Residential and non-residential construction

The results from the carbon footprint calculation model for the chain of residential and non-residential buildings are all too obvious. The largest proportion of the COâ‚‚ emissions are a result of the energy used when the buildings (houses 80% and offices 91%) are in use.

The expectation is that houses and non-residential buildings will in the near future consume considerably less energy. Not only due to stricter legislative requirements (EPC) but also due to the demand from both public and private clients such as investors in real estate.

There is already a range of methods and instruments such as BREEAM and the GreenUp tool that focus on driving down COâ‚‚ emissions in the usage phase.

Incidentally, the greatest energy saving potential can be found in the existing building stock. In the Netherlands, just 1% of the housing stock and 1% of the non-residential buildings are renovated annually. However, the Toolkit Bestaande Bouw (Toolkit Existing Buildings) that was made available by SenterNovem and BAM Woningbouw in November 2008 is being used increasingly often. Due to the extensive nature of the renovation process, the first results are expected at the end of 2009.

Due to the dynamic approach to energy saving in the usage phase, it is expected that the COâ‚‚ emissions of the delivered products will drop strongly in the coming years. As a result, the relationships in the residential and non-residential construction chain will change and the relative share and importance of COâ‚‚ emissions in the procurement and construction phase will rise.