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EPA's eeBuildings China Initiative
Promoting voluntary low cost and no-cost measures to immediately reduce commercial building energy use, operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions
EPA’s eeBuildings China Initiative eeBuildings (energy-efficient buildings) is a voluntary market transformation initiative of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency to bring to developing countries lessons learned from the ENERGY STAR Buildings Program. In China, eeBuildings is working with owners and managers of large commercial buildings to help them identify low-cost and no-cost measures that can immediately reduce building energy use, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. The approach adopted for eeBuildings programming in China grew out of the following observations:
In the U.S., the most energy-efficient commercial buildings are, without exception, those with management and staff dedicated to superior operations and maintenance. They are not necessarily buildings with more efficient technology.
In China, there is little existing commercial infrastructure for delivering energy-efficiency services.
Chinese building owners often are reluctant to make significant investments in energy efficiency, particularly with relatively new buildings.
Large commercial buildings in Shanghai and other Chinese cities often include relatively advanced building control systems that are seldom used to their full advantage. In addition, building managers are rarely trained in the most effective approaches for managing energy use.
These observations led the EPA’s eebuildings team to a simple proposition for saving energy, reducing costs, and preventing pollution in China and other fast-developing countries:
The fastest, least costly, and most significant reductions in energy use can be achieved by working to better manage existing building systems using both best practices and the existing control systems.
To carry out its mission in China, eeBuildings has conducted extensive outreach to key actors in the Shanghai commercial buildings market, and has conducted training seminars in conjunction with Tongji University and the Association of Shanghai Property Managers. As of January 2004, the program has trained 130 building owners and managers responsible for 135 large commercial buildings in Shanghai (over 5 million square meters of floor space). The eebuildings program also has documented local case studies indicating how some Shanghai buildings have experienced energy reductions of more than 10% due to selected low-cost and no-cost operational measures. eeBuildings also offers assistance through an e-mail newsletter and the program’s Web site
A major focus for eeBuildings in 2004 is a demonstration project showcasing the eeBuildings low-cost and no-cost approach. The demonstration will focus on a high profile skyscraper in Shanghai. eeBuildings is currently enlisting partners for the project, which will involve collaboration between U.S. and Chinese experts.
For more information, contact Gary McNeil, Program Manager, EPA (202-343-9173).
To see more information on EPA and other U.S. government projects see Section I of the China Environment Series Inventory.
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China Environment Forum
Woodrow Wilson Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-3027
Email: cef@wilsoncenter.org
Tel: 202/691-4233
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