China’s challenge: huge potential for energy savings
Three out of ten new buildings in China do not live up to the Chinese government’s compulsory standards for energy efficiency. Of the existing buildings, an estimated 95% do not comply with the energy efficiency standards. Now China is undergoing a fundamental change with increased focus on energy efficiency and green tech buildings.
China’s rapid transformation to a marketbased economy has triggered a building boom. In this process, there is now a growing interest in energy efficient buildings. Mr. Henrik Martens, Commercial Counsellor for Energy and Environment at the Danish embassy in Beijing, has followed the development closely. He says:
“Some of the facts are quite discouraging, because many building projects have focused too much on convenience and too little on energy efficiency.”
“The good news is that China is currently experiencing a growing interest in green technology and energy efficiency in buildings. Many decisionmakers want to build energy efficient buildings, but it is very difficult for them to work their way through complex projects.”
Progress – and room for improvement
The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China has investigated thousands of construction projects in order to find out whether or not the buildings live up to the compulsory energy efficiency standards.
In 2005, 58% of the projects were designed according to the standards, yet only 23% of the completed projects live up to the criteria. Therefore, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development decided to initiate stricter scrutiny of the building projects.
This led to improved results. In 2007, 97% of the projects were designed in accordance with the regulations on energy efficiency. However, only 71% of the completed projects actually live up to the standards. In other words, there has been significant progress in the design phase, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to the construction of the buildings.
Other sources point out that another big task is to improve the energy efficiency in existing buildings. According to the Climate and Environment 2009 report from the Rockwool Group, the Asia Business Council estimates that 95% of existing buildings in China are not energy efficient.
Potential in the coming years
China’s enhanced focus on energy efficiency will most likely lead to better opportunities for companies offering green technology and know-how, as Henrik Martens explains:
“We must take into account that the concept of energy efficient buildings has taken many years to develop in the European countries and elsewhere. The same goes for the know-how and craftsmanship needed to get the design and construction done correctly. In China, there is no tradition for energy efficient buildings, and the whole concept needs to be properly introduced, explained and implemented,” he says, and adds:
“The Chinese decision-makers and at least some of the developers show a growing interest for cost-effective, highquality building projects that focus on energy efficiency. It is a long haul, but we expect to see a lot of progress on energy efficiency in China in the years to come.”
