Energy Efficiency Certificates Research Articles

An investigation of the impact of energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings on residential property prices in Oxfordshire: a hedonic study

ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether energy performance ratings measured by Energy Efficiency Certificates (EPCs) affect the sales prices of residential properties in Oxfordshire, UK. The study makes use of 186,913 sales transactions that took place between 1995 and 2023. Using a hedonic regression estimation, a nonlinear pattern between energy efficiency levels and the sales prices of dwellings, are observed. The results also show that there is evidence of a significant positive relationship between EPC ratings and detached, semi-detached, terraced houses and flats. In the second part of this study, we examine the effects of age, county and type of dwelling on price premiums. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the only study, using the most comprehensive literature; and the largest, most up to date available data in analysing the Oxfordshire real-estate market, in terms of energy efficiency and price premiums.

Analysis of the necessity of revising the building energy efficiency certificate for non-residential buildings in South Korea

The Building Energy Efficiency Certification (BEEC) program is a crucial government policy aimed at reducing building energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in numerous countries, including South Korea. This study aims to evaluate the achievable BEEC level by designing a typical building with a construction permit and analyze the appropriateness of the awarded BEEC level. We collected 327 samples of non-residential buildings from South Korea's architectural administration system and established reference building models from these samples. The buildings were categorized into four use types (office, educational, retail, or cultural) and large or small sizes. We evaluated the energy consumption of the reference buildings and assigned them a BEEC level. Retail buildings exhibited the highest energy consumption, followed by office, cultural, and educational buildings. All reference buildings had an energy consumption of less than 260 kWh/m2/yr and were awarded a BEEC level of 1 to 1++, indicating energy efficient buildings. Non-residential buildings, reflecting common design trends, achieved a BEEC level of at least level 1 without additional efforts to enhance energy efficiency. We recommend the South Korean government should revise the current BEEC rating criteria and review the certification evaluation methodology. The results of this study strongly advocate for continuous improvement of the BEEC certification system. This study is expected to enhance the effectiveness of energy efficiency policies for buildings and advance related policies.

Performance gap analysis for Korean building energy efficiency certification

Performance gap between predicted and measured building energy use can be caused by simplifications and assumptions introduced in the building energy modeling process, uncertainties in building operation such as heating and cooling setpoint temperature, operational hours, occupant behavior, heat generated from lights and equipment, etc. In South Korea, the building energy efficiency certification system (BEEC) evaluates annual energy use intensity (EUI, kWh/m2/yr) and assigns ten certificate levels using ECO2, a EUI calculation tool developed by the Korean government that is based on ISO 52016 and DIN V 18599. Firstly, we collected information on 158 non-residential BEEC-certified buildings and their actual energy usage data. Subsequently, we analyzed the performance gap between predicted and measured EUI for 158 non-residential buildings in terms of building types, heating and cooling degree days, chiller types, gross floor area, window-wall ratio, and envelope U-value. The study reveals that the performance gap is significant, showing mean absolute error ranging from 21.3 to 417.4 kWh/m2/yr, mean biased error from −3.2 to 73.4 %, and the coefficient of variance of the root mean squared error from 57.0 to 304.9 %, respectively. It is also noteworthy that even individual building’s annual consumption during eight years (2014–2021) is annually fluctuating, indicating that even the performance gap is a moving target. This study reassures that building energy certification in the design stage should be understood as a rating, not for a prediction because of many unpredictable and stochastic behavior of building energy systems and occupants.

친환경 건축물의 가치 및 향후 과제

As environmental pollution and climate change intensify, many buildings are increasingly adopting equipment and materials that affect their energy efficiency. However, there are insufficient tools, guidance materials, and studies for determining the value of green buildings. When comparing the cost of green buildings and eco-friendly certification systems, we must consider whether the certification system is viewed from a regulatory or a benefit perspective. This study is a foundational study for the appraisal of eco-friendly buildings. It focused on building energy efficiency certification among eco-friendly certification systems and the construction cost factors that affect the cost method from a regulatory standpoint. Accordingly, we conducted a theoretical review focusing on research data pertaining to the domestic and international construction costs of eco-friendly buildings, as well as appraisal standards and guidelines. Additionally, examples of construction costs were applied and compared to reflect the value of eco-friendly buildings from the perspective of cost method. It is necessary to differentiate between use value and capital premium when calculating reconstruction costs and facility prices. In addition, an expert council must discuss cases in which the certification validity period has expired.

KPI ON THE WAY OF FORMING AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT SOCIETY. 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Given the energy dependence of our state, the rational use of resource potential is a strategic direction for the development of the Ukrainian economy. Increasing energy efficiency is an important condition for the successful implementation of climate policy. The modern market of energy efficient services requires a significant number of trained specialists in the field of energy audit, energy management, energy consumption management, energy efficiency certification, heat and electrical engineering, process automation in industry and housing and communal services. In 2021, the Educational and Scientific Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management (NN IEE) Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Igor Sikorsky, since 1997 heir to the Faculty of Mining (GF), the Faculty of Mining Electromechanics and Automation (FGEMA), the Faculty of Mining Technology (GTF), celebrated 75 years since its founding. And already in the current 2022, we have another significant and pleasant event – 25 years of the creation of the specialty «Energy Management». By a joint order of the Ministry of Education and the State Committee for Energy Saving of Ukraine (No. 137/45 dated May 07, 1997), IEE was defined as the basis for training specialists in this specialty. The article reflects the main stages of the formation and development of the institute, scientific achievements, the contribution of the team to the training and advanced training of personnel and educational activities in the field of energy efficiency. NN IEE, as the founder of the «Energy Management» specialty, has gone through a long path of formation and development. ІЕЕ prepares students according to the educational programs «Energy Management and Energy-Efficient Technologies», «Systems of Supplying Consumers with Electric Energy».

Assessing the Role of Financial Incentives in Promoting Eco-Friendly Houses in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area—Portugal

This article investigates the impact of fiscal and financial incentives for energy efficiency labels on eco-friendly houses (houses with high energy efficiency certificates, such as A+, A, B, and B−) in 18 municipalities in the Lisbon metropolitan region during the period 2014–2020. The empirical results indicate that the variables of fiscal incentive policies for energy efficiency labels, income per capita, credit agreements for the purchase or construction of a house, and the number of completed dwellings in new constructions for family housing encourage eco-friendly houses. In contrast, the variable number of completed reconstructions per 100 completed new constructions has a negative impact. Although this study is constrained by data limitations resulting from the short period under analysis and the moderate number of municipalities available, it advances the discussions around energy efficiency in residential properties in Portugal. Furthermore, it investigates the effectiveness of tax incentive policies for energy efficiency seals as an instrument for promoting ecological houses in the municipalities of the Lisbon metropolitan area. Thus, the need to study the Portuguese capital stands out as it is the most populous city in the country and concentrates a large part of the economic activity.

Propriety assessment model for life cycle operational global warming potential of apartment buildings in Korea using energy efficiency and energy effective area data

In response to global warming, researchers worldwide are actively investigating various techniques and institutional frameworks to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Despite numerous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies indicating that global warming effects due to lifetime energy consumption are the greatest in the building operation stage, the absence of a standard global warming potential (GWP) report based on building energy usage makes it difficult to examine realistic GWP reduction directions. In South Korea, energy data for numerous buildings were collected through the Building Energy Efficiency Certification (BEEC) for several years, with data from apartment buildings receiving the most attention. GWP emissions were evaluated using the data through Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design LCA. Here, we developed a model for apartment buildings to assess mutual propriety for GWP emissions (E) and energy effective area ratio (RE) during building operation to support the reduction of GWP emissions caused by lifetime operational energy consumption resulting from planning and design. We collected apartment BEEC data and used them to calculate the energy effective area ratio and GWP emissions of each building, which were then classified by energy use and source. Linear regression analysis was performed between RE and E for each classification, and the derived regression equation was developed as a GWP assessment model for apartments. The applicability of the proposed model was examined through a case study, which confirmed that the model can be used to determine design directions for reducing GWP emissions for every energy in apartments.

Leveraging Graph Analytics for Energy Efficiency Certificates

As energy efficiency is becoming a subject of utter importance in today’s societies, the European Union and a vast number of organizations have put a lot of focus on it. As a result, huge amounts of data are generated at an unprecedented rate. After thorough analysis and exploration, these data could provide a variety of solutions and optimizations regarding the energy efficiency subject. However, all the potential solutions that could derive from the aforementioned procedures still remain untapped due to the fact that these data are yet fragmented and highly sophisticated. In this paper, we propose an architecture for a Reasoning Engine, a mechanism that provides intelligent querying, insights and search capabilities, by leveraging technologies that will be described below. The proposed architecture has been developed in the context of the H2020 project called MATRYCS. In this paper, the reasons that resulted from the need of efficient ways of querying and analyzing the large amounts of data are firstly explained. Subsequently, several use cases, where related technologies were used to address real-world challenges, are presented. The main focus, however, is put in the detailed presentation of our Reasoning Engine’s implementation steps. Lastly, the outcome of our work is demonstrated, showcasing the derived results and the optimizations that have been implemented.

Plan for the Sustainability of Public Buildings through the Energy Efficiency Certification System: Case Study of Public Sports Facilities, Korea

This study examines strategies for energy efficiency in public buildings in Korea and the implementation of certification systems. It also identifies the actual plan status and discusses improvements at the institutional level. The target is the national sports centers, where the discussion on energy efficiency has been assiduous, as they have recently expanded regionally in Korea. Among the 541 national sports centers in Korea, 90 facilities for which a preliminary review was performed on the plan by the National Public Building Center were analyzed. The energy efficiency plan is realized through Building Energy Efficiency, Zero Energy Building, and Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design certifications. As a result of analyzing the plan status, omissions or errors in certification were confirmed in about 10% of each, even though more than 80% of the facilities were subject to mandatory application. In Korea’s condition, to revitalize the practice of the system, it is necessary to expand the government’s publicity and support initiatives, use differential application of evaluation items, and strengthen incentives. This study provides meaningful results and suggestions for implementing an energy efficiency system at the national level under similar conditions in the future.

Effect of building energy efficiency certificate on reducing energy consumption of non-residential buildings in South Korea

An accurate understanding of the effect of energy efficiency policies is a key to achieving national goals. This study aims to analyze the effects of building energy efficiency certificates (BEEC) using the data on 222,813 non-residential buildings in the Korea national building energy database. First, the actual source energy use intensities (EUIs) were compared with the simulated source EUIs of certified buildings. The actual source EUIs were larger than the simulated source EUIs, and the difference became greater as BEEC level rose. For instance, the gap was 15.5% in buildings with BEEC level 2 in the central region, whereas it was 63.0% in buildings with BEEC level 1++. Second, the source EUIs of certified and non-certified buildings were then compared, revealing that the source EUI for heating energy of certified buildings was 33.8% to 58.1% smaller than that of non-certified buildings. This suggests that BEEC contributes greatly to reducing heating energy usage. However, the source EUI for baseload and cooling energy consumption was larger in buildings with BEEC level 1 and 2 than in non-certified buildings. The result shows that a significant amount of energy that cannot be taken into account in the scope of BEEC is being used in non-residential buildings. Nevertheless, there was an apparent decrease in the source EUI for the certified buildings with BEEC level 1 + or higher. This indicates that in buildings with BEEC level 1 + or higher, energy saving technologies offset the increased baseload and cooling energy and are effective at reducing energy consumption. This in turn suggests that it is appropriate for the government’s plan to require all buildings with a gross floor area of more than 1000 m2 to obtain a BEEC level of 1++ or higher from 2025.

Energy, Environmental, and Economic Analyses of a District Heating (DH) Network from Both Thermal Plant and End-Users’ Prospective: An Italian Case Study

District heating (DH) is an alternative technology to Individual Heating (IH) for satisfying end-user’s needs. This paper assesses the competitiveness of a DH network in the center of Italy from energy, environmental, and economic points of view considering both thermal power plant and end-users’ sides. On the thermal power plant side, the energy analysis considers the Primary Energy Saving (PES) and the specific energy (Esp) of the fuel actually exploited in the thermal power plant compared to its Low Heating Value (LHV), while the environmental analysis considers the avoided CO2 and the economic analysis considers the Energy Efficiency Certificates (EECs). Results showed that the current thermal power plant configuration with two boilers and a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit reaches a yearly PES of 21.3% as well as 1099 tCO2 avoided. From the economic analysis of the thermal power plant side, 829 EECs with an economic return of 207,222€ are obtained, while from the end-users’ side the DH network is cheaper than IH in 84.7% of the cases. Further technologies are also studied to enhance the CHP unit flexibility.

TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS IN ENERGY CERTIFICATION AND INSPECTION OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS OF BUILDINGS IN THE IGOR SIKORSKY KYIV POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE


 
 
 European integration is a strategic direction for the development of our country's foreign policy. In pursuance of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, a plan for the implementation of the European Parliament Directive on the energy performance of buildings (2010/31/EU) has been developed, which provides for the introduction of energy certification of buildings as a type of energy audit. Given the significant energy consumption in Ukraine compared to other countries, improving the energy efficiency of the buildings is an extremely important objective. The greatest effect in the existing buildings is achieved only in the case of integrated implementation of energy saving measures for fencing structures, utilities and equipment, and such projects require significant funds. To obtain funding from various investment funds and to be able to participate in state or local funding programs, it is necessary to perform an energy audit and justify energy saving measures, to assess the energy efficiency class of the building. The result of the implementation of measures will be a reduction in the total consumption of energy resources, as well as the cost of paying for them, improving the conditions of the microclimate. Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute has many years of successful experience in training specialists in the area of energy and improving the energy efficiency of industry and utilities. On basis of the Training Center for Energy Management, advanced training courses have been introduced for specialists who intend to carry out activities on certification of energy efficiency and inspection of engineering systems of buildings. Energy certificates of buildings are mandatory for new buildings, state-owned buildings, local government buildings and in case of attracting public funds for complex thermal modernization. In this paper highlighted the experience, reveals the content of the curriculum for training, retraining and advanced training of energy auditors and presents the results of the Attestation Commission of the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
 
 

그린리모델링 사전의사결정 지원도구 개발을 위한 공공건축물 유형별 표준모델 구축

Purpose: The final purpose of this study is to minimize the cost and time required in the green remodeling decision making and further promote the green remodeling market, and in this work, a standard model for each type of public building was developed as a first step to develop judgement tools to support pre-decision making. Method: The standard model refers to a series of databases with pre-set input variables for each type of building in order to minimize existing complex energy simulation input variables and increase accessibility to non-specialists. The database was established using existing public building licensing data, building energy efficiency certification cases, legal standards, and related research. Result: Based on the standard model database, we will develop support tools for pre-decision making of green remodeling and develop a web-based system that can easily compare energy requirements before and after green remodeling improvement and calculate expected construction costs.

ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE TRANSITION TO 3D PRINTING OF BUILDINGS IN THE ROUTE OF INDUSTRY 4.01

Problem statement. The high level of costs, energy and resource intensity in the field of construction leads to research aimed at improving the economic, social and environmental performance of construction processes
 from the standpoint of current trends in innovation in line with Industry 4.0. Especially relevant are studies adapted to the conditions of the national economy. The purpose of the article is to research of directions of development of technologies in the construction sphere, in particular technologies of 3D-printing, definition of ecological and economic advantages of transition to 3D-printing of construction objects in line with Industry 4.0. Results. The research of directions of development of 3D-printing technology is carried out, the types of 3D-printers are presented and characterized. Emphasis is placed on the need and benefits of assessment and certification of energy efficiency of buildings. The advantages of 3D printing are considered, which include the improvement of such parameters as environmental friendliness, speed and accessibility of construction. An assessment of the profitability and payback period of the construction business organization, which uses 3D-printing as the primary means of construction. It is established that the specific costs per 1m2 of 3D-construction in Ukraine will be about 4 thousand UAH, and the payback period of innovative construction business based on 3D-printing is less than a year. Scientific novelty and practical significance. For the first, an economic assessment of the construction business organization uses 3D printing as the primary means of construction, in the Ukrainian economy. The results of the study will be useful for business representatives in the field of construction, and can also be used in the training of specialists for the construction industry.

Evaluation of the effect of a building energy efficiency certificate in reducing energy consumption in Korean apartments

The building energy efficiency certificate (BEEC) is considered an important tool for saving energy in buildings and for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in South Korea. To evaluate its effects, data on the site energy use intensity (EUI) of 2,660,159 certified and non-certified apartment units were collected from the Korea National Building Energy Database and compared. The site EUIs for total energy use of the certified apartment units with BEEC levels 1+ and 1 were 1.4–20.2% lower than those of the non-certified apartment units. Particularly, the gas use (for heating) intensity was 3.5–26.4% lower compared to that of the non-certified apartment. However, the electricity use intensity has not decreased despite BEEC because it does not consider the electricity consumption by appliances. In addition, the EUI of the certified apartment units with BEEC level 2 was higher than that of the non-certified apartment units in Group B. These show that the BEEC level 1 or higher contributed to reducing heating energy although its effect was different by climatic regions and the size of apartment units, but its effect on the electricity use intensity was insignificant. It shows that BEEC needs to be improved and some policies are needed to make residential building occupants more aware of the need for them to reduce their electricity consumption and to encourage them to do so.

Does a National Innovation System Encourage Sustainability? Lessons from the Construction Industry in Serbia

Influences from the modern business environment indicate the need for the incorporation of sustainability concepts from an innovation system perspective. In the presented research, we emphasize the energy efficiency concept within the frame of sustainability and innovation. The aim of this research was to underline and explore the relationships between innovation, energy efficiency, and sustainability in the construction industry. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire was created to explore the impact of the energy efficiency certification process on the innovation behavior of construction industry enterprises in Serbia. The results show that energy efficiency has supported innovation, and that there exists a relationship between sustainability and innovativeness in the construction industry. Applying energy efficiency passports has influenced the co-operation of enterprises in the construction sector and other actors in the national innovation system in Serbia. The innovation concept demonstrates that enterprises in the construction industry should be observed as a part of the wider picture—the national innovation system. In turn, the specific context of a particular national innovation system should be seen within the wider picture of national innovation systems of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs).

Energy recovery in gravity adduction pipelines of a water supply system (WSS) for urban areas using Pumps-as-Turbines (PaTs)

Energy recovery solutions reduce considerably the carbon footprint of Water Supply Systems (WSSs), which accounts for a large share of the energy demand in urban areas. The evaluation of the potential saving requires the availability of water flow rate and net head values in WSSs pipelines; however, this task is not always achievable since flow meters are costly and not installed in all the pipelines. In this paper, a novel methodology to predict the yearly average flow rate in gravity adduction pipelines is presented and validated using measured data coming from a WSS in Italy. A methodology already developed by some of the authors of this work was used to select Pump-as-Turbines (PaTs) and evaluate their Best Efficiency Point (BEP) to maximize the energy recovery. Two different installation layouts were investigated, namely one PaT and two PaTs in parallel, to be installed in the selected branches. The first one showed the best economic profitability, leading to a saving of 1325 €/year and a PayBack Period (PBP) of 11 years. The branch with the highest energy recovery potential led to a saving of 4915 €/year and a PBP of 6 years. Energy Efficiency Certificates (ECCs) were considered, highlighting their pivotal role to lower PBPs.

How residential CHPs could be integrated in renewable energy communities’ incentive schemes

The present work aims to investigate the integration into renewable energy communities (REC) schemes of micro and mini- Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants. In detail, it has been evaluated the minimum self-consumption (SC) share needed to even out the revenues coming from the energy efficiency certificates (EECs). In order to establish a SC based tariff for CHP plants a correlation between SC share and the tariff value has been assessed for different commercial plants. A 70% of SC share has been set as a minimum target, which is related to incentive rates of 53 and 39.5 €/MWh, for mini and micro-CHPs, respectively. These values are about 65% lower than the current tariffs set by ARERA (Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment) to reward the renewable energy SC. A real building and two CHP plants have been considered as reference case studies. A dynamic simulation has been carried out in order to analyse the proposed incentive scheme in a real application. Starting from a 3-D BIM model, the energy flows have been calculated over one year period. Finally, it has been demonstrated how a SC based tariff can significantly reduce the share of injected electricity into the grid, also promoting the thermal carrier sharing. In so doing, the renewable energy sources intermittency can be easily mitigated and balanced, avoiding additional burdens on public expenditure.

History, Traditions, Innovations, Educational and Scientific School of the Department of Construction Production Technologists

The article highlights the development trends of the educational and scientific school of the Department of Construction Production Technology of the Kharkov National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, analyzes the scientific and pedagogical activities of the heads of the department and its teachers during 90 years of existence. The assessment of scientific schools, authors of scientific publications, supervisors of graduate students and doctoral students is given. It has been proven that the activities of the department correspond to the directions of development and improvement of organizational and technological solutions in construction. It is determined that at different times in the structure of the department of construction production technology, many educational and scientific areas functioned, which were subsequently separated into separate departments. A large amount of work is reasonably carried out to form a strategy for improving educational and methodological support. Training and professional certification of persons for certification of energy efficiency and inspection of engineering systems of buildings is carried out, where the department has formed the structure and content of educational and professional advanced training programs in two specializations.

Energy Efficiency and GHG Emissions Mapping of Buildings for Decision-Making Processes against Climate Change at the Local Level

Buildings have become a key source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the consumption of primary energy, especially when used to achieve thermal comfort conditions. In addition, buildings play a key role for adapting societies to climate change by achieving more energy efficiency. Therefore, buildings have become a key sector to tackle climate change at the local level. However, public decision-makers do not have tools with enough spatial resolution to prioritise and focus the available resources and efforts in an efficient manner. The objective of the research is to develop an innovative methodology based on a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping primary energy consumption and GHG emissions in buildings in cities according to energy efficiency certificates. The developed methodology has been tested in a representative medium-sized city in Spain, obtaining an accurate analysis that shows 32,000 t of CO2 emissions due to primary energy consumption of 140 GWh in residential buildings with high spatial resolution at single building level. The obtained results demonstrate that the majority of residential buildings have low levels of energy efficiency and emit an average of 45 kg CO2/m2. Compared to the national average in Spain, this obtained value is on the average, while it is slightly better at the regional level. Furthermore, the results obtained demonstrate that the developed methodology is able to directly identify city districts with highest potential for improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions. Additionally, a data model adapted to the INSPIRE regulation has been developed in order to ensure interoperability and European-wide application. All these results have allowed the local authorities to better define local strategies towards a low-carbon economy and energy transition. In conclusion, public decision-makers will be supported with an innovative and user-friendly GIS-based methodology to better define local strategies towards a low-carbon economy and energy transition in a more efficient and transparent way based on metrics of high spatial resolution and accuracy.