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon by 2019. But the target has been diluted by a third during 2011 by excluding energy consumed by domestic appliances. The landlord-tenant dilemma has not been solved.
A creative policy is the obligation on suppliers to produce savings from domestic buildings. The suppliers finance the efficiency measures of house owners and can put the costs on general energy prices. Separately and in addition, the CRC, basically a carbon tax on large non-domestic buildings and small industry, will provide an incentive for energy efficiency in buildings (including retrofit and appliances). CRC allowances are currently set at £12 per tonne of carbon. The Warm Front Scheme, which offered a means-tested grant for energy efficiency measures such as home insulation, was abolished.
The December 2010 Energy Bill introduced a Green Deal, whose aim is to dramatically increase the energy efficiency of UK properties. The Deal will allow private firms to supply energy efficiency measures to homes and businesses at no upfront cost, and to recoup payments through a charge in instalments as part of the building’s energy bill. The government is currently undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of energy efficiency measures and expects to role out the framework in 2012. |
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ROMANIA
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Energy Efficiency
Zero emission buildings for demonstration are supported.
The EU Eco-design Directive 2005/32/CE is transposed into Romanian law, but no real enforcement has been added; some incentive programmes were initiated, but they are in a preliminary phase. Early 2011, the Romanian Government issued a decision on minimum requirements for ecological design of high energy demand products; this governmental decision transposes the new EU Eco-design Directive 2009/125/CE.
Administrative barriers are hindering the improvement of energy efficiency in buildings.
In January 2011, Romania introduced the energy certificates system for buildings. Any building which is subject to a transaction (either selling or renting) has to have an energy certificate which states its energy performance. The Romanian legislation still lacks penalties for not producing this certificate. This situation is expected to be solved by the Ministry of Development which is preparing a change to the law. |
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