Europe’s new buildings get welcome push to produce as much energy as they use

[G_j]

http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?162942/Europes-new-buildings-get-welcome-push-to-produce-as-much-energy-as-they-use

Europe’s new buildings get welcome push to produce as much energy as they use


WWF's position paper on the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
23 Apr 2009

Brussels, Belgium – WWF has welcomed a European Parliament vote today that proposes a 2019 deadline for all new houses, offices and shops built in the European Union to produce the same amount of energy they consume. The deadline will be 2016 for all new public buildings.

“We commend the vision of the legislators in making zero net energy buildings the cornerstone of the revised directive,” said Arianna Vitali Roscini, WWF’s Policy Officer for energy conservation in buildings.

“Technically and economically there is nothing standing in the way of an earlier deadline for all new constructions, which could help the EU achieve the 2020 emissions reduction targets.”

The vote, revising a law aiming at improving energy performance in buildings, needs to be confirmed by the Council of the Ministers later this year.


“There is huge potential for buildings to consume less energy and produce renewable energy on site” Vitali Roscini said.

..more..

[Auggie]

1. This is what you get when your government isn't owned by energy companies

[izquierdista]

2. It's going to hurt their eyes

While traveling through Europe, I noticed that buildings are designed to be symmetrically pleasing to the eye. That is very much different from being built to take advantage of the sun at high latitudes. They will have to modify their aesthetics to see the beauty in large expanses of south facing windows and solar panels that are situated to take advantage of the available sun. But it will be worth it; the potential for on-site renewable energy is indeed huge.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. It'll be damn impressive if that can be done in places like Helsinki

Cold winters, with very short hours of sunlight.

Average hours of sunshine per day over the whole year: 5
during winter: 1
average temperature, Dec-Feb: -5 Celsius

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003520