Pictures of the Future Fall 2008
Sustainable Buildings – Interview
The Tools for Realizing Vast Energy Savings are at Hand
Interview with Paolo Bertoldi
Paolo Bertoldi, 47,
is director of the GreenBuilding Initiative, which was created by the European Commission to improve the efficiency of buildings. After completing his studies in electrical engineering at the University of Padua, Italy, Bertoldi joined the European Union’s Joint European Torus (JET) nuclear fusion project in Great Britain in 1986. In 1993 he became Head of Administrative Services in the EU Directorate-General for Energy and Transport. Since 2001, Bertoldi has been Principal Administrator of the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC), where he heads research activities aimed at increasing energy end-use efficiency.
What kinds of objectives are you trying to achieve with the GreenBuilding Initiative?
Bertoldi: It all began in 2005 as a European Commission program. The Initiative’s objective is to improve the energy efficiency of existing commercially-utilized buildings. Owners of buildings that are not used for residential purposes are eligible to take part. First, an energy audit is conducted. A countermeasures plan describes the desired goals, and progress reports are issued systematically. Once the building achieves the set goals, the Commission grants it status as a Green Building partner. Participants can be advised individually as to how they can save energy effectively and what technologies will be required. This helps the environment, reduces operating costs and, last but not least, helps to improve the building owner’s image. After all, it is advantageous to be perceived as being active in the areas of environmental protection and combating climate change.
To what degree can energy be saved in renovation and new building construction?
Bertoldi: About 40 % of overall energy use in the European Union is attributable to buildings. Facilities and buildings not used for residential purposes, including offices, schools, universities, and airports, use about one third of that. If existing buildings were optimally renovated, and new structures built according to the appropriate standards, energy savings could as a rule reach 25 %. This means that of the 467 mill. t of oil used for European buildings in 2006, 116 million could be saved.
What specific steps would have to be taken to achieve this?
Bertoldi: To increase the efficiency of buildings, one needs a multitude of technological, but also political measures. When it comes to new buildings, construction codes are important. On the other hand, when it comes to optimizing existing buildings, owners could above all be motivated by financial incentives. One example is the Energy Efficiency Prize of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW, the Reconstruction Loan Corporation). Endowed with €15,000, the prize has been awarded annually since 2003 for exemplary energy-saving solutions in commercial buildings. Because of climate change and rising energy prices, all EU member states need to concentrate on conservation measures; such programs have existed, to a similar extent, for several years in all European Union countries.
Just how much money can businesses save?
Bertoldi: Buildings consist of various systems, for example heating, air conditioning, lighting, and information technology. Take lighting, for example. Compared to an older system, today we can realize energy savings of about 70 %. In existing buildings, the overall savings potential is generally about 25 to 30 %. To cite a practical example, if a company renovates its buildings for greater efficiency with a one-time investment of 1 mill. €, it can reduce its energy bill, which previously amounted to €200,000 per year, by perhaps €70,000. After about 15 years, the investment has paid for itself, and the savings begin from that point on.
What do you expect of science, the business world, and governments?
Bertoldi: These three sectors have to work closely with one another. Research develops new solutions. The business world converts these into products and provides the necessary financial means. And governments have to create a favorable framework to ensure that investments are made in these technologies in the future.
Have governments and the business world recognized the importance of climate protection?
Bertoldi: Most certainly. In the past 15 years, I have never seen as much interest on the part of political decision-makers and business leaders in these topics, and in the restructuring of our energy system, as we are witnessing today. These issues are being taken seriously. Under the pressure of climate change and high energy prices, the economical use of energy is enjoying high-priority treatment.
In terms of technology, where do you think Europeans will stand in 15 to 20 years?
Bertoldi: In my opinion, the important technologies that we will need in order to meet future challenges are already available. Almost all of them are already on the market. These can ensure that buildings are optimally heated, cooled, and illuminated, and that they are properly insulated. Research has already done most of the necessary work. Now it’s a matter of applying the results. The integration of these technologies is certainly of great importance; their efficiency can be improved even further by well thought-out building management systems.
Interview conducted by Thomas Veser
The EU’s GreenBuilding Program
Participation in the European Union’s GreenBuilding Program is voluntary; there are no associated fees or dues. At present, more than 80 participants from ten EU countries are making use of the consulting service. In Germany there are 23 partners, including banks, insurance companies, city governments, educational institutions, and an environmental protection organization. National contact points in Germany are the German Energy Agency, the Berlin Energy Agency, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe. In addition, firms in the building sector that want to improve the energy efficiency of non-residential structures may add their support. Siemens Building Technologies has also committed itself to a support plan, and as a result was awarded the European Commission’s "GreenBuilding Award" for 2008. Siemens informs building owners about the program and helps them to implement appropriate energy savings steps. In Germany, an outstanding "best practices" example of the GreenBuilding Program is the EnergiePark Erlangen, where geothermal sensors are employed for heating and cooling purposes, while photovoltaic modules drive heat pumps. Nuremberg, too, plays a leading role; there, an older building was retrofitted to meet the low energy house standard, while fulfilling the building’s landmark protection requirements.