With some exceptions, design, construction and operation of energy efficient buildings is a costly undertaking. Yet it will drive market transformation and become the norm in the future. This was the message of the second panel of the Build Green CEE conference in Bucharest.
Cost parameters aside, energy sustainable buildings have many underlying tangible and intangible benefits that are slowly winning investors and changing perceptions of the green concept.
In a second address to the public, Joana Barata Correia, this time in her capacity as engineer at Europewide shopping mall developer and operator Sonae Sierra, gave examples of her company's "green shopping mall" concept, visible during the design, construction and operation stages and creating value with less impact.
As example of tangible benefits, she pointed to a number of Sonae Sierra shopping malls in Portugal that purchased environmentally friendly and energy-saving equipment at a lower cost than standard equipment and so allowing for water savings, refuse composting and energy savings.
On the intangible benefits front, the company enhanced its public image with customers.
The green concept has been promoted at the governmental and EU level as well. The commercial counsellor at the Norwegian embassies of Bulgaria and Romania, Anne Lise Rognlidalen, reported on a sustainable energy funding tool, which the Norwegian government has approved for both countries. Under the programme, Norway grants funds worth 20 million euro to projects promoting energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly projects.
In Bulgaria, companies have already applied for twice the volume of funds available under the programme.
At the European level, the green concept is regulated through specific sustainable energy-geared directives and policies, among which is the Policy on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, said David Crous Duran, an official working for the European Commission's Sustainable Energy Campaign. The campaign aims at promoting and giving more visibility to sustainable energy projects. The project already has 444 official partners, among which eight are Bulgarian.
