Mainstreaming Building Energy Efficiency Codes in Developing Countries
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Figure 2.1. BEEC Development and Revision Cycle Policy goal for BEEC Evaluation of energy savings and BEEC effectiveness
Training and capacity building, public awareness
Development of compliance forms/procedures, guidebooks , administrative procedures for checking compliance
Survey local buildings, benchmarking; survey construction materials market
Technical , energy economic analysis to estimate energy savings /cost-effectiveness of proposed measures
Code document drafting
Source: Authors.
Box 2.3. BEECs and Construction Industry in the Republic of Korea How has the building materials supply industry been able to cope with the introduction of the BEECs? All the building materials and mechanical and electrical system in building energy code should be certified by authorized laboratories under KOLAS system (Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme). The performance of materials and systems are controlled by the law (for example, minimum requirements of each component and systems, high-efficiency energy system program such as Energy Star program in United States, and so forth.). The government is always monitoring and controlling the industry, and many programs exist for promoting high-energy efficiency for their products. Has the building materials supply industry been able to produce materials complying with the code in sufficient quality and amounts? Yes. The level of performance is decided through monitoring of market and industry capacity. In the case of insufficient technology and low quality, government assists industries through R&D programs and so forth. (for example, new and renewable systems, LED lighting, and so forth.). The real problem of deciding final performance level of building code is cost issue rather than technology. Are materials such as insulation, windows, and so forth certified? What is the extra construction cost of buildings complying with the code, compared to noncompliant buildings? Yes, all the materials should be certified. Extra cost to meet the energy code (exactly the cost added by new code compared to existing code) is usually considered under maximum 2 percent of total construction cost. Source: Personal communication with Dr. Seung-eon Lee, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, February 27, 2009.