Environment and Ecology

In its Green Paper on Energy Efficiency, the European Commission (EC) identified the building sector as an area, where important improvements in energy efficiency can be realised. According to the Green Paper, the building sector accounts for more than 40% of the final energy demand in Europe. At the same time, improved heating and cooling of buildings constitutes one of the largest potentials for energy savings. Such savings would also improve the energy supply security and the EU’s competitiveness, while creating jobs and raising the quality of life in buildings.

The GreenBuilding Programme (GBP) is a voluntary programme that started in 2005. It is meant to the enhance the realisation of cost-effective energy efficiency potentials by creating awareness and providing information support and public recognition to companies whose top management is ready to show actual commitment to adopt energy efficient measures in non-residential buildings.

These are the important requirements for a participation:

• an Energy Audit
• an Action Plan
• the Execution of the Action Plan
• the commitment to report the energy consumption on a regular basis

The GBP is managed by the European Commission DG JRC, that sets the rules and the structure of the programme and is responsible for the final acceptance of GB Partners and GB Endorsers.

GBP provides documents (“Modules”) defining the technical nature of an appropriate commitment for each energy service covered in the programme. The modules are complemented by Guidelines on horizontal issues, such as “Financing”, “Energy Audit” and “Energy Management”.

The GBP encourages its Partners to tap a large reservoir of profitable investments without the need for specific incentives from the Commission. GBP investments use proven technology, products and services for which efficiency has been demonstrated.

Being a GreenBuilding Partner gives a company the chance of presenting its actions for its organization’s and the world’s sustainable future to the broad public. The company will be an important multiplier to encourage other organization to follow suit.

The benefits are

• Recognition and approval of the action for enhancing the energy efficiency of the building stock by the European Commission
• Competitive advantage as organization being certified for its responsibility in the field of energy efficiency
• Presentation and communication of the organization and the Good-Practice-Example within the public relations of the GB Programme

The GBP will be complementary to the Building Energy Performance Directive as it will stimulate additional savings in the non-residential building sector.

• The main objective of GreenBuilding is to trigger investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in non-residential buildings with focus on existing premises on a voluntary basis.
  
• GreenBuilding is designed to help to open up markets – in particular by increased awareness, know-how and technical capabilities, the access to finance and energy service offerings – to achieve investments with high benefits and short payback times.
  
• GreenBuilding wants to initiate energy efficiency investments in non-residential buildings which are clearly profitable and are based only on proven technologies.
  
• GreenBuilding complements and goes beyond the standards imposed by the European building directive and national building codes in force.
  
• By encouraging energy efficiency and renewables energy measures beyond the existing regulations which are economically viable, GREENBUILDING does not stop at the implementation of state-of-the-art energy standards but actively contributes to the advancement of the present state-of-the-art in energy saving techniques in the non-residential building sector.
  
• GreenBuilding intends to provide information and support as well as public recognition to companies, which are ready to make commitments to improve the energy efficiency of non-residential buildings well beyond the legal requirements with measures that are proven and profitable.

In a pilot phase lasting from 2005-2006, the GreenBuilding infrastructure was set up in ten European countries. In each participating country so called National Contact Points (NCP) were established for aiding organisations, who consider a participation in the GreenBuilding Project. A 2nd phase -  called GreenBuildingPlus -  started December 2007. The successful work is being continued and ambitious goals are set to be fulfilled until the end of 2009. GreenBuilding is supported by the European Commission’s Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.

The German Energy Agency GmbH (dena) is the project co-ordinator and directs the project partners activites.

Ten organisations from nine European countries make up the GreenBuildingPlus consortium. In cooperation with the European Commission, the following facilities and support structures have been established:

National Contact Points in 13 European countries, offering:

• National GreenBuilding Website in mother language and adapted to national context
• GreenBuilding workshops and publications in national language
• GreenBuilding guidelines and technical modules in national language
• Best practice inventory (online) and publication (printed)
• National catalogue of GreenBuilding partners and endorsers
• Presentation at national conferences and trade fairs

Dissemination activities on the European level, encompassing:

• This central GreenBuilding website with all guidelines and technical modules in English language, with links to the national GreenBuilding websites
• central Best Practices Database on this website
• list of partners and list of endorsers
• a GreenBuilding brochure with best practice examples
• presentation at international trade fairs and conferences
• articles in newspapers, trade journals, and internet based information services

On this central website for the GreenBuildingPlus project, information will be updated and amended continuously. Furthermore, you will find links to the websites of the ten National Contact Points and the European Commission’s DG JRC, where the GBP is administered.

The following 13 organisations are in involved in the GreenBuilding project: