Mandatory conformance to energy conservation standard for small and medium-sized houses and buildings
― Adding the special measure to mitigate the floor area ratio restriction in the cooperation of interchange of heat and electricity among multiple houses and buildings
On January 18, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism held Building Environment Subcommittee of the Panel on Infrastructure Development, whose chairman is Dr. Seiichi Fukao, Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Metropolitan University and the chairman of the Building Working Group, compiled the second proposal on the future energy conservation measures for houses and buildings. The proposal emphasizes on the new obligation to new medium-sized buildings (total floor space of over 300 ㎡ and less than 2,000 m2) in compliance with energy conservation standards. In addition to strengthening regulations, it also includes the exception which allows to mitigate the floor area ratio restriction in cooperating in interchange of heat and electricity among multiple houses and buildings.
The proposal consists of three themes, such as (1) Reservation of compliance with energy-conservation standards for new housing and buildings, (2) Promotion of supply of new housing and buildings with high energy-saving performance (3) Improvement of energy-saving performance for existing houses and buildings. Regarding mandatory compliance with energy conservation standards, mid-sized buildings are added as target because they have the relatively high conformity rate of 91% to the standard and less market confusion is expected.
In terms of dissemination of new houses and buildings with excellent energy saving performance, residential top runner program will be revised. As for obligation of conforming to the energy efficiency standard, custom-built detached houses and rental apartments, where major housing makers undertake construction as contractors, are added to the target of the law which promotes energy efficiency of sale detached houses.
In addition to strengthening regulations on business operators, it also indicated a policy to allow exceptional floor area ratio. Currently, in single houses and buildings with cogeneration facilities, the facility area is not included in the floor area of the building with an upper limit of 10% of the total floor space.
This exceptional measure is also applied to the cases in the cooperation to interchange heat and electricity among multiple houses and buildings. The proposal to be included in the revision of the Building Energy Conservation Act will be submitted to the ordinary Diet session in 2019.
Source: Monthly Magazine “Energy Conservation”