Four FP6 Eco-Buildings Demonstration Projects

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Eco-buildings is an energy demonstration initiative of the European Commission Energy & Transport DG within the Sixth Framework Programme.

The Eco-buildings concept

The building sector is at present responsible for more than 40% of EU energy consumption. There are technologies under development, which could substantially improve the energy performance in buildings, reducing the conventional energy demand in new and existing buildings and substantially contributing to reduce energy intensity, through combined measures of rational use of energy and integration of renewable energy technologies.

The Eco-buildings concept is expected to be the meeting point of short-term development and demonstration in order to support legislative and regulatory measures for energy efficiency and enhanced use of renewable energy solutions within the building sector, which goes beyond the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings.

Eco-buildings projects aim at a new approach for the design, construction and operation of new and/or refurbished buildings, which is based on the best combination of the double approach: to reduce substantially, and if possible, to avoid demand for heating, cooling and lighting and to supply the necessary heating and cooling and lighting in the most efficient way and based as much as possible on renewable energy sources and polygeneration.

Four FP6 Eco-Buildings Demonstration Projects

Four Eco-Buildings Demonstration projects are working together to meet these aims:

BRITA in PuBs - Bringing Retrofit Innovation To Applications in Public Buildings: The BRITA in PuBs proposal on Eco-buildings aims to increase the market penetration of innovative and effective retrofit solutions to improve energy efficiency and implement renewables, with moderate additional costs.
DEMOHOUSE: Design and Management Options for improving the energy performance of Housing: The aim of the proposed project is to develop minimum standards and recommendations in connection to healthy, cost effective, energy efficient and sustainable rehabilitation and to facilitate implementation through the development of a "Decision Support Tool".
Eco-culture: The ECO-Culture project addresses demonstration of energy efficient technologies integrated into three high-performing cultural ECO-buildings: The Danish Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark; The Amsterdam Library, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; The New Opera House, Oslo, Norway
SARA: SARA aims to construct sustainable, cost effective, high energy performance, public-access eco-buildings that are immediately replicable at large scale in many locations. The eco-buildings will be equipped with advanced sustainable energy technologies integrated by an innovative architectural approach and combined monitoring and building management systems, BMS.