Cities and countries around the world are introducing strict new building regulations to support green transitions. From solar panels to heat pumps, the government is putting more pressure on developers to incorporate clean technology and renewable energy into the construction of businesses, commercial and residential. The real estate sector contributes a large portion of the world’s carbon emissions, both from building construction and power sources. Therefore, implementing new sustainable construction and electricity standards will help the government reduce source emissions.
Almost 40% of the global energy-related carbon footprint comes from the real estate sector, with about 70% being produced through construction businesses and 30% coming from construction activities. The world is undergoing rapid urbanization, with around 2.5 billion people expected to live in urban areas by the middle of the century.
Beyond basic decarbonisation purposes, there are several reasons to aim to incorporate green energy and clean technologies into new builds. Research from the OECD suggests that improved energy efficiency can support mitigation of energy poverty. This is because an efficiency gain of 1% correlates with a 0.21% reduction in energy poverty rate. Increased energy efficiency in buildings has also been found to be associated with better public health outcomes.
The OECD conducted a global survey of buildings and climate to gather comparable data and information in 28 countries, including Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It was found that 54% of countries surveyed included building-related commitments to the NDC. 46% of countries have set targets to phase out fossil fuels for heating and cooling buildings. Also, about 39% of responding countries had a quantitative target for the adoption of heat pumps, 32% of rooftop PVs. In contrast, only 18% of countries that voted established insulation targets, while 60% lacked a monitoring framework to track progress in decarbonization efforts at the local level.
The main challenge for introducing new measures into construction is cost. The government should ensure that new building regulations do not reduce the cost of housing, and make sure that homes are out of hand. Buildings built before 1945 contributed 23% of EU building stocks, so the government should also consider renovating existing buildings with energy-efficient technology. However, this process is extremely expensive and destructive.
Nevertheless, several countries have implemented ambitious housing strategies and are aiming to decarbonize their sectors. The EU’s Green Deal aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but initiatives suitable for 55 packages and initiatives like Repowereu are trying to reduce emissions. Meanwhile, the revised Energy Performance of the Building Directive (EBPD) aims to renovate the worst-performing buildings, requiring all new EU buildings to zero emissions by 2030. Rooftop standard scope.
The EU Solar Roof Top Standard will be applied to new non-resident and public buildings in 2027, existing non-resident buildings undergoing major renovations by 2028, new residential buildings by 2030, and all suitable existing public buildings by 2031, with the total roof solar capacity across Europe exceeding 170 GW at the end of 2023, with 355 GW expected.
“Like the essential integration of smoke detection a few years ago, this new law promotes rooftop solar as the norm,” said Jan Osenberg, senior policy advisor at SolarPower Europe.
In May, the UK government announced that nearly every new home in the UK would need to be fitted with rooftop solar panels during construction in 2027. The cost of adding solar panels to the new development is thought to be between $3,980 and $5,300. However, the annual energy bill is expected to save homeowners more than $1,320. The UK Labour Government has set a goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2029. The government promises to decarbonise the country’s electricity grid by 2030, hopes to achieve this by significantly reducing household energy bills and incorporating renewable energy technologies into housing.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the 2023 global net zero scenario for energy futures predicts that greenhouse gas emissions from residential, commercial and facility buildings in Canada will fall by 71% between 2021 and 2050. To achieve this, the government must increase the use of heat pumps to meet 13% of demand by 2030, 2040 and 2050 by 2030% and 50%.
The real estate sector, which has made a major contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, is targeting developers with new building standards and regulations by governments around the world. Some countries have implemented strict measures that require developers to incorporate renewable energy and clean technologies into new builds, while others have mapped the possibility of a better understanding of the path to decarbonization. ‘
By Felicity Bradstock on people.com
More Top Leads from Oulprice.com
