Standards, Regulations and Policies:

1. Standards, Regulations and Policies: Energy and Buildings Roger Hitchin

2. What is a standard? BSI says: • “In essence, a standard is an agreed way of doing something.” • “Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who know the needs of the organizations they represent.”

3. Standards are not Regulations (or Policies) • Policies may involve Regulations • Typically to cause people or organisations to do (or desist from doing) something which may be in their direct interest but not that of society as a whole • Regulations may call on Standards • To specify what must be done • Or how it should be done

4. An illustration: Policy Options for Air Conditioning Energy in Europe Air conditioning is only one element of building energy use Energy consumption is only one aspect of sustainability But the policy options illustrate some generic issues relating to standards

5. Ownership of air conditioning is increasing In new and existing buildings Chart shows installed GW cooling capacity Energy consumption is likely to increase further The European Air Conditioning Market Source: Roger Hitchin, Christine Pout, Philippe Riviere Assessing the market for air conditioning systems in European buildings

6. There is substantial potential for Energy Savings • Existing studies have shown significant potential for savings through • Load reduction • Improved efficiency • Better operation • Barriers to realising savings include • Low rates of building refurbishment • Long product and system lifetimes Source: Knight I et al, HARMONAC project final report

7. The Market is rather Complex:– and so are the policy possibilities • Three main categories of air conditioning • Moveable units; Packaged systems and products; Central systems; plus energy used for air movement • 30 countries: EU- 27, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein • Different climates, energy regulations, a/c market history • New-build and existing buildings • Many types of building Source: BRE Report ‘Study to assess barriers and opportunities to improving energy efficiency in cooling appliances/systems’

8. Key policy options, potential saving up to 30% over a 10 year period Source: BRE Report ‘Study to assess barriers and opportunities to improving energy efficiency in cooling appliances/systems

9. 1. Demanding MEPS for Chillers and packaged cooling systems • Policy prevents the use of low-efficiency products • Applies to series-produced products • But efficient products alone do not guarantee efficient systems • Performance Regulation sets levels of requirements • Already implemented for some products via Energy-related Products Directive • Applied across Europe irrespective of climate or use (single market issue)

10. 1. Demanding MEPS for Chillers and packaged cooling systems • Standards exist and are central to implementation • Define assessment methods • Under standard operating conditions (including part-load) • Developed in conjunction with users • Performance classes (energy labels) are defined in regulation, not standards

11. 2. Performance requirements for air handling subsystems • Policy. Imposes minimum efficiency requirements for parts of systems that are designed for particular buildings. • Ductwork leakage, specific fan power • Regulations set performance requirements • Implemented at national level. (Has to be tested on-site) • Already in some national building energy codes or guidance

12. 2. Performance requirements for air handling subsystems • European Standards provide source material • Define assessment procedures • And performance classes (but in different standards) • National implementations use some information from standards but do not generally cite them directly

13. 3. Whole-system Performance Requirements • Policy. Sets minimum performance standards for the whole system • Regulations. Would set performance levels • Required by Recast EPBD • No Regulations so far • Most savings could be achieved more easily through other instruments • Several difficult issues unresolved, including implementation route

14. 3. Whole-system Performance Requirements • Standards. None exist at present • Several difficult technical issues unresolved: • Choice of metric • Agreed calculation method • Policy looks difficult to implement and of doubtful extra impact • So role for standards is uncertain

15. 4. Demanding Integrated Building plus System MEPS • Policy. Minimum Performance Standards and Energy Labels for the building plus its fixed building services. • Includes savings from reductions of cooling load • Regulation. European regulation via EPBD • Does not set specific requirement levels or procedures • Subsidiarity applies • And national climates, policy priorities differ • Therefore implemented through national regulations • Usually based on calculation, rather than measurement

16. 4. Demanding Integrated Building plus System MEPS • Standards. European standards exist • Used selectively by Member States as sources of information for national regulations • Substantial gap between requirements of users (MS regulators) and standards-writers. (Who are largely separate from each other) • Standards mainly deal with complex calculation methods requiring using good data and high resource level • Application is mainly to existing buildings where data are uncertain and time is limited • Easy Quality Assurance is important in practice

17. 5. Better operational practice • Policy. Reduce energy wastage due to poor operation and management • Regulation. European implementation through EPBD • But instruments are not very effective • Mandatory system inspections • Feedback of measured annual consumption • Savings can be made quickly but can disappear equally fast

18. 5. Better operational practice • Standards. European standards support existing instruments • Member States use them extensively (but selectively) • Value of standards is weak because Regulatory instruments are largely ineffective

19. 6. Reduction of outdoor air supply • Policy. Avoid over-ventilating spaces where smoking is not now permitted • Regulation. National design guidelines exist for new systems and buildings. • Unclear whether there are regulations for existing ones

20. 6. Reduction of outdoor air supply • Standards. European standards exist for system design • Generally reflected in national regulations and guidance • Standards support guidance and regulation but these are patchy

21. Reflections • Standards are crucial to regulations for series-produced products • Define mandatory procedures in support of Regulations • At building- or system- level standards have a different role • Source material for national regulators to use selectively • Ideally this would be accompanied by guidance as to strengths and weaknesses of options • But would they then be “standards”? • This role is not recognised by most standard-makers

22. Reprise - What is a standard? • “In essence, a standard is an agreed way of doing something.” • “Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who know the needs of the organizations they represent.” • My Comment: Unlike series produced products, there are few people with the experience, time and motivation to write formal standards for buildings or systems. • However, there are voluntary “standards”, mainly for buildings