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News Release from: Solarcentury | Subject: Solar PV building regulation
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 January 2005
New legislation to require PV in new
buildings?
A range of public and private sector organisations have endorsed the need for a solar PV building regulation or "ordinance" in European cities.
A range of public and private sector organisations have endorsed the need for a solar PV building regulation or "ordinance" in European cities The organisations, including the municipality of Bologna, Munich City Council, the Institute of Catalan Energy (ICAEN), and solarcentury here in London, are urging European city legislators to prescribe the uptake of solar PV in new housing, commercial and industrial developments
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 30 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The proposed ordinance would also apply to buildings undergoing major reconstruction.
The shortened London version of the ordinance (click here) would require developers to reduce the proposed building's predicted annual carbon emissions by at least 10% through the installation of solar PV.
Technically, the 10% solar PV requirement is a modest one.
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Research conducted by independent consultants for the UK Government's current Building Regulations Part L consultation for example, showed that solar PV, solar thermal and micro wind technologies could each reduce carbon emissions in housing built to 2002 regulations by at least 20%.
Support for a solar PV ordinance has been growing across Europe since the success of the Barcelona solar thermal ordinance adopted in 2001.
This requires all large residential buildings in Barcelona to source 60% of their hot water requirements from solar thermal technologies.
In its first year of operation, the solar thermal ordinance saw installation rates quadruple in Barcelona, and it has now been adopted by other major Spanish cities including Madrid and Seville.
Seb Berry, solarcentury's representative on the European project said, "the success of the Barcelona solar thermal ordinance demonstrates that prescriptive local building regulations or planning requirements really can deliver cost-effective increases in renewable energy capacity in European cities".
" Here in London, the London Plan and the Mayor's Energy Strategy launched in February 2004 already "require" developers to integrate renewable energy technologies including solar PV in all major new developments".
" The proposed EU-wide ordinance endorses the policies that are now in place in the capital, but would give them more teeth".
" Throughout Europe, solar thermal and solar PV ordinances will be key allies in the front-line of the fight against climate change and the need to deliver more sustainable solutions to building in densely populated cities.".
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