SWEDEN - COUNTRY REPORT

Transcription

1 SWEDEN - COUNTRY REPORT 1.1 Response questionnaire Preliminary questionnaire for Working Group, filled in by The Min. of Environment, Sweden, 2009 Questionnaire 1, filled in by The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (Boverket), shortened hereafter as Boverket, with help of The Ministry, June 2010, followed by correspondence Questionnaire 2, filled in by The Chalmers University of Technology, 11/5/2010, shortened hereafter as Chalmers University. 1.2 Rule system Type of regulation The Swedish building regulations are performance based. Relevant laws concerning construction are The Planning and Building Act (1987:10) The Act on Technical Requirements for construction works, etc (1994:847) The Environmental code (1998:808) Relevant Ordinances, issued by the government are: Planning and Building Ordinance (1987:383, many changes since then) Ordinance on Technical Requirements for Construction works, (1994:1215) Sustainable construction is also regulated in The Environmental Code and The Work Environment Act. The governmental authority, Boverket, develops and issues Building Regulations and Design Regulations. Both consist of mandatory provisions and general recommendations Regulated sustainability topics for new buildings On the field of ecological quality there are regulations for energy performance, thermal insulation, air permeability and water conservation/efficiency techniques, but no regulation on energy efficiency techniques (e.g. low-energy light bulbs), waste reduction and use of recyclable/renewable materials. In future regulations on usage of renewable energy sources will be introduced. With respect to economic quality only the reduction of waste during the construction process is regulated. Some sustainable aspects of social quality are regulated, for example provision of safe and healthy work conditions, and the provision of transport links to local context. Most sustainable aspects of functional quality and technical quality are regulated Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

2 The two respondents differ in their answers on some aspects of regulation of sustainable construction. Chalmers University has the idea the many of aspects in the questionnaire are only mentioned as recommendations or as desirable for policy, but are not regulated by law. Boverket answers that the general advice is to clarify the requirements, that are given as functional demands in the legislation Rules for existing buildings and for renovation of existing buildings The building code applies for renovation of existing buildings with consideration to the extent of the renovation and the possibilities of the building. Several regulations on sustainability aspects also apply for renovation of existing buildings, but only for renovation of the main structure or building services. For existing building only regulations exist on energy performance/thermal isolation and on water conservation/efficiency techniques. In case of energy performance/thermal isolation a lower level applies in comparison with new buildings Level of regulation Most regulation on sustainability aspects is on a national level, with exception of the following social and functional aspects, which are regulated on a local level: To provide local schools, health, social facilities To provide housing for the elderly To reject or discourage gated development To provide transport links to local context To provide links to adjacent neighbourhoods To the shape of the exterior Background in EU-Directives The following regulations have a background in EU-directives: Ecological quality: energy performance, usage of renewable energy sources, thermal insulation, limitation of ozone depleting gasses; Economic quality: reduction of waste during the construction process; Functional quality: moisture protection of the building envelope, indoor air-quality, thermal comfort in winter, acoustic comfort, indoor air daylight entry; Technical quality: structural safety of the construction, fire resistance of the construction, safety of a construction during a fire; Ordering of the regulations For all sustainability aspects, the regulations apply to all building types Type of requirements and deemed-to-satisfy solutions Almost all regulation is performance based ( verifierbara funktionskrav ) There is documentation available on accepted or deemed-to-satisfy solutions for all aspects of sustainability. Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

3 1.2.8 Process of implementation Most regulation is top-down implemented (mostly a government led process), with exception of the regulation on technical quality aspects of sustainability: this was a cooperative process (governmental parties collaborated with the construction sector). Regulation on energy efficiency is dictated on what the market can achieve in recent constructions. 1.3 Enforcement regime 1 Building plans: General: To start a construction work the owner of the building needs a building permit. In Sweden the owner of the building is responsible for meeting the demands of the technical regulations. The building permit only covers planning and local aspects (site, architecture) and does not take the technical design or technical requirements into account. The application for a permit is processed by the local building committee. The committee checks the location of the construction work, the design, and if the work fulfils the regulations of the detailed development plan. The assessment is mostly on precise siting and external appearance, not on technical design. Sustainability aspects: Only social sustainability aspects of the plan are checked by the municipality. (But Chalmers University answers that energy performance is also checked by the municipality.) Work under construction: General: When a building permit has been launched it is again the building owner who has the total responsibility to society to ensure that a construction work fulfils all the technical requirements. The local authorities, the building inspection, have a purely supervisory responsibility. Before the construction work starts, the owner has to give in a building notice. This notice gives the building committee an opportunity to assess the need for supervision and inspection. When a building notice is received, the committee shall convene for a consultative meeting unless this is evidently unnecessary. At the meeting the construction work will be examined at such issues as planning of the works, supervision and other controls which are necessary to comply with the requirements of society. At the time of the consultative meeting, or as soon as possible thereafter, the building committee shall decide of an inspection schedule for the works. It is primarily the responsibility of the owner to set out what inspections and verifications he considers necessary to confirm that the technical requirements are met. The building committee shall determine whether the inspections proposed by the owner are sufficient or if other actions have to be taken such as additional inspections, notifications and documentation. For complicated constructions or details the committee can also ask for the opinion of an external expert. When the inspection schedule has been decided, it is the building owner who has the responsibility to ensure that it is compiled with. To aid him in this respect the owner shall normally have appointed a quality assurance supervisor. The quality assurance supervisor shall assist the building owner, be present at consultative meetings and inspections and also in other respect ensure that the inspection schedule is complied with. Sustainability aspects: sustainability aspects are not checked formally by the authorities. But for energy an energy certificate has to be issued within two years after the building is completed. 1 For this section also the following paper is used: B.Nivall - The Swedish system for inspection and supervision of works and products, Conference paper Competitiveness in the European construction sector, Malmö, 6-7 Sept Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

4 Finished construction work prior to occupation: General: When the construction is completed and the building owner has met his obligations in accordance with the inspection schedule and the building committee has not found it necessary to intervene as supervisory authority, the committee shall issue a completion certificate. If the building committee finds that the building owner has failed to satisfy all conditions necessary for the issue of a completion certificate, the committee shall without undue delay decide to what extent use of the building shall be permissible until such time the failure has been remedied. The supervision and inspection system described is intended not only to ensure that the technical requirements in BVL have been compiled with, but also that the project agrees with the building permit and with the detailed development plan or special area regulations. These issues should be given the necessary considerations during consultative meetings and in the inspection plan, as well as when the completion certificate is issued. Sustainability aspects: only functional quality aspects are (visually) monitored by the technical advisor on behalf of authorities (=building committee?). This monitoring is regulated in law. Existing buildings in use: Energy-related aspects of existing buildings are monitored by the technical advisor on behalf of owner. This is done superficially by means of a paper checklist. Functional sustainability aspects are checked visually by the technical advisor on behalf of the authorities. This monitoring process is regulated in law. 1.4 Sustainable construction initiatives including public and joint public-private initiatives There are no special guidelines for a national strategy on sustainable construction as such. Sustainability has to be interpreted in different ways into many areas. The environment is an important part of sustainability. In 1999 the Swedish Parliament adopted 16 national environmental objectives. These objectives demonstrate what environmental situation should be achieved in the perspective of one generation. The most relevant objective in this context is the one concerning a Good urban environment. The Environmental Code and the national environmental objectives lay the groundwork for a decentralisation of environmental endeavours. This boost opportunities and interest, above all in the business and industrial community, to initiate measures promoting a better environment. The objectives themselves provide guidelines for application of the Code. There are sub-goals concerning indoor air in buildings focusing on sufficient ventilation and radon levels in schools, day-nurseries and housing. The health aspects of the indoor air are stressed, noise and use of energy are other aspects. To stress the importance of an adequate working ventilation the Parliament introduced in 1992 a system for obligatory checks of ventilation - systems. The Swedish construction sector has voluntarily undertaken to reduce the amount of construction waste by one half within a specific period of time. Climate-change: There have been local investment programmes including grants to reduce energyconsumption, replace fossils and electricity and reduce C02. Energy-efficiency: Sub-goal saying: the total energy use per heated area unit in housing and offices decreases. The decrease should be 20% up to year 2020 and 50 per cent up to 2050 in comparison to the energy use in Up to the year 2020 the need of fossils fuels for energy use in buildings should have come to an end and at the same time the percentage of renewables are continuously increasing. Government regulation to sustainable construction and complementary sustainable construction initiatives in general work hand in hand in Sweden. Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

5 Voluntary initiatives The Building and Living Dialogue consists of voluntary agreements between the Government and different actors within the sector of property-owners and managers, construction sector and others. The aim of the dialogue is that those that are taking part want to get beyond what regulations stipulates. The target is, to reach before 2025 a sustainable construction sector, mainly concerning a good indoor air, efficient use of energy and the use of natural resources. The result of the efforts of the participants has been presented in a booklet. The Building and Living Dialogue as a whole is evaluated by an independent consultant. The environmental objectives and especially the sub-goals are continuously monitored and evaluated by an special organisation formed for that purpose. Research activities There is a cross-discipline research program that is financed partly by the construction sector and partly by the Government concerning efficient use of energy and resources in construction and management of buildings. The program also includes buildings as a system, that is more of a holistic view and studies on relations between technical systems, information and users behaviour. 1.5 Role of EU On the question Do you see any role for the EU to stimulate sustainable construction in your country?, Chalmers University answers: Yes, set higher ambitions. Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

6 Regulations on sustainable construction Boverket Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

7 Regulations on sustainable construction Chalmers University Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

8 Checking of building plans Boverket Checking of building plans Chalmers University Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

9 Checking of work under construction Boverket Checking of work under construction Chalmers University Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

10 Checking of the finished work, prior to occupation Boverket Checking of the finished work, prior to occupation Chalmers University Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

11 Checking of existing buildings in use Boverket Checking of existing buildings in use Chalmers University Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011

12 Y , Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden febr. 2011