I was rubbing my eyes when I came across Yle's story (April 25.4) about the upcoming energy efficiency requirements under the headline “Many housing companies will see significant savings – you can even forget about expensive energy renovations.” According to the article, thanks to low-emission energy, energy efficiency improvements could be avoided. What the heck?
I think that future regulation should be directed towards both a low carbon footprint and low energy consumption.
The energy efficiency of buildings has been calculated for decades by determining the building's heat loss. The calculation takes into account the building envelope, its tightness and ventilation. The result is compared to a figure obtained using reference values, which must be below. The calculation is relatively simple and does not take into account everything that can be done to improve the energy efficiency of a building, for example with building services.
In addition to heat loss, the calculation of the building's total energy, or E-number, was introduced in 2012. The E-number allows the building's energy consumption to be measured mathematically and thus takes into account the energy efficiency of different systems.
Energy factor coefficients have been part of the E-number calculation from the beginning. They aim to describe the efficiency and environmental impacts of energy production. However, today the values found in the Government Decree are no longer based on scientific values, but are set politically.
Similarly, by political decision, log construction received relief in 2012 in terms of both the E-number and the heat loss calculation, because it would no longer have passed the requirements. Initially, the temporary relief, which only applied to single-family houses, was justified by traditional construction. However, the relief has not been removed, but has been expanded to cover all construction since 2017 based on “environmental values”.
Energy efficiency calculations are being reformed again with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The regulation, which is currently under review, is intended to set new numerical values for the coefficients of energy forms. Similarly, a climate assessment requirement will come into force next year based on the Construction Act, including the calculation of the carbon footprint and carbon handprint.
Now would be a good time to change the E-number to reflect what its name suggests: measuring the energy efficiency of a building. Environmental and emission issues are addressed in a climate report, and the E-number would indicate the energy efficiency of a building, i.e. how much energy the building consumes.
Energy efficiency is a very important issue for property owners, because energy costs money, whether it is emission-free or not. The proposed regulation also places property owners in an unequal position, because emissions from district heating vary greatly between locations.
For example, in Porvoo, 90 percent of district heating is renewable, while in Sipoo it is only 17 percent. With the proposed decree, the E-factor of a residential building in Porvoo would be 59 percent lower than in Sipoo without any measures being taken. When this is tied to property tax in the future, that will be a source of joy.
So let's make the E-number a real indicator of a building's energy efficiency by completely removing both the energy form coefficients and the allowances given to different materials. A building must be energy efficient regardless of its heating method, the material used, or the location in which it is built.
The text has also been published in the Näkökulma column of Rakennuslehti.
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Jani Kemppainen
Manager, Technical Regulations and Legislation and Quality
jani.kemppainen@rt.fi + 358 40 541 8090Building Construction Industry Association
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