There’s a new roadmap that looks interesting for helping China improve energy efficiencyUsing less energy/electricity to perform the same function. Programs designed to use electricity more efficiently - doing the same with less. in buildings.  According to UNEP buildings apparently account for 42% of Chinese energy consumption(Final) energy consumption includes all energy supplied to to final user and includes all sectors, such as households, industries, agriculture…., and China already has done a lot of legislating on energyThe ability to perform work, mainly kinetic, potential, thermal energy, but also in forms of gravitational, sound, elastic and electromagnetic energy. efficiencyUsing less energy/electricity to perform the same function. Programs designed to use electricity more efficiently - doing the same with less. — current building codes demand that new residential buildings are 50% more efficient that those built in 1980-81. But the energy use in new high-grade shopping centres, office buildings and commercial space is high compared to similar buildings in the US and Europe.

So this roadmapA roadmap is a plan that matches short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions to help meet those goals. It is a plan that applies to a new product or process, or to an emerging technology Developing a roadmap has three major uses. It helps reach a consensus about a set of ... sets out a list of short-term and longer term measures that encourage China to fully implement the codes they’ve got in place, and to try and harness the powerUseful energy can be mechanical energy, for example powering a fan. of the market through energy pricing and clear appliance labelling among other things.

The suggested actions for future policy direction in China to further improve building energy efficiency are: [taken from the full report, which is available for free download in English or Chinese]

STEP 1 – Short-Term actions:
These are actions that are already partly underway, or that have already been introduced but where implementation could be improved or that could be introduced relatively simply. Once these measures are well- established, the scene is set for the introduction of more market based measures.

1. Strengthen the implementation of energy conservation codes and standards on newly-installed buildings and newly-added energy use equipment.
2. Strengthen and complete the capacity of intermediaries involved in building energy conservationAll the measures taken to lower the level of energy consumption..
3. Conduct further research into building energy conservation for existing buildings and establish market-based financing mechanisms
4. Complete energy price reforms
5. Establish a system for building energy data collection

Step 2 – Longer term actions :
These are actions that would be a bigger shift in policy direction and therefore require significant research and investigation before implementation. However, it is suggested that such a shift would result in larger and often more cost-effective energyEnergy actually useful to a costumer, such as light or heat in a house. savings.

1. Change the method of building energy efficiency improvement from a measures-based approach to an energy efficiency index approach, and provide a good macro-policy environment for the implementation of market- based incentive mechanisms on building energy efficiency.
2. Communicate building energy consumption to building users and occupiers
3. Strengthen and complete the long-effect incentive mechanisms for building energy conservation

Step 3 – Use of the CDM
Despite the barriers identified above, it is suggested that the CDMDefined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, the CDM is intended to meet two objectives: (1) to assist parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the ultimate objective of the convention; and (2) to assist parties included in Annex I in achieving ... could have a role in developing building energy efficiency projects in China, for example:

1. CDM finance could help to overcome split incentives whereby those who invest in the energy efficiency project are often not those who benefit from low running costs once the measure is installed. Through the CDM, the project owner (who invests in the energy efficient product) can, in many cases, receive CDM revenue rather than the party who is using the energy efficient product (Figueres and Bosi, 2006).
2. CDM registration could provide reputational benefits to project owners as well as financial ones as the project would receive global recognition as a low carbon’ buildings project.

The report is available in English or Chinese and it makes for some interesting reading.  The document itself is the outcome of a REEEP project.

Feedback is – as always – highly welcome