(1) Energy Transitions Commission: a global coalition of energy sector leaders committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, bringing together manufacturers, financiers and NGOs. Regulations, an essential catalyst for energy efficiency Hannah Audino leads the work of the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC)(1) on decarbonizing buildings and financing low-carbon projects. This British expert shares her thoughts on the crucial role of regulation in stimulating energy efficiency in construction. “In my view, the most important action to improve the energy efficiency of new buildings is through regulation. Building codes need to set clear timetables for how minimum energy intensity standards (for example, the energy consumption per square meter that buildings must meet) will increase over time, improve enforcement and monitoring, and ensure that assessment is based on actual, rather than modelled, performance data. Estimates suggest that reducing operational energy use in new buildings beyond current regulated standards by 25% may only add 1-5% to construction costs. In turn, this will reduce the overall size and cost of the renewable energy system we need to build, the amount we need to turn to fossil fuel electricity generation, and household energy bills.” READ the full interview in Constructing a sustainable future POINT OF VIEW 104
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