Building energy labelling in existing buildings

Panel: Panel 4: Sustainable Energy Use in Buildings

Authors:
George Henderson, Energy Consultant
Kenya Tillerson, International Consulting on Energy (ICE)
Edgar Blaustein, Energy Consultant

Abstract

Energy labelling is considered to be an important tool for market transformation. Applied to existing buildings, it is seen as a way to encourage owners and renters to invest in energy efficiency retrofits. A SAVE funded study (BELAS, Né XVII/4.1031/Z/99-261) has investigated how this has been done in 5 countries (Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK, Vermont USA). In addition, preliminary information on a system being developed in France is presented. An analysis is made of the technical, institutional and financial characteristics of each of these labelling systems. Measures of the success of each system are presented.

Hypothesis on the relationship between the nature of the systems and the historical and political characteristics of the country are developed. Evidence collected is compared to the "market driven" paradigm, which posits that consumers, when properly informed, will be more likely to invest in retrofits. The study concludes that labelling, when used in isolation, has not been effective in modifying individual building users' and owners' decisions. On the other hand, evidence suggests that labelling can be an effective tool as part of an integrated programme of institutional measures to encourage energy efficiency investments in existing buildings.