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Energy standards set for buildings
By Xu Binglan (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-17 07:13
Property developers have to adopt energy-saving technology and products for
heating, cooling and lighting in new buildings from this year.
Real-estate projects would not be allowed to be launched unless they meet
mandatory energy-efficiency standards, Vice-Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing
told a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office.
For example, compared with old buildings, new structures must be able to cut
energy consumption by at least half.
The benchmark varies from region to region based on their natural conditions.
In Beijing, it is now 25 kilograms of coal equivalent, a unit of energy
consumption.
Qiu also said that a more stringent standard, to cut energy consumption by
two-thirds, will this year be used on an experimental basis in big cities such
as Beijing and Shanghai.
The experimental standard is scheduled to become effective nationwide by
2010.
China builds 2 billion square metres of floor area each year, almost half the
global total. The country has 40 billion square metres in existing buildings.
"Whether the new and old buildings can be made energy efficient will partly
decide whether the country's energy shortage can be alleviated. It will also
have an impact on global climate," Qiu said.
He said existing buildings would also be renovated for energy efficiency,
noting that introduction of technology and products for energy efficiency would
create a big market.
For new buildings, it would mean 100 to 200 yuan (US$12.5 to US$25) per
square metre in additional expenditure, amounting to 200-400 billion yuan (US$25
billion to US$50 billion) annually.
The upgrading of old buildings for energy saving is estimated to need 2.6
trillion yuan (US$325 billion).
Since China is a latecomer in energy conservation applied to the construction
sector, the country welcomes international players to share their technology
with domestic counterparts, and benefit from the promising market, Qiu said.
He said China would take other steps for energy saving in the construction
sector for which the construction and finance ministries are working on tax
incentives and subsidies for companies developing and applying related
technology.
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