1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:21,660 Most of us know how much fuel our car uses over 100 kilometres. But what about at home 2 00:00:21,660 --> 00:00:28,380 or in the office? Who has a clue how much energy they use per year or per square metre? 3 00:00:28,380 --> 00:00:35,500 Or how much oil, gas or electricity? Practically no one. And we'd probably be surprised to 4 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:43,880 find out. Take a look at this waste detector. Filming a house with an infrared camera allows 5 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:49,700 us to see directly the heat lost from the building. The areas of greatest heat loss 6 00:00:49,700 --> 00:00:58,060 show up in red. On this basis, just imagine the amount of energy lost in an entire town 7 00:00:58,060 --> 00:01:07,260 or a country. And here we're only looking at heat loss. It's the same story when it 8 00:01:07,260 --> 00:01:18,260 comes to waste from lights, hot water production and air conditioning. The energy performance 9 00:01:18,260 --> 00:01:24,900 of many of our buildings is poor. Yet in Europe we spend on average 90% of our time inside 10 00:01:24,900 --> 00:01:33,780 buildings. The energy we use indoors accounts for 40% of the entire European Union consumption. 11 00:01:33,780 --> 00:01:39,940 That's more than for industry or transport. However, technological progress coupled with 12 00:01:39,940 --> 00:01:45,460 relatively simple measures could bring about energy savings of up to 20% across the European 13 00:01:45,460 --> 00:01:51,100 Union. Even more in the new member states, while at the same time making buildings more 14 00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:59,220 comfortable. Which is why a new European directive applies from January 2006. It tightens 15 00:01:59,220 --> 00:02:04,780 up rules on energy performance in both living and workplaces throughout the European Union 16 00:02:04,780 --> 00:02:11,380 and encourages all countries to meet the same equally high standards. For the European Energy 17 00:02:11,380 --> 00:02:18,460 Commissioner, the stakes are high. This directive is extremely ambitious in scope because we 18 00:02:18,460 --> 00:02:24,940 face a lot of challenges. Climate change, we should also see a situation with security 19 00:02:24,940 --> 00:02:30,660 of supply. There is less conventional sources of energy. And building directive aim is to 20 00:02:30,660 --> 00:02:38,020 decrease energy consumption and to make energy consumption, I could say, more intelligent, 21 00:02:38,020 --> 00:02:44,460 more clever. 40% of the energy we are using for buildings. And the biggest saving potential 22 00:02:44,460 --> 00:02:51,740 is there. Buildings using less energy will help to meet the requirements of the Kyoto 23 00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:57,020 Protocol and reduce energy bills, not just for the European Union, but also for tenants 24 00:02:57,020 --> 00:03:08,260 and owners. So what's got to change and for whom? Firstly, every country must define a 25 00:03:08,260 --> 00:03:14,160 means of calculating energy performance in its buildings within a common EU framework. 26 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,600 To be able to compare buildings, the means of calculating must be the same on a national 27 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,160 level as a regional level. And it must take into account all the factors which influence 28 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:33,160 energy consumption. In the upper Austria region, this method has been used for many years. 29 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:40,280 This is the Regional Energy Advice Centre in Linz. Several hundred people come here 30 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:47,280 every year to ask for advice on ways to reduce their fuel bills. 31 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:39,280 The experts at the centre don't claim to be miracle workers. Usually, they are just 32 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:40,280 33 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:43,280 In addition to the measures, usually the addition of a series of relatively simple measures 34 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:51,280 can improve the energy performance of a building. Things such as wall insulation, using extra 35 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:58,280 insulating window frames, and increasing the area of south-facing windows. All these factors 36 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:03,280 are integrated into the calculation of the overall energy performance of a building. 37 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:09,280 Where it's technically and financially possible, use of renewable energy is suggested. When 38 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:14,280 a brand new building is involved, the results can be spectacular. For example, a study was 39 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:18,280 carried out on this house to work out how to get the maximum from the sunshine. 40 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:50,280 On the advice of the Energy Agency, the house was built facing south and equipped with the 41 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:56,280 most up-to-date energy-saving techniques. In the end, the only means of heating in the 42 00:05:56,280 --> 00:06:17,280 house is this small stove, which uses wood pellets, another renewable energy source. 43 00:06:17,280 --> 00:06:21,280 Of course, not all homes can reach this sort of performance level, but the new directive 44 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:32,280 will oblige every country to establish minimum standards of energy efficiency. 45 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:36,280 Some standards will apply to new constructions, others to large-scale renovations of more 46 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:42,280 than 1,000 square metres. In the case of renovations, technological and economic feasibility will 47 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:47,280 be taken into account in bringing them fully up to standard. But there are few buildings 48 00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:55,280 without a solution. Dana Karalova has certainly seen that for herself. For over 20 years, 49 00:06:55,280 --> 00:07:00,280 she's lived in an old Soviet-era apartment building in the suburbs of České Budějovice 50 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:05,280 in the Czech Republic, a building constructed with no insulation at all and no system for 51 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:07,280 regulating the heating. 52 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:42,280 Energy used to be subsidised in the Czech Republic. Nowadays, the price has increased 53 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,280 five-fold. So along with the other tenants, Mrs. Karalova campaigned for the building 54 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:52,280 to be renovated. The façade has been completely insulated, the windows double-glazed and all 55 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,280 the radiators fitted with thermostats. 56 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:11,280 We're now going to Lisbon in Portugal. Here, the national plan to be outlined under 57 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,280 the European Directive is likely to deal with a growing phenomenon throughout the whole 58 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:19,280 of southern Europe, the uncontrolled growth in air conditioning systems.