How the EU Has Worked to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Buildings

Introduction

The impact of the CO2 emission on the human life and climate cannot be underestimated. CO2, also known as a greenhouse gas, has a direct impact on the amount of radiation from the Sun that gets to the earth. Carbon emissions increase the concentration of greenhouse gases and that makes more radiation from the sun reach the earth, which can result in dire consequences.

 

Effects of CO2 Emission

The emission of carbon has several harmful effects that could make the earth not easy to live in for man, plants, and animals. Below are a few of the effects of CO2 emission:

1. Ice caps will melt and lead to a rise in sea level, which will make the coastal plains uninhabitable.
2. Global will have adverse effects on agricultural productivity.
3. It reduces the ozone layer and causes the high cloud cover in winter, which creates a platform for chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
4. CO2 emission causes extreme weather such that the weather systems change with effects such as floods, drought, and frequent storms.
5. Diseases spread to areas that were too cold for them to survive in before.
6. CO2 emission can cause the ecosystem to change and make the range of animals and plants existing to change.
7. It will make most organisms migrate to the North and South Poles.

 

The EU’s Efforts to Reduce Emissions from Buildings

According to the effects that CO2 emission will have on the entire living creatures, a small reduction in CO2 emissions from buildings could help reduce the problems that future generations will likely face. Buildings have been found to be responsible for consuming 40% of energy and emitting 36% CO2 in the European Union. Usually, new buildings need not more than 5 litres of heating oil per square meter per year while older buildings use about 25 litres on average and some buildings use almost 60 litres.

At present, about 35% of buildings in the EU are more than 50 years old. As a result, the EU is looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce the total energy consumed by about 6% and CO2 by about 5%.

The EU made certain laws to help keep CO2 emissions from buildings checked and reduced. These laws include the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive.

The EU stipulates that member countries must establish inspection organizations for heating and cooling systems by December 31, 2018, and set lowest energy performance requirements for new buildings and major renovation. Also, the government of member countries should only buy the building with high energy efficiency.

 

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Air Conditioning Inspections, and Energy Certificates

The EU proposed that the energy performance of buildings be carried out to ascertain the state of the cooling systems, which primarily refers to the air-conditioning system in a building. Air conditioning systems top the list of electronics in the home that cause more CO2 emissions.

As part of efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, it is essential to have your air conditioning inspected regularly to ensure energy efficiency and reduce electricity costs. Air conditioning refers to any system that involves the use of refrigeration to provide cooling of the occupants of a place.

The law requires that the air-conditioning system must be inspected to ensure that the system is performing efficiently or to determine if the system should be replaced. The inspection also identifies the units that are not needed again.

The inspection involves checking, maintaining, and cleaning the air conditioning units to provide a healthy environment for the residents and to prevent the leakage of refrigerant gases and ensure the safety of the equipment. The specialist responsible for the inspection is called the Energy Assessor.

However, it is mandatory to receive a copy of the inspection report from the Energy Assessor that carried out the inspection. The report will include the results and recommendations to improve the system’s performance. The report should be kept safe as an evidence for carrying out energy inspection and a part of fulfilling the law.

As part of efforts to ensure compliance with regard to reducing CO2 emissions from buildings, EU has made the energy performance certificates a compulsory document to be included in all advertisements for sales or rental of buildings

Energy performance certificate provides detailed information about the building that the consumer wants to buy or rent. The information should also include the year of constructing the building. Energy performance certificates have a direct impact on sales and rental of residential properties – properties with higher energy savings record higher sales or rental prices.