Removing Market Barriers for Energy-Efficient Building Renovation
Removing Market Barriers for Energy-Efficient Building Renovation
There has been much progress in energy efficiency in buildings lately throughout the whole world. But unfortunately, this progress is not enough and hampered by different facts. New buildings are designed in an energy-efficient way; on the contrary, the existing building stock fails in terms of energy consumption levels. This is supposed to result in deep renovation in existing buildings. European Parliament and Council has developed directives on energy efficiency of buildings.
The provisions in Energy Efficiency Directive and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive are restrained by non-technological barriers. The lack of quality standards, inspection protocols and tax reductions are the main factors that obstruct large scale renewable energy integration to buildings and building renovations. The construction industry has a wide number of companies that do not share the same standards. This results in lack of effective collaboration between companies. In addition to all these, building users do not demand energy efficient renovation. The lack of cooperation between companies, building owners and public authorities makes it impossible to remove the market barriers for energy efficient building renovation. This paper presents the facts that might be done to reduce buildings’ energy use with respect to building owners, construction industry, financiers and public authorities.