Minister of Housing and Communications, Krista Kiuru, thinks that a large number of Finnish apartment blocks built in the 1960s and 70s are ageing, and should undergo repair and renovation work to improve their energy efficiency. ”We have accumulated an enormously large bill to pay for repairs. We can no longer afford to not to make these buildings more energy-efficient,” says Kiuru. ”Pilot projects carried out show that the energy consumption of old apartment blocks can be reduced through cost-effective construction solutions.”
Kiuru believes that investments required for such repairs will be recouped many times over by residents and owners, when they can live for a long time with significantly lower costs. In repair and renovation work, Kiuru sees more opportunities for growth and employment than in new construction. ”In the current economic climate, we can also consider counter-cyclical measures to boost repair and renovation construction. We now need to specialise in repair and renovation, to provide training in it and to establish best practices through pilot projects, to show how we can repair large apartment block complexes as cost-efficiently as possible.
Energy efficiency requirements for new construction entered into force at the beginning of July. According to Krista Kiuru, Minister of Housing and Communications, preparatory work at the ministry to extend the regulations to the existing building stock will be complete after comment on it have been received. ”The aim is for Parliament to start debating the bill concerning energy efficiency requirements in repair construction during the autumn, and it should enter into force at the beginning of 2013,” says Kiuru.
Kiuru says that the background to the new energy efficiency targets consists of the climate and energy policy objectives set by the EU. ”Throughout the EU, both new and repair construction come within the sphere of energy regulations and we are introducing the same guidelines.”
Ecology and low emissions exerting pressure on future construction
The share of total emissions generated by construction and living is about 40%, which is more than that produced by industry or transport. Because only about 1.5% of the overall building stock is annually renewed through new construction, it is very important that further steps are taken to improve the energy efficiency of the existing building stock. ”Energy efficiency and ecology are exerting increasing pressure on future construction. We must carefully prepare for the introduction of new regulations regarding energy efficiency. Energy efficiency and life-cycle thinking should extend to all construction, from land use and town planning to public and repair construction and the entire house-building sector,” says Kiuru. ”Energy smartness also means increasing the use of wood in construction,” she continues. Wood construction should be seen as part of climate policy, so in energy-efficient construction we now need some significant new initiatives.”
Kiuru believes that, within ten years, the energy regulations for construction will be must more stringent than now. ”We should now start to reform land use and town planning policy, because it will take a great deal of time. In future, it should be possible to start major construction projects from a completely new base,” predicts Kiuru.
She says that everyone should pay attention to energy efficiency in construction, both in new and repair construction, because it will bring significant savings in energy consumption and smaller bills for consumers. ”Lower energy costs are the carrot for the consumer, encouraging them to build and repair energy- and cost-efficiently. Investments required for such repairs will be recouped many times over by residents and owners, when they can live for a long time with significantly lower costs. These days, nobody buys even a basic appliance without knowing how much energy it consumes. In the same way, consumers must be able to demand energy-efficient homes,” says Kiuru.
In Minister Kiuru’s opinion, the government will give a clear direction to future construction. There is pressure to do so from ecology and low emissions targets. According to studies, from a point of view of ecological sustainability, as a building material wood is unbeatable in life cycle comparisons. ”Since fire safety regulations were reformed, we have had great opportunities to increase the use of wood in the construction of apartment blocks,” says Kiuru. Wood construction suits the Finnish soul, and its use in home building is sensible from an ecological and socio-economic perspective. Therefore we should not be satisfied merely with achieving a low level of wood construction, but trying to catch up with Sweden,” suggests Kiuru.
Something in repair and renovation for the construction industry to get it teeth into
One aim of the Katainen government programme is to improve the energy efficiency of construction and to aim for almost zero energy construction by 2020. The intention is to specify emissions reduction possibilities for the building stock, and to increase training in energy-efficient construction and repair construction, as well as research on the subject. A comprehensive plan will also be drawn up to increase repair and renovation work in the building stock, and new repair methods and innovation will also be promoted.
”Because a large number of Finnish apartment blocks built in the 1960s and 70s are ageing, we have accumulated an enormously large bill to pay for repairs. We can no longer afford to not to make these buildings more energy-efficient,” says Kiuru. ”Pilot projects carried out show that the energy consumption of old apartment blocks can be reduced significantly through cost-effective repair construction.”
In repair and renovation work, Kiuru sees more opportunities for growth and employment than in new construction. ”We need growth and employment in the construction industry. In energy efficiency-related repair work for the massive old building stock, the construction industry will really have something to get its teeth into for a long period of time,” says Kiuru. ”Now that we have completed some successful pilot projects, for example at Peltosaari in Riihimäki, we can now benefit from large-scale energy efficiency in repair and renovation. We now need to specialise in repair and renovation, to provide training in it and to establish best practices through pilot projects, to show how we can repair large apartment block complexes as cost-efficiently as possible.
The public sector the flagship for repair construction
The construction industry is hoping that social incentives and public sector repair projects will boost repair and renovation construction. ”Now we must assess what kind of requirements and guidelines can be set for choices of material in public sector construction and energy efficiency, so that the public sector can serve as a flagship for energy-efficient construction,” says Kiuru about her expectations for the construction sector. ”New legislation will be based on the fact that the public sector construction will act as a pioneer, in future targeting almost zero energy construction on the construction road map.”
In this period of slower economic growth, Kiuru also sees opportunities to boost repair construction through state action. ”Now that economic growth is slower than we would have liked, we can also consider counter-cyclical measures to boost repair construction,” says Kiuru. ”In terms of the objectives of employment and energy policy, the energy-efficient repair of the existing building stock is a major factor. ”
According to Kiuru, the government programme should be interpreted to the effect that society should favour construction alternatives that are beneficial from an environmental perspective. ”Through regulations it must be decided whether new construction and repair construction should be treated in the same way. Energy efficiency requirements are increasingly leading to more specific alternative in forms of material and heating. These things are key questions related to the energy and climate-related objectives of construction, and they will be addressed during this present Parliament. Hopefully enough political will be forthcoming from all parties,” says Kiuru.
Puuinfo article service/Markku Laukkanen
More information:
Minister Krista Kiuru, 09 1603 9304, krista.kiuru@ymparisto.fi
Special Assistant Jouni Parkkonen, 040 176 1304, jouni.parkkonen@ymparisto.fi