RP1021: Reframing Building Regulation

_{Peer Reviewed Research Publications}

RP1021: Conference Paper: The evolution of building energy standards in Australia: a journey interrupted?

Extensive analysis over the last decade has demonstrated that in developed economies energy use in buildings is one of the most significant contributors to aggregate greenhouse gas emissions. More significantly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector provides a range of social and economic benefits in addition to anticipated environmental benefits. Greenhouse abatement from buildings can actually be delivered at a negative cost/tonne CO2.. Options for government intervention in the building market encompass: regulation; financial incentives or penalties; consumer information campaigns and industry capacity building. All of these policy measures have been adopted in Australia with varying degrees of success.

This paper focuses specifically on the continuing evolution of building energy efficiency standards in Australia by tracking the trajectory of energy efficiency provisions in the national Building Code and examining this area of government energy policy in the context of initiatives such as the Federal Government’s Direct Action Program. This study benchmarks Australia’s building energy code against international best practice policies in European and North American jurisdictions using a framework developed by the Global Building Performance Network. Concluding remarks set out a series of improvement opportunities in areas such as policy implementation, regulatory stringency, compliance and enforcement.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/31Nz0HU

RP1021: Conference Paper: The evolution of building energy standards in Australia: a journey interrupted?

Extensive analysis over the last decade has demonstrated that in developed economies energy use in buildings is one of the most significant contributors to aggregate greenhouse gas emissions. More significantly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector provides a range of social and economic benefits in addition to anticipated environmental benefits. Greenhouse abatement from buildings can actually be delivered at a negative cost/tonne CO2.. Options for government intervention in the building market encompass: regulation; financial incentives or penalties; consumer information campaigns and industry capacity building. All of these policy measures have been adopted in Australia with varying degrees of success.

This paper focuses specifically on the continuing evolution of building energy efficiency standards in Australia by tracking the trajectory of energy efficiency provisions in the national Building Code and examining this area of government energy policy in the context of initiatives such as the Federal Government’s Direct Action Program. This study benchmarks Australia’s building energy code against international best practice policies in European and North American jurisdictions using a framework developed by the Global Building Performance Network. Concluding remarks set out a series of improvement opportunities in areas such as policy implementation, regulatory stringency, compliance and enforcement.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/31Nz0HU

RP1021: Conference Paper - Energy Policy in Buildings: Why Economic Interventions May Be Ineffective - CESB2016 Conference, Prague

Paper presented by CRCLC research Robert Enker at CESB2016 Conference in Prague.

Energy Policy for Buildings: Why Economic Interventions May Be Ineffective (193237 PDF)

RP1021: Conference Paper: Reframing housing regulation: delivering performance improvement together with affordability

2015, Melbourne; Conference paper presented at 49th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association. Enker, R (2015). Reforming housing regulation: delivering performance improvement together with affordability.

In developed economies a significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions result from energy demand in the building sector. Many countries have recognized the need to mandate building energy performance standards as a key element of a national energy or climate change policy. The Commonwealth of Australia included energy efficiency provisions in the national Building Code early last decade. This initiative has not been without controversy or resistance from some industry stakeholders. Typically such opposition is predicated on the assertion that more stringent energy efficiency requirements, particularly in the residential sector, would detrimentally impact on housing affordability. The State of Victoria significantly upgraded its residential energy efficiency requirements in 2004. This study of the new standard [the 5-Star Standard] investigates its effectiveness as an instrument of energy policy, testing the assumption that more stringent regulatory requirements are at odds with housing affordability, used here in its commonly understood form of initial capital cost. The analysis concludes that the 5-Star Standard has delivered significant greenhouse abatement; and encouraged industry innovation in a way that embodies regulatory best practice; while at the same time not compromising housing affordability for consumers or impacting negatively on the local housing market overall.

RP1021: Conference Paper: Reframing housing regulation: delivering performance improvement together with affordability (208650 PDF)