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Table 5.5 (continued) Barriers and Constraints
Actions Needed
• Lack of information about energy use and efficiency in commercial buildings.
• Start large-scale pilots and demonstration by working with proactive states and municipalities so as to track-test and improve the preconceived compliance procedures and requirements and setting the stage for transition to mandatory ECBC.
• Risk perception due to lack of confidence in performance of new technologies.
India
• Underdeveloped materials and components market for compliance, including related testing and certification capabilities. • Limited ability to internalize incremental cost of EE technologies is because of low income level. • Large informal building construction outside of government oversight.
• Lack of information of the importance of building energy use by local authorities and lack of knowledge of BEECs at the appropriate political level. This, combined with local autonomy over construction regulations, is a significant barrier to adoption of BEECs. • Discretion is commonly practiced in building inspection, raising doubts on the effectiveness of compliance enforcement if energy efficiency requirements are added to the permit process.
Mexico
• Developer resistance due to cost of compliance caused by (1) sunk investment in very specific technologies that have costs at a competitive level, (2) new investment in the equipment and training in the new processes and in new supply lines for the new materials, and (3) limited ability of low-income households to increase borrowing for higher construction costs. • High levels of subsidy in electricity rates, reducing the interest of both the financing agencies and the end user in acquiring higher first-cost technologies.
Source: Compiled by authors.
• Maximize market-driven actions by disseminating actual cost and benefit information of ECBC compliant buildings or projects and the use of noncash incentives such as fast-tracked permit approval and high profile media exposure. • Accelerate the schedule for mandatory ECBC to help spur the market for materials and components and support the development of testing and certification capabilities. • Strengthen the capacity to adopt and/or develop and mandate the codes and standards under the sustainable housing program of the National Housing Commission (CONAVI) and the Green Mortgage program by the federal Institute for worker’s housing INFONAVIT. Make the low-income housing project a successful large-scale demonstration of building energy efficiency and persuade municipalities to incorporate energy efficiency requirements in their building regulations. • Significantly increase and strengthen the capacity of the private-sector stakeholders accredited under the national standards and accreditation system to respond to the larger certification demand. • Implement an integrated and coordinated effort of data gathering to have a better idea of the main characteristics (such as built area, energy use, installed equipment, patterns of occupancy, materials, basic architectural elements) of the building stock by region. • Design and implement a nationwide information program directed to municipal authorities to help them learn of the importance and potential of energy conservation in buildings and the instruments and about the mechanisms in place (national standards and codes).