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Scandanavian energy standards to be adopted
20/08/2007
The establishment of an expert panel to recommend measures to make houses and buildings in Scotland more energy efficient was announced today.
Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson wants to see new-build houses in Scotland meeting the same rigorous standards that exist in Scandinavia, allowing householders to significantly reduce their energy use and energy bills.
The panel will bring together designers, developers, contractors, assessors and researchers with experts from Norway, Denmark and Austria who have experience of the strict energy standards in their home countries.
Mr Stevenson said:
"Scotland already leads the UK in both the energy standards set by our building regulations and the planning policy that asks for low and zero carbon equipment in new developments. But there is more that can be done."
"Events around the world this summer have further raised our awareness of the challenge of climate change. We are intent on developing a range of strategies to tackle climate change, including measures that will increase the energy efficiency of buildings and encourage more local energy production."
"We need to work with industry to make sure that the targets set are realistic, so that they can then develop skills and technologies that will deliver improvements to buildings."
"I am asking the expert panel to develop a strategy that will allow us to set targets to deliver even greater energy efficiency in our buildings and ensure that more buildings can generate their own energy."
Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, said:
"I am very excited at the prospect of working with such a distinguished group and anticipate a very productive process of exchanging ideas and developing strategies".
Changes to building regulations will be kick-started by the recommendations of the expert panel which is to meet in Edinburgh in September.
The membership of the Expert panel is:
Chair
Lynne Sullivan Sustainability Director, Broadway Malyan
Architects - Invited Members
- Sebastian Tombs Chief Executive, Architecture & Design, Scotland
- Jonathan Fair Scottish Director, Building Research Establishment (BRE)
- Michael Levack Chief Executive, Scottish Building
- Kenneth Ross Vice-Chairman, Scottish Property Federation
- David Little Head of Technical Services, Homes for Scotland
- Olav Berge Director General, National Office of Technology & Administration, Norway
- Rainer Mikulits Managing Director, Austrian Institute of Construction & Engineering, Austria
- Jan Kurt Rendboe Chairman, Institute of Danish Building Control
- Dr David Vincent Director of Technology, Carbon Trust
- Paul Tuohy Research Fellow, Institute of Energy & Environment, Energy Systems Research Unit, University of Strathclyde
- Mike Thornton Director, Scotland, Energy Saving Trust
Building Standards Advisory Committee Members
- David Wedderburn Chair
- Stephen Garvin Building Research Director, BRE Scotland
- Malcolm Macleod Director, NHBC for Scotland
And other BSAC Members to be decided
Details of the European members are as follows:
AUSTRIA
Austrian Institute of Construction Engineering (OIB) Österreichisches Institut für Bautechnik (OIB
The Austrian Institute of Construction Engineering is a private association founded by the nine Austrian Laender. It is responsible for any co-ordination in the construction field, especially with regard to legislation, standardisation and approvals. The OIB represents the Laender in the Standing Committee on Construction and in the Preparatory Group within the European Commission. In addition, the OIB is the Austrian European Technical Approval Body and a member of the European Organisation for Technical Approvals (EOTA).
DENMARK
Dansk Bygningsinspektørforening
An association of leading civil servants which operates within the public sector and engages in planning all constructional matters including building control. The object of the Association is to provide a forum where matters of co-ordination and harmonization may be discussed and guidance disseminated. Its aim is to achieve safe and healthy buildings with high quality construction.
NORWAY
National Office of Building Technology and Administration
The Office is the government agency responsible for:
• administering and revising national building regulations
• the surveillance of local authority building control
• the market control of building products
• the approval of undertakings performing design, execution and control work and the provision of guidance and information related to these tasks