Although the Council of Ministers reached a common position on the directive in early June, it was done so on the grounds that member states can, if they wish, take until 2009 to enter into the energy labelling project. Dr Robert Cohen is Principal Energy Consultant at ESD and manager of the Europrosper project - the organisation charged with the task of drawing up the specifications for certification of all UK public buildings. He says: "There are just a couple more procedures for the directive to go through before it can become law. Once this happens, the certification part of it will have to be implemented by the end of 2005."
This may be the case for Europe, but according to Peter Gorman, head of the international division of DEFRA's sustainable energy policy, the UK will not have to implement the labelling of buildings until 2009: "After it has been adopted in Europe, the UK will then have three years in which to adopt the directive and pass it into law here. There are then a further four years before Articles seven, eight and nine have to implemented. These deal with the inspection of air conditioning units and boilers, and the certification process. So we could be looking at 2009 before any certification has to take place."
This is a situation that DEFRA are more than comfortable with however: "We are quite happy with the timescale as it gives us the time for a common strategy to be drawn up as to how we're actually going to go about the certification process."
The process of developing the accreditation requirements for certification is expected to be complete by 2004. Cohen foresees that it will be along the lines of the system used to grade domestic appliances: "The labelling system will be comparable to that used for domestic appliances but a building is obviously much more complex that a washing machine. All public buildings will need to go through the procedure and they will be required to produce details such as floor space and electricity and other fuel consumption."
Terry Wyatt, Head of Research and development at Hoare Lea and CIBSE Vice President says: "The label must essentially cover all aspects of building performance, as well as its emissions, in order that it attaches the correct 'value' to the building."
It is hoped that once initiated, the scheme should provide developers with the stimulus to make their buildings more energy efficient. Peter Gorman says: "They are going to have to raise their game and it should change the way developers market their buildings, they should be able to use energy efficiency as a selling point for their buildings in the future. People are living more sustainable lifestyles these days and certainly the more forward thinking developers should see this directive as a good thing."
Although the directive is in its final stages, and a specification framework could be in place as early as the end of 2004, it could be seven years from now before the UK plays any part in the energy certification project. This will undoubtedly infuriate those who want to see owners and developers made more accountable for the role their buildings play in the environment.
Terry Wyatt says: "It would be a tragedy to delay the building labelling a single moment longer than it's humanly possible to be achieved. And that's long before 2009. Probably 2005. Everyone concerned with actioning 'climate change mitigation' and progressing sustainability is calling for it. That includes funding institutions, developers and building users as well as the construction industry."
It does seem strange in the light of claims that a working strategy for the labelling should be finalised by 2004, that the UK should want to wait until 2009 to implement it. If this is the case, it will not impress those who want to see energy efficiency and sustainability pushed to the top of the industry's agenda.
Source
Building Sustainable Design
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