the draft action plan for energy efficient housing in the unece region

The draft Action Plan for Energy Efficient Housing in the

UNECE region

Ariel IvanierAssociate Economic Affairs OfficerUNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management

Climate neutral homes:Challenges and solutions to increase energy efficiency in housing

Networking Event, World Urban Forum 5, Rio de Janeiro, 24 March 2010

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Background

EEH as an opportunity for:

Energy Security

Environment

Economic development

Social conditions

Built environment

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Purpose

Action Plan A framework programme for UNECE Member States

General aims: • Create necessary institutional conditions to remove barriers

for energy efficiency in housing • Ensure progressive transformation towards zero-energy and

zero-carbon and yet affordable housing sector

Definition of improved EE in housing:Reduced energy intensities in the residential services without compromising the levels of wellbeing of people.

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Eight elements of improved EE in housing:

Existing homes

New-built homes

Utility systems

Housing management systems

Appliances and lighting systems

Min carbon footprint for the housing sector

Environmentally-friendly building practices

Housing energy affordability

Sys

tem

sP

ract

ices

plus

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The proposed structure of the Action Plan

Actions

48 Targets

12 Goals (Strategies)

3 Policy Areas

Visions 2020

Shaping the Future

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Pol

icy

Are

a I Energy

efficiency governance & financial infrastructure

Energy performance standards & technology integration

Access to energy efficiency & public housing

Pol

icy

Are

a II

I

1. Organisational leadership, energy planning and monitoring

2. Financial incentives

3. Housing management & maintenance

4. Utility services and energy pricing

5. Energy performance requirement (new + existing building)

6. Low-energy and zero-carbon technology

7. Spatial planning, district heating-cooling

8. Research, innovations and best practices

9. Public housing sector

10. Energy affordability

11. Awareness and capacity building

12. Geographical access to EE housing

Pol

icy

Are

a II

Incentives and capacities to close “energy efficiency gap”

Zero-energy zero-carbon homes & pathway to carbon-neutral cities

Inclusive energy efficiency, affordable warmth in homes, energy-aware culture

vision 202012 goals/strategies3 policy areas

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Policy area I

Energy efficiency governance and financial infrastructure

Управление энергоэффективностью и финансовая инфраструктура

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Policy Area IP

oli

cy A

rea

I Energy efficiency governance & financial infrastructure



Pol

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a II

I













Pol

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a II




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• Framework laws on energy efficiency

• Designate special national and local bodies responsible for EEH

• Build statistical indicators and databases

• Systems of planning for energy resources and demand

Dedicated and effective government leadership.

Housing is visible in the policy agenda.

Energy balances are well monitored and planned.

Goal 1. Organisation leadership, energy planning

Poor coordination and monitoring, weak governance, low priority for housing EE

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• Public subsidies and low-interest loans• Tax incentives

(e.g. for new homes built to higher standards than building codes, for existing homes converted to new homes standards)

• Tax on inefficiency (i.e. property tax)

• Systematised info portals about incentives• EE practices within financial organisations

Strong incentives and capabilities to invest in EE housing.

Energy efficiency gap is closed.

Goal 2. Financial incentives

High transaction costs, lack of finance, lack of incentives, short-termism

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• Institutional capacities for housing management (homeowners laws, loan taking, tenant rights)

• Professionalizing housing management (competitive market for HM, training programmes, technical assistance)

• Public programmes for retrofitting (special programmes for comprehensive retrofitting of low quality and low efficient housing stock)

Clear responsibilities

Strong incentives and institutional capacities.

Goal 3. Housing management and maintenance

Unclear responsibilities, lack of skills, split incentives

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• Technological capacities for sustainable energy management in housing(e.g. smart meters, bi-directional flows of electricity, new home are required to have integrated control systems)

• Adequate energy pricing system(e.g. progressive tariff systems, differentiated tariff system, feed-in tariffs and subsidies for on-site generation)

• Incentives to providers of energy services(e.g. obligations to be informative, obligations for energy saving measures and renewable initiatives, white certificates, ESCOs)

Intelligent energy grids.

Renewable generation, considerable portion of which is generated in domestic buildings (networked energy production)

Goal 4. Utility services and energy pricing

Wasteful energy practices, disincentives, wrong price signals, lack of incentives for on-site generation

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Policy area II

Energy performance standards and technology integration

Энергостандарты и внедрение технологий

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Policy Area IIP

olic

y A

rea




Pol

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a II

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Po

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a II




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• Mandatory energy and carbon performance standards(e.g. differentiated building codes; full lifecycle of energy and carbon performance; net zero-energy standards by 2020)

• Mandatory certification(mass energy assessment in the medium term)

• Energy performance standards for existing buildings(advisory role first, then mandatory; establish date by which existing buildings to be renovated to ZES)

• EE as condition for budget-assisted projects

All new homes are made to zero-energy zero-carbon standards, 2020

Low efficiency buildings are retrofitted or demolished

Goal 5. Energy performance requirements in homebuilding and existing housing (!)

Market barriers to built extensively to high energy standards

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• Promote low-energy, zero-energy and carbon-neutral building solutions(national targets, subject to climatic zones)

• Renewable energy promoted(e.g. in the longer run mandatory regulations for new and renovated houses)

• Low energy lighting and appliance standards

At least 10% of the UNECE population live in zero-energy zero-carbon homes by 2020

Micro-generation by homes is a significant contributor to total energy production.

Goal 6. Low-energy and low-carbon technology.

Market barriers for EE technology

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• Integrated residential EE in planning process and development control

• Develop demand-based district heating and cooling systems

Communities are on their way to become carbon-neutral

Goal 7. Spatial planning, development control, district heating and cooling systems

A lack of more comprehensive consideration of the impact of development projects

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• Support research, development and demonstration(e.g. national competitions targets, assistance to R&D in new technologies)

• Stimulate the development of affordable local solutions.

• Support commercialization of R&D

Affordable low-energy technologies.

Deployment of EE technologies.

Next generation technologies, technological breakthrough.

Goal 8. Research innovations and best practices.

Market barriers for EE technology, technological backwardness

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Policy area III

Access to energy efficiency and public housing

Доступность энергоэффективности и бюджетный жилой фонд

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Policy Area IIIP

olic

y A

rea




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a II

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• Special EE policies for public housing

• Comprehensive retrofitting programmes for public housing.

• Conditions for public housing to have better EE performance than other housing sectorsZero-energy retrofit eventually

Public housing is at the forefront of the EE transformation.

Goal 9. Public/social housing sector.

Constitutes a considerable portion of the housing stock, which is crucial for housing affordability, without having implememented EE upgrades.

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• Integration with social policy.

• Eradicate energy poverty. (subsidies; gradually replaced by generous assistance to improve EE).

• Ensure that low-income groups are not negatively affected by higher efficiency standards.

Eradicate energy poverty.

EE solutions are affordable for the majority of people.

Goal 10. Energy affordability and social integration.

A considerable portion of the population live in energy poverty

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• Make EE more visible for consumers.(energy ratings, informative bills)

• Campaigns (different media)

• Local energy centres and demonstration projects.

• Educational programmes.

Housing energy-efficiency is part of the everyday practice and business relations.

Energy-aware culture.

Goal 11. Awareness and capacity-building.

Lack of knowledge, information, awareness, skills.

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• Adjust policy to specific climatic conditions. (specific local conditions, special funds).

• Anticipate the regional effects of climate change. (subsidies and grants; in the longer run replaced by assistance to improve EE).

• Better diffusion of EE technologies across sub-national areas.

• International cooperation.

Balanced geographical development of energy efficient housing.

Goal 12. Geographic access to EE housing.

Uneven geographical development nationally and internationally, energy inefficiency traps plus indifference towards climatic conditions.

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UNECE Member States

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3 policy areas, 12 goals/strategiesP

olic

y A

rea




Pol

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Are

a III













Pol

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Are

a II




Vision 2020

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Challenges and opportunities for the UNECE Action Plan

• No binding status for the Member Government.

• But can be comprehensive and ambitious as a “proper action plan” to inform and guide Member States through the transformation towards low-energy yet affordable housing.

• Suggestions and discussion?

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Thank you!

Action Plan:

www.unece.org/hlm

ContactAriel Ivanier

[email protected]

the draft action plan for energy efficient housing in the unece region

Documents

energy efficient housing

energy resources

energy balances

reduced energy intensities

ee housing

energyaware culture

carbon homes pathway

housing eepublic subsidies