Admitting holistic approach to building design, delivery and operation and a paradigm that envisions buildings as energy producers and not solely or primarily as energy sinks, UNECE develops framework guidelines for energy efficiency standards in buildings, conducts research on existing energy efficiency standards and technologies in buildings in the UNECE region, etc.
Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings
UNECE promotes development and dissemination of international standards in energy efficiency, and specifically, the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing and the UNECE Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings (the Framework Guidelines). Endorsed by the UNECE Committee on Sustainable Energy and the Committee on Housing and Land Management, the Framework Guidelines call for:
- Dissemination to ensure that national, regional and municipal leaders in the public, private, research and education sectors must be made aware of the framework’s vision, logic, practicality, and advantages.
- Education to provide information and guidance to all players to foster local development of building standards, codes and practices that are aligned with the Framework.
- Research through a collaboration among leaders in science and technology to focus on challenges in such areas as: (1) building components and materials; (2) building design, construction and monitoring; (3) energy generation and distribution; (4) integrated urban systems and life cycle management; and (5) strategies for each country and climate zone to be carbon-free by 2050.
- Consultation to establish formal and informal communication channels with local policy, market, and knowledge stakeholders for evaluation of impact, dialogue on in impact strategy, addressing discovered or unanticipated challenges, and cultivating global consensus in support of the Framework.
- Participation through institution of networks of support and engagement among leading corporations, foundations, universities, professions, civil society and others with the array of resources – intellectual, experiential, financial, and relational – that will be required to enable deep transformation.
In accordance with its Work Plan for 2020-2021 (ECE/ENERGY/2019/8, Section II.B) the Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency reviewed the Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings and proposed an updated version of the document. The document was considered and approved by the Group of Experts at its seventh session (22 and 25 September 2020).
| ECE/ENERGY/GE.6/2020/4 - Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings | ENG | FRE | RUS |
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High Performance Building Initiative
International Centres of Excellence
On 10 July 2018, Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex) became a founding hub of this critical knowledge sharing network to bring high performance building best practices to scale. Additional centers are underway and the Network will expand as other communities join.
Global Building Network
Working in parallel with the Network, the Global Building Network, a consortium of academic research institutions will also support and advance the principles of the Framework Guidelines.
UNECE and Penn State University (PSU) have agreed to collaborate in the Global Building Network to conduct research, communication, dissemination, and education needed to promote global implementation of the Framework Guidelines and thereby promote sustainable high performance energy efficient communities of buildings within the built environment.
The overall objective of the Global Building Network initiative is to improve health and life quality in buildings while simultaneously decarbonizing building related energy, breaking the historic link between improved health and life quality and atmospheric carbonization. The initiative will focus on capacity development and impact in the field by providing:
- Intellectual content and material necessary to educate, advocate and advise for global building/energy/health and life quality transformation;
- Outreach capability required to create a worldwide community level shift to truly sustainable, near-zero energy/healthy and high life quality buildings.
The Global Building Network will be the primary action platform for work toward the objectives of the initiative and will conduct activities related to research, education, and collaboration. Research will be conducted directly by PSU and through a global consortium of research institutions related to building and energy design, technology, delivery, maintenance, improvement, life-cycle performance, management, finance, and regulation. Research will focus on the dual goals of (1) systematically articulating a new science of sustainable high performance buildings as a foundation for both educational curricula and professional practice, and (2) supporting in-the-field efforts to drive transformation. Education will be conducted through online, classroom, and in-the-field courses and other informational and instructional resources.
| High Performance Buildings Initiative: Overview |
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| High Performance Buildings Initiative: Executive Summary |
| High Level Strategy Group |
Studies and Documents
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| Gap analysis and national studies | |||
| Compendium of best practices on standards and technologies for energy efficiency in buildings in the UNECE region (Draft of 21 March 2019) | |||
| Study on Mapping of Existing Technologies to Enhance Energy Efficiency in Buildings in the UNECE Region (March 2019): 1. Country Sheets . Subregions C,E,F. 2. Country Sheets. Subregions A,B,D. |
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| Study on Mapping Energy Efficiency Standards and Technologies in Buildings in the UNECE Region (August 2018) | |||
| Framework guidelines for energy efficiency standards in buildings ECE/ENERGY/GE.6/2017/4 |