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| Europe agrees standards for efficient buildings by 2020Nov. 24, 2009 - The European Union (EU) agreed to strengthen the building codes already in place in order to reduce their carbon emissions close to zero by 2020. The new requirements aim at reducing the energy bill of buildings but also to achieve greenhouse gases emissions reductions in accordance with the post-Kyoto rules to be decided next month. All new buildings in the European Union will be nearly zero energy as of 2020, European institutions decided on Wednesday, 18 November. Public authorities will have to lead the way by ensuring that all new buildings they own or occupy after 2018 meet the near-zero-energy standard. As for existing buildings, Member States will also draw up national plans to increase the number of nearly zero energy buildings for the standards to apply when they are refurbished. They must also, by mid-2011, make a list of financial and other incentives for the transition, such as technical assistance, subsidies, loan schemes and low interest loan. Near-zero-energy buildings are defined under the agreement as constructions that have "a very high energy performance". Any energy that buildings will use should come to a very large extent from renewable sources generated either on-site or nearby. This could be the start of a promising future for heating and cooling equipment relying on natural refrigerants used in the building sector. The choice of a natural refrigerant can guarantee zero direct greenhouse gas emissions to start with. In addition, using CO2 heat pumps is an ideal way to satisfy the renewable target in the energy share needed to power a building. Source: R744.com | |
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