Annual Report 2021
"When we tackle the energy efficiency of buildings, what is the most critical current issue? It is evident that practitioners engaged in decision making about specifications for buildings and their technical services (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, domestic hot water, lighting, control systems, appliances) should have
metrics by which the various aspects of the design can be evaluated quantitatively for their energy performance and for their energy use under expected usage during
actual operation. While these are easy to ask for, it is difficult to develop and implement such metrics. It has been said that legal restraints (building energy codes and regulations) are the most effective methods in the buildings sector to guide their energy performance, and various metrics are already utilized in regulations. However, better metrics are being developed and further technological improvements are needed for them."
"To this end, 'real building energy use' was one of the priority themes in the EBC Strategic Plan for 2014-2019. Moreover, in the present EBC Strategic Plan for
2019-2024, 'planning, construction and management processes to reduce the performance gap between design stage assessment and real world operation' is one of our five strategic objectives. To improve the metrics, intensive research and
development activities are still needed such as for hardware / software (control) of energy systems in buildings and communities, demonstrations / validations (living labs), function / indoor environmental performance, occupants’ behaviour / building use, and so on. These themes are tackled by our projects known as Annexes and Working Groups. I hope readers will find hints in this Annual Report to support research activities and applying our findings in practice."
Dr Eng Takao Sawachi
EBC Executive Committee Chair
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