Sep 29, 2016 - Ensuring compliance with regulations and. â. More accessible information also ranked high on the importance rating. â». There were various ...
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INTERREG EUROPE Programme Sharing solutions for better regional policies Programme part financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Co-financing rate: 85%/75% EU Funds; 15%/25% National Funds Investing in your future
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PROJECT TITLE: ‘‘PROMOTION OF NEAR ZERO CO2 EMISSION BUILDINGS DUE TO ENERGY USE‘‘
PURPOSE: ZEROCO2 addresses regional policies in the field of environment and energy and will support actions as well as investments to increase levels of energy efficiency, including public buildings and the housing sector. This project will help to meet the EU target to reduce emissions by 20 % by 2020. Also, the partnership will meet the flagship initiative: "Resource efficient Europe" to help decouple economic growth from the use of resources, support the shift towards a low carbon economy, increase the use of renewable energy sources and promote energy efficiency.
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◦ Project is made up of 8 partners (Region from Slovenia – lead partner, Lithuania, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Finland, Malta). University of Malta is the Maltese partner. ◦ Project focus is on existing public buildings. ◦ Project should serve as a useful tool to aid policy makers establish NZCO2EB/minimum energy performance requirements and the best ways of how such requirements should be met. ◦ Focus should be given to energy efficiency (in addition to RES) to reach NZCO2EB.
◦ Main barrier discussed- enforcement. From a positive point of view there is a higher awareness of importance of energy efficiency. 4
Seminar no. 1 Date: 29th September 2016 Location: University of Malta Valletta Campus Agenda: ZEROCO2 Project Overview Regional Study: The use of Renewable Energy Sources Achieving Near Zero CO2: ZeroCO2 Building - How low can we go: A Case Study of a Small Hotel in Gozo available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtV-QUtoVxc&t=197s
Seminar no. 2 Date: 24th November 2016 Location: Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Malta, Marsaxlokk Centre Agenda: Overview of Policy Measures Towards Near Zero CO2 Buildings 5
Stakeholders feedback on the drivers, barriers and generic policy requirements to retrofit public buildings in Malta to NZCO2EB
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The main drivers for retrofitting a public building to NZEB/NZCO2EB include energy cost savings and financial incentives with the promotional aspect of advertising a building as environmentally friendly. Tax rebates were also mentioned as a driver.
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Other barriers mentioned: • Maintenance of the various energy efficiency systems • Bureaucracy (PA should give energy efficiency projects priority) • Alternative premises required while retrofitting works • Widespread expectation for short payback period 10
Stakeholders are demanding the following policy measure to be given priority:
Main priorities:
Integrated Design (ID) approach training to architects and engineers.
Focus and incentivise on measures targeted towards deep renovation so as to achieve NZCO2EB rather than on shallow renovation by using the 3 stage approach (be lean, be clean, be green).
Provide long term strategy and clear targets up to 2030/2050 – not stop and go measures
Ensure measures that incentivise energy efficient occupant behaviour and energy management.
Provide a one-stop shop for all financial incentive measures. 11
Other priorities:
Encouraging banks to calculate maximum loan limits for potential property buyers. Putting in place a system where property tax will depend on building energy performance . The provision of tailored NZCOEB requirements / specific market based financial instruments, Ensuring that energy efficient opportunity is not missed during refurbishment, Progressive update of requirements, More demonstration projects, Ensuring compliance with regulations and More accessible information also ranked high on the importance rating.
There were various stakeholders who feel that mandating improvement of building stock through restrictions on sale and rent, and fixing the price of renting a property depending on energy performance should not be considered. There were also mixed opinions on providing possible packages solutions that can be easily replicated for the diverse building stock. Some other interesting policies that were mentioned by the stakeholders included mandatory LEED or BREEAM certifications for buildings such as hotels and high rise, education campaigns starting from primary school and promotion of measures and education through popular media and social networks.
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POLICY MEASURE Integrated Design (ID) approach training to architects and engineers. Tailored NZCO2EB performance requirements for different (new and existing) buildings depending on age, size, function and type. Ensure in depth knowledge of the building stock to be able to provide informed performance requirements and possible packages solutions that can be easily replicated. Provide progressive update of requirements and standards in response to experience and new technical solutions. Provide a better understanding of how one is to abide by regulations when a staged retrofit approach is chosen- to ensure that the energy efficiency opportunity is not missed when a building is retrofitted. Ensure compliance not only regulations.
IMPORTANCE SCALE
Focus/ incentivise on measures targeted towards NZEB/ deep renovation not shallow renovation by focusing on the 3 stage approach 1) Reduce energy demand, 2) Increase equipment energy efficiency and 3) Install renewable energy sources. Provide a long term strategy and clear targets up to 2030/2050 – not stop and go measures. Provide a bundle of instruments approach – train staff including technicians and provide courses for the ID approach including building service engineering courses with policies/incentives.
POLICY MEASURE Provide measurement and verification systems in addition to EPC’S. Allow certification to be carried out by more advanced dynamic software’s (e.g. EnergyPlus) – so as not to replicate work carried out by the design engineers. Ensure measures that incentivise energy efficient occupant behaviour and energy management. Mandate renovation roadmaps and implement them following energy audit studies. Using such a roadmap the most cost effective measures can be applied at first to finance the least cost effective measures. Promote awareness among financial advisors to tackle energy efficient measures + RES investment decisions from a lifecycle approach (e.g. NPV) not simple payback taking into considerations comfort and the environment. Target the financial support towards specific market segments not generic. Mandate improvement of building stock through restrictions on sale and rent.
IMPORTANCE SCALE
Factor in monetary value of co-benefits (health, employment) in funding decisions. Remove all subsidies on fossil fuels. Promote innovative funding mechanisms such as Third party (Energy Performance) contracting. Provide a similar approach to green deal in the UK where the key principle is that the repayment costs of the measures are covered by the savings on lower fuel bills. Make the maximum rental price for a property dependent on the energetic standard reached. Encourage banks to give loans based on the energy performance of a property. The higher the energy performance means the lower the operating costs and the more money available to pay bank loans.
Provide a one stop shop for all financial incentive measures- and easy guidance on how such forms should be filled in – reduce bureaucracy and costs. Put in place a system where property tax will depend on building energy performance. Provide incentive approaches based on a package of solutions to facilitate NZCO2EB. Reduce transaction costs: Provide a government one stop shop for advising investors regarding possible technology and retrofit interventions based on scientific information. Market successful demonstration projects, with capital costs, O&M costs and equipment performance transparently available. Provide publicly accessible database demonstrating EP of renovated buildings and info of how to undertake deep renovation possibly on packaged solutions. Implement regulations that distribute the costs in a fair way between landlord, tenant and the society.
INTERREG EUROPE Programme Sharing solutions for better regional policies Programme part financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Co-financing rate: 85%/75% EU Funds; 15%/25% National Funds Investing in your future
