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Current Policies and Practices in Leading Green Building Nations

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Current Policies and Practices in Leading Green Building Nations Benchmark Study on Green Buildings: Current Policies and Practices in Leading Green Building Nations By: Warwick Sangster For: Industry Canada Energy and Environmental Industries Branch August 2006 1 Note: This paper was written as a summer student work project and does not necessarily reflect the views of Industry Canada. Table of Contents 1.0 Purpose……………………………….……………………………............ 1 2.0 Background……………………………………………………………….. 1 3.0 Methodology……………………………….……………………………… 1 4.0 Country Green Building Evaluation Systems Table………...…………….. 2 5.0 Country Green Building Council & Related Organization Table…………. 7 6.0 Environmental Labeling Systems…………………………………………. 9 6.1 Global Ecolabeling Network: Global Coverage…………………... 9 6.2 Green Seal: United States…………………………………………. 9 6.3 EcoLogo: Canada & United States………………………………. 9 6.4 EU EcoLabel: Germany & United Kingdom……………………… 10 6.5 The Blue Angel: Germany………………………………………… 10 6.6 Eco Mark: Japan…………………………………………………... 10 6.7 Good Environmental Choice Label: Australia……………………. 11 7.0 Country Green Building Initiative Summaries………………………..…... 11 7.1 United States………………………………………………………. 11 7.2 Canada. ……………………………………………………………. 12 7.3 Germany………………………………………………………….... 13 7.4 Japan……………………………………………………………….. 14 7.5 Australia…………………………………………………………… 15 7.6 United Kingdom…………………………………………………… 15 8.0 Conclusions Section……………………………………………………….. 16 8.1 Barriers…………………………………………………………….. 16 8.1.1 Education & Awareness…………………………………… 16 8.1.2 Costs & Funding…………………………………………… 17 8.1.3 Technology, Products & Materials………………………… 18 8.1.4 Building Industry…………………………………………... 19 8.2 Recommendations & Areas for Improvement……………………... 20 8.2.1 Education & Awareness…………………………………… 20 8.2.2 Programs, Initiatives & Government Action………………. 21 8.2.3 Technology, Products & Materials………………………… 24 8.2.4 Business Case for Green Buildings………………………... 25 8.2.5 Building Industry………………………………………….. 25 2 Appendix A: Green Building Council & Related Organization In-Depth Descriptions. 26 A-1 United States………………………………………………………. 26 A-2 Canada…………………………………………………………….. 29 A-3 Germany…………………………………………………………... 30 A-4 Japan…………………………………………………………….... 30 A-5 Australia…………………………………………………………... 32 A-6 United Kingdom…………………………………………………... 33 A-7 World Green Building Council (WGBC)…………………………. 34 Appendix B: In-Depth Country Reviews………………………………………..... 35 B-1 United States………………………………………………………. 35 • Green Building Tax Credits (GBTCs)……………………... 35 • The Enterprise Foundation’s “Green Communities”..…….. 36 • City financial incentive examples……………………….... 36 • Renewable energy generator incentives…………………... 37 • Million Solar Roofs initiative & Solar America Initiative… 37 • Incentive example for water conservation…………………. 38 • Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)…………………….. 38 • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)…………. 38 • Sustainable Energy Coalition (SEC)………………………. 39 • American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy……... 39 • Alliance to Save Energy (ASE)……………………………. 40 • Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE)…………………. 42 • Energy and Environmental Building Association (EEBA).. 42 • energyhawk.com………………………………………….. 43 • Energyguide.com………………………………………….. 43 • Energy Service Companies (ESCOs)……………………… 43 • National Association of Energy Service Companies……… 44 • New Buildings Institute (NBI)……………………………. 44 • Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)…………………….. 44 • American Energy Efficiency Alliances…………………… 45 • Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP)………………… 45 • Advanced Technology Program (ATP)…………………… 45 • US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)…………………………… 46 • Department of Agriculture renewable energy grant………. 47 • Federal & Municipal green building requirements………… 47 • DoE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)…… 47 • Energy Star………………………………………………… 48 • Energy Policy Act tax incentives………………………….. 48 • NGO green building incentive example…………………… 49 B-2 Canada……………………………………………………………... 49 • Federal financial incentive programs by NRCan’s Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) (CBIP, IBIP, FBI, etc)…...……….......... 49 3 • Federal House in Order (FHIO) initiative………………… 51 • R-2000…………………………………………………….. 52 • Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program……………………………………………………. 52 • Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation initiatives…… 53 • Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative (REDI)………... 53 • Technology Early Action Measures (TEAM) Project…….. 54 • Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)…………. 54 • Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)….. 54 • Funding Guide for International Science and Technology Cooperation (FGISTC)……………………………………. 55 • Office of Energy Research and Development (OERD) programs (PERD, T&I R&D, CES, BET)…………………………… 55 • Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)…………………. 57 • SME-IDEA………………………………………………... 57 • Other government funding and service programs….……… 57 • Energy Star & various rebates………...……..……………. 58 • Green Municipal Fund (GMF)…………………………….. 58 • Municipal green building initiatives………………………. 59 • Infrastructure Canada infrastructure improvement programs 59 • Company energy conservation & green building incentives. 60 • NGO & NPO programs and incentives……………………. 62 • Energy Service Companies (ESCOs)……………………… 62 • Sustainable Condo………………………………………… 62 • National Building Code & provincial building code updates 63 • Green Roofing industry & Canadian incentives…………... 63 B-3 Germany…………………………………………………………… 64 • German Renewable Energy Law (EEG) & information…... 64 • KfW Federal Bank CO2 Building Modernization Program & CO2 Reduction Program…………………………………... 64 • Energy Service Companies (ESCOs)……………………… 65 • Deutsche Energie-Agentur (DENA) National energy labelling program & Energy Star………………………………..…... 66 • European Commission’s GreenBuilding Project………….. 66 • Green Roofing industry, policy & incentives……………... 67 • National Building Code (NBC) information……………… 69 • Roof-top leasing program for renewable energy systems… 69 • Federal Government green building promotion…………... 69 • Some past renewable energy & green building programs… 70 • German Research Foundation (GRF)……………….…….. 70 • Baufritz green building company…………………………. 70 • German ‘green districts’ – Freiburg………………………. 71 • German ‘green districts’ – Vauban……………………….. 71 4 B-4 Japan……………………………………………………………..... 73 • Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ)………………. 73 • ECCJ reduced rate loans…………………………………... 74 • ECCJ commendation programs…………………………… 74 • Energy Conservation Days, Months, and general check-ups 75 • Top Runner Program……………………………………… 75 • ECCJ free energy audits…………………………………… 76 • Energy Star………………………………………………… 76 • Energy Saving Labeling Program…………………………. 76 • ECCJ Energy Efficient Product Retailer Assessment System76 • Rebates for new water heating systems……………………. 77 • Energy Service Companies (ESCOs)……………………… 77 • Home & Building Energy Management Systems…………. 77 • ECCJ guidelines, building information & “Smart Life”….. 78 • ECCJ & METI ENEX Exhibition…………………………. 78 • ECCJ Energy Conservation Education Program………….. 78 • ECCJ Energy Conservation Republic Program…………… 79 • ECCJ appliance comparison website……………………… 79 • Hybrid-Z homes & solar panel information…….………… 79 • New Energy Foundation (NEF) programs………………… 80 • Building Centre of Japan (BCJ)…………………………… 81 • MLIT Government Green Buildings Program……………. 82 • Overseas Performance Evaluation and Approval initiative.. 82 • Japanese Building Research Institute’s Department of Environmental Engineering (DEE)………………………... 82 • Environmental Activity Evaluation Program……………… 83 • Yanepita Photovoltaic Systems……………………….…… 83 • Residential geothermal heat pumps………………………. 83 • Eco Families…………………………………………….… 84 • Lifuel cogeneration systems……………………………… 84 • CO2 calculator from Tokyo Gas…………………………... 84 • LPG fuel cell systems…………………………………….. 85 • Biomass Town Program…………………………………... 85 • METI Eco Town Program………………………………… 86 • Friends of the Earth (FoE) Japan………………………….. 87 B-5 Australia…………………………………………………………… 87 • Australian Government’s climate change strategy………… 87 • Australian Climate Change Science Program (ACCSP)…... 87 • Community Abatement Grants…………………………….. 88 • Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program (GGAP)……………. 88 • Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund………… 88 5 • National Climate Change Adaptation Program……………. 89 • Australian Government renewable energy programs……… 89 • Low Emissions Technology and Abatement initiative……. 90 • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)…………………………………………………… 90 • Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) programs……………….. 90 • Futureenergy.org…………………………………………... 91 • Government funding for HVAC system improvements…... 92 • WELS Scheme & water efficiency label………………….. 92 • Energy Star & Energy Rating Label………………………. 93 • Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy……… 93 • Sustainability Victoria information & programs.…………. 94 • Australian Building Energy Council (ABEC)…………….. 96 • Mecu Bank goGreen Home Improvement Loan………….. 97 • Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)……………….. 97 • Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF)……………… 97 • Centre for Energy and Greenhouse Technologies (CEGT).. 98 • Smart Housing, Research House and renewal projects......... 98 • Alternative Technology Association (ATA)………………. 99 • Your Home………………………………………………… 100 • The Green Directory………………………………………. 100 • Energyrating.gov.au………………………………………. 101 • Top Energy Saver Award…………………………………. 101 • Sustainable Living Foundation (SLF)…………………….. 101 • Urban Ecology
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