1) The context
The biggest barrier right now in Friuli Venezia Giulia is the general economic crisis that is stopping all construction and renovation. In addition, the mountainous part of the region consists primarily of small towns that have little budget and even a few technical knowledge. Small municipalities have little technical knowledge to integrate energy efficiency and sustainability criteria in public procurement.
Energy certification of buildings is seen more as a bureaucratic exercise than as the evaluation of the performance of buildings.
The sustainable construction industry is not well developed in the region and most of the certified materials or more efficient one comes from outside the region.
Professionals and craftmen lack of technical knowledge related to energy efficiency and build as they have always done in the past.
There isn’t any kind of advisory service for municipalities for promoting energy efficiency.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia we have one relevant element of strenghtness: the region introduced a framework for the assessment of buildings based on the international standard “SB Tool”, and it may be considered the first step towards a strategy for sustainability in construction. It analyzes both energetic and environmental aspect of buildings.
Another very interesting possibility is given by climatic position to take advantage of renewable energy, particularly solar energy and hydropower.
2) Description of the objectives
The global politicals objectives of the strategy to promote sustainable buildings and renewable energy use are:
- Climate objectives : reduce CO2 emissions, promote both energy efficiency and environmental sustainability
- Economic objectives : promotion of local economy also by short chain on the timber used for constructions and by used of certificated materials
- Local activity promotion
- Promote renovations rather than new construction, in consideration of the considerable number of existing buildings of historical / architectural value
3) Means to reach the objectives
3.1 – Integration in Local politics/ climate plan/Sustainable Energy action plan
a) set up the regional energetic plan or the regional sustainable energy action plan
b) promotion at the municipalities to join the Covenant of Mayors
c) promote sustainability through the application of the Protocol ITACA/VEA
d) creation and promotion of a short chain of timber building and of timber as construction material (trace the source)
e) promote the use of timber from certified forests (PEFC and FSC)
f) create a market for sustainable construction in order to speed the transition to sustainable technologies in the construction industry
g) promote the use of certified materials and not only CE but also with Environmental Product Declaration (ecolabel blue angel, …)
h) facilitate the certification of the construction material or through the creation of a regional laboratory or through agreements with laboratories in other neighboring regions
i) reduction of CO2 through voluntary carbon market (as Carbomark project)
3.2 – Means within MountEE
Assist mountain municipalities to build and renovate buildings
- with sustainable and efficient solutions and renewable energy use
Set up an Advise and assistance services for municipalities and social housing agency
Module 00 Green energy audit on existing buildings: energy and environmental audit protocol based on Protocollo ITACA
Module 0 Presentation of modules and results with the communal authorities
Module 1 Preliminary planning: definition of ecological aims in a program, supervision in competition
Module 2 Optimization of planning, tendering procedure:monitoring of offers
Module 3 Realization: Information for craftsmen, Product declaration, Product control,
Module 4 Control of success: Building site control, Measurements
Module 5 Service and maintenance: Monitoring on energy consumption , Support for maintenance plan and user manual of the building
Adapted funding policies
Improve existing funding and subsidies to sustainable buildings and social housing buildings
Create new kind of financial instruments for public sector based on stock exchange of white certificates, or on third part society/ESCO
Training
Provide opportunities for training and improvement of knowledge of key actors of the building chain (builders, investors, architects, craftsmen and consultants).
Regional Cooperation committee
Regional Cooperation committee (RCC) involves all key actors of the building chain (builders, investors, architects, craftsmen and consultants) in order to:
- exchange and sharing an overview of sustainable construction in our country;
- development of a strategy for sustainable building: sharing of objectives and actions of coordination with existing strategies (national and regional);
- evaluation and development of financial mechanisms for funding;
- selection of pilot projects;
- monitoring and implementation of support for local authorities;
- increased knowledge of stakeholders (politicians, technicians, professionals);
- exchange of knowledge and experience;
- training opportunities for all parties involved in the construction industry.
The members of the regional committee of coordination share the following concept:
- it is necessary to work together to help our region, Friuli Venezia Giulia, to carry forward the concepts of sustainable building and energy saving;
- each member of the group wants to improve their knowledge in relation to these issues by taking part of the project activities mountEE;
- the members of the group want to help to create a market for sustainable construction in order to speed the transition to sustainable technologies in the construction industry
- the members of the group want to develop actions involving all the parties involved in the construction industry.
Pilot projects
Municipalities and social housing organizations will start to implement energy efficient and ecological building and renovation projects by six pilot projects.
