General energy use target set: He said developers would be
forced to meet an energy use target but would have the flexibility to
meet it in any way they saw fit through measures such as better design,
use of insulation, glazing and light.
Support from Master Builders Association: Brian Welch, executive
director of the Master Builders Association of Victoria, also welcomed
the regulations. “We do support the announcement and agree the
standards should increase gradually,” he said.
Concern over tilt-up panel construction: The only concern Welch
had was the effect the new regulations – which come into operation in
May 2006 – would have on tilt-up panel construction, which uses
concrete panels. He said that technique, which is a low-cost form of
construction, might be affected as builders strive to meet the energy
efficiency targets.
$3.4bn in long-term savings: Building commissioner Tony Arnel,
who is on the ABCB board, said the new regulations would help combat
the high greenhouse gas emissions from the commercial building sector.
Arnel said the industry would incur an $80 million increase in costs in
the first year of the new regulations, but in the next decade there
would be $3.4 billion in savings.”Many commercial building developers
would be ahead of these minimum standards already,” he said.
US already has similar regulations: Visiting expert Ron Judkoff,
a director at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said similar
regulations had been in place in the US for decades. Judkoff said that
reducing the need for lighting during the day could be achieved through
a skilful use of glass.
The Age, 3/12/2005, p. 24
Source: Erisk – www.erisk.net