Poland aims to save energy
Implementation of the EU policy by Poland, if competently done,will not only reduce the expenses on energy purchases, but will also contribute to the economic development of the country and to improvement of its natural environment as well.
Polish energy ecfficiency legislation.
- National Housing Fund
In October 1995 the law on rules of state support for housing was passed. This financial support is granted from the Housing Fund, which was created on the basis of the above mentioned act. Multifamily social housing is the main target for this support. Meeting a criterion of required thermal insulation of the building is one of the preconditions of getting support. The seasonal heat demand for space heating should be at least 15% lower compared to the legal requirements.
- Thermal modernisation act
Thermal modernisation is a measure aimed at the reduction and consumption of heat demand in buildings. The scope of the required thermal modernisation is defined by an energy audit. The most common measures are:
− Thermal insulation of the building envelope - walls and roof,
− Window replacement,
− Heating system replacement or modernisation.
Over the past decade thousands of buildings have been retrofitted with support from the thermal modernisation fund established under this Act. This has resulted in CO2 emission reductions counted in millions of tonnes.
- Implementation of EPBD Directive in Poland.
EPBD (the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) is a directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings. EPBD has imposed an obligation on the EU member states to introduce legislative and administrative regulations aimed at harmonisation of energy performance standards for buildings as well as optimal heat energy use.
The main EPBD directive tool is energy performance certificates for buildings. The energy performance certificate is a certificate defining the level of thermal insulation properties of building (on a scale of A – G). Thanks to the information included in the certificate, the owner or tenant may estimate yearly energy demand and thereby building heating costs.
The obligations imposed on EU member countries by the Directive 2002/91/EC have been implemented to the Polish legislation through the amendments of the Building Law Act. The amendments gradually enter into force. From January 2009, the certificates are going to be obligatory in Poland for all newly built buildings as well as existing buildings introduced to the market for sale or rent.
In 2007 the Polish Ministry of Economy published provisions to the Energy Efficiency Act, which will implement the ESD Directive (Energy Saving Directive) 2006/32/WE on energy end-use efficiency and energy services in Poland. The implementation of this Law is in process.
According to the published provisions to the Energy Efficiency Act, the Act will introduce “White Certificates” as the main instrument encouraging energy efficiency improvement.
White Certificates confirm realisation of the energy efficiency measures and attainment of energy savings being results of the measures. Those savings may be reached by reduction of energy use by the end user, by the increase of energy conversion efficiency in energy or heat production, and also through cutting down energy losses in transmission and distribution of energy. Companies selling energy (electricity, gas and heat) to end users will have to submit and redeem a specified amount of white certificates each year. The certificates can be obtained through realisation of energy efficiency improvements or by purchasing certificates on the market.
According to the same provisions the improvement of energy efficiency in industry will be additionally supported by a second instrument: voluntary agreements between industry and government on energy efficiency improvement.
As required by the ESD directive, the Act will ensure that the public sector takes a main role in improving energy efficiency. It will be achieved through thermal modernisation of public buildings (authority, schools, hospitals, etc.), green public orders – governmental agencies and offices will be provided with energy efficient equipment, etc. Also workshops for public administration employees on pro energy effective behaviour will be organised.
Will the Act on energy efficiency be an effective instrument to drive energy efficiency improvement in the building sector? Are the instruments of the Act directed only at large-scale energy efficiency improvement measures in industry, while the small ones in the building sector are forgotten? Let us hope that this will not be the case…
Remember: these small energy efficiency measures in buildings due to their massive scale may bring substantial effects of energy saving and GHG emission reduction!
Polish