Energy transition and technical energy regulations in the building sector

Abstract

Energy demand from buildings accounts for about 31% of global final energy demand and 23% of global energy-related carbon emissions. Technical energy regulations or building energy codes - policies that set minimum requirements for energy in buildings – have proven effective and efficient in decarbonizing the building sector. However, despite their long history and success, policymakers increasingly recognise that TERs in their current design have reached a point of diminishing returns. This study evaluates five countries with innovative building energy codes – Denmark, France, England, Switzerland, and Sweden – through reviewing legal documents and conducting expert interviews with researchers, practitioners, and regulators. Our results highlight the implementation challenges of innovative building energy codes and we provide learnings in form of six design principles.