Energy efficiency labeling program for buildings in ...

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 66 (2016) 207–219

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

Energy efficiency labeling program for buildings in Brazil compared to the United States' and Portugal's Alice do Carmo Precci Lopes a, Delly Oliveira Filho b,n, Leandra Altoe b, Joyce Correna Carlo c, Bruna Bastos Lima c a

Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil c Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil b

art ic l e i nf o

a b s t r a c t

Article history: Received 26 October 2015 Received in revised form 19 February 2016 Accepted 7 July 2016

Regulations are being promulgated and reviewed in order to achieve the maximum energy savings in buildings, both in developed and in developing countries. One important strategy employed to turn these laws and regulations effective is through building certification. The benefit of such practice may reflect in energy savings, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, to end-users and real estate owners. The objective of this study is to make a literature review concerning energy efficiency policies and regulations for buildings, highlighting how the Brazilian labeling program can be improved compared to the United States and Portugal programs. It is important to point out that the Brazilian program is under consolidation in comparison with the Portuguese and American ones. Furthermore, the assessment shows that: (i) although it is an initiative in the interest of society and it is meant to several types of buildings, the Brazilian labeling program does not inform suggestions for the building improvements; (ii) it is not mandatory; (iii) it does not value net-zero energy building; (iv) it does not inform the CO2 emissions savings; and (vi) it is not sufficiently stringent to challenge the building industry to improve the efficiency levels. & 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Energy savings Construction Certification Energy label Energy efficiency policy Buildings energy regulation

Contents 1. 2. 3.

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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 The energy efficiency building certification policy in Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Building energy certification policy in selected countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 3.1. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 3.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Comparison among the certification programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 4.1. What should be calculated in order to assess building energy efficiency?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 4.1.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 4.1.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 4.1.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 4.2. How should energy performance be calculated? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.2.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.2.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.2.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.3. How should the limit for energy efficiency be set? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.3.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.3.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.3.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 4.4. To what should the building energy efficiency be compared? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (D. Oliveira Filho).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.07.033 1364-0321/& 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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4.4.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5. How should building energy efficiency be labeled?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6. What energy efficiency improvements should be recommended? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7. What information should the energy certificate include? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7.1. Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7.2. Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7.3. United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. Results and discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. Final considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Introduction Electricity is essential to economic progress and quality of life of humankind. Linked to social mobility and human development, energy consumption is growing every year in Brazil and worldwide. Statistics indicate that China is now the world's biggest energy consumer, overtaking the United States in 2009 [1]. In this year, of the world primary energy consumption, China's share was about 18.7% compared to 17.8% of the United States [1]. Nevertheless, the China's GDP per capita is only one-eighth the U.S.; and the residential energy use per capita in China is about one-ninth the U.S. [1]. Fig. 1 shows the accelerated energy growth by China over time compared to Unites States and Brazil. While the U.S. primary energy consumption in buildings accounted for about 41% of total energy consumption [2], in China this figure was estimated around 23% [3]. On the other hand, in Brazil, this value represents around 14% [4]. Nevertheless, almost 50% of the Brazilian electricity consumption is building related [4]. Furthermore, a building labeled can stimulate a reduction of 50% in the final energy consumption [5]. International Energy Agency (IEA) developed a set of 25 energy efficiency policy recommendations, in order to help its members to promote energy efficiency measures across their countries. These policies are oriented towards the following seven priority areas: Cross-sectoral; Transport; Buildings; Industry; Appliances and Equipment; Energy Utilities; and Lighting. In regarding to buildings, IEA recommends: (i) mandatory building codes and

Fig. 1. Primary energy demand in Brazil, China and the United States, from 1980 to 2010, measured data and from 2010 to 2035, projected data [1].

213 213 213 213 213 213 213 213 213 213 213 214 214 215 215 215 217 217 217

minimum energy performance standards; (ii) net-zero energy consumption in buildings; (iii) improved energy efficiency in existing buildings; (iv) building energy labels or certificates; and (v) energy performance of building components and systems [6]. The major contributors to energy consumption in buildings are HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning), water heating, lighting, and appliances [7]. One of the measures applied to reduce appliances energy consumptions is the 4E Program, Energy Efficient End-Use Equipment, which is implement by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and aims to support policy towards the promotion of energy efficient appliances worldwide [8]. The importance on energy efficiency policies implementation relies on energy security, economic development and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Moreover, energy efficiency measures on appliances result in important energy savings, around 56 EJ, or around 1340 Mtoe in 2011 by member countries of the IEA [9] and savings about as €4 for each €1 invested [10]. Further, Ürge-Vorsatz and Novikova [11] argue that CO2 emissions related to buildings is over a third of the world energy emissions. These authors conducted a study about CO2 emissions potential reduction related to buildings over 80 countries. They found out a feasible potential of around 29% cut in emissions related to buildings by 2020, which means 3.2 GtCO2eq emission reduction. In the United States, the building-related emissions is about 776,090 thousand tons of CO2eq per year [12]; while in Brazil and Portugal, these emissions are circa 19,923 thousand tons of CO2eq per year [13] and 3292 thousand tons of CO2eq per year [14], respectively. However, when analyzing these figures in terms of primary energy, Brazil contributes less, with 1.54 tCO2eq/toe in comparison to the United States, 2.34 tCO2eq /toe, and Portugal, 2.06 tCO2eq/toe [15]. The reason for the smaller Brazilian contribution on CO2eq emissions lays down on its higher share of renewable energy on the total primary energy consumption. The share of renewable energy sources in Brazil, Portugal and USA is 39%, 24% and 6%, respectively [15]. In this context, energy conservation in buildings has great relevance. Moreover, with climate changes in the top of global agenda, the inclusion of higher efficiency regulations applied to the construction industry may contribute to a more sustainable development. Energy consumption in buildings is gaining a wider scale. According to Pérez-Lombard et al. [7], the growth rate in energy consumption by buildings exceeded those of industry and


transport sectors between 1984 and 2004 in Europe. Furthermore, final energy consumption in the building sector, around 37%, is already the highest, the two other sectors main sectors – industry, around 28% and transportation circa 32% [7]. The importance in energy consumption in buildings might be explained by a crescent demand for an improvement in the comfort levels of the buildings, a greater time spent by people inside buildings, an increase in the urban population, as well as in the per capita income [16]. Two mechanisms to achieve reductions in energy consumption in building sector are through energy regulation and energy certification: the first one establishes a minimum energy performance, and, the second aims to reach higher energy performances [16]. In Brazil and worldwide various techniques and regulations have been developed, tested and applied in order to contribute to an improvement of the building sustainability, whether residential, commercial or industrial, through the introduction of energy conservation measures in naturally and artificially conditioned indoor environments according to its climate zone, and the use of natural and local energy resources. Nevertheless, the energy efficiency methods must be implemented cautiously, in order to be truly effective [17]. Pérez-Lombard et al. [18] present seven questions which were considered worthwhile to be further addressed and were used to compare building energy labeling programs from analyzed countries: 1. What should be calculated in order to assess building energy efficiency? 2. How should it be calculated? 3. How should the limit for energy efficiency be set? 4. To what should the building energy efficiency be compared? 5. How should building energy efficiency be labeled? 6. What energy efficiency improvements should be recommended? and 7. What information should the energy certificate may include? This article aims to make a literature review concerning energy efficiency policies and regulations for buildings, highlighting how the Brazilian labeling program could be improved compared to the American and Portuguese programs. Comparison among different countries building labeling programs may contribute for a better understanding of advantages and drawbacks of each approach.

2. The energy efficiency building certification policy in Brazil The first public measure to promote the application of energy efficiency measure in Brazil occurred in 1981, with the creation of the Conserve Program. This program aimed to promote the energy conservation in industries, the development of efficient products, and the replacement of imported energy resources for national ones. In the following year, the Energy Mobilization Program (Programa de Mobilização Energética) was launched, which encouraged the application of energy conservation measures and the replacement of oil for alternative energy recourses [19]. In 1985, the Ministries of Mines and Energy and of Industry and Foreign Trade launched the Interministerial Ordinance No. 1877, establishing the National Electric Energy Conservation Program – Procel, which has been contributing until nowadays significantly for energy conservation in Brazil [20]. The Law No. 8631/1993 [21] established that Brazilian Power Plants should assign resources for expanding and improving the public energy supply. Four years later, the Law No. 9478/1997 [22] was approved, founding the National Energy Policy Council (Conselho Nacional de Política Energética – CNPE), whose goal was to

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“promote the country's rational utilization of energy resources”. In 2000, the Federal Government stipulated a goal through the Decree No. 3330 to public buildings so in order to reduced their electricity consumption “for purposes of lighting, cooling and environmental architecture” [23]. Nevertheless, in 2001 the most relevant law in the area of energy efficiency in buildings was published: Law No. 10,295 [24]. It asks the Federal Government to “develop mechanisms to promote energy efficiency in buildings constructed in the country” [24]. The reason for this law promulgation was the largest electricity rationing occurrence in Brazil's history, which took place in 2001. Among the factors that contributed to this condition, were the lack of necessary investments in the generation and transmission of electricity, as well as low levels of water storage in reservoirs of hydroelectric plants (due to climatic conditions) [25]. In the same year, Decree No. 4059/2001 [26] was published, regulating Law No. 10,295 and establishing “maximum levels of energy consumption, or minimum levels of energy efficiency for machines and appliances that use energy produced or sold in the country, as well as the buildings ‘should be’ designed and built based on technical indicators and specific regulations to be fixed” [26]. In this context, the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency in Buildings - Procel Edifica - was launched in 2003. In 2009, the Technical Requirements on Quality of the Level of Energy Efficiency of Commercial, Service and Public Buildings (RTQ-C) [27] was published, as well as its supplementary documents, such as requirements for Compliance Assessment of the Level of Energy Efficiency of Commercial, Public and Service Buildings (RAC-C) [28]. In 2010, the Technical Requirements on Quality of the Level of Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings (RTQ-R) [29] was published, as well as its supplementary document, the requirements for Compliance Assessment of the Level of Energy Efficiency of Residential Buildings (RAC-R) [30]. They are part of the recent inclusion of buildings in the Brazilian Labeling Program (Programa Brasileiro de Etiquetagem – PBE). The Technical Regulations for Quality Level of Energy Efficiency is applied for the evaluation of the building stages of design and construction using either the prescriptive or the simulation method [27,29]. At the end of the building assessment the National Energy Conservation Label (Etiqueta Nacional de Conservação de Energia – ENCE) is issued. This label expires in five years, and Fig. 2 shows a model of it. Label level “A” guarantees special financial conditions by the National Development Federal Bank for the building construction. For commercial, service, and public buildings, the costs to evaluate a project are around 15–20 thousand US dollars (about 30 to $40 thousand Brazilian reals) [5]. Labeling is still facultative for the most types of buildings, but it is already mandatory for new federal public buildings that are larger than 500 m2 or for federal public buildings that are retrofitted [31].

3. Building energy certification policy in selected countries 3.1. United States Standards for energy efficiency have been applied in US for more than thirty years, as an example of the development of the Standard 90 – Energy Conservation in New Buildings Design and the Title 24/1978 [32,33]. During the 90's, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, developed the Green Lights program, in order to apply more efficient lighting systems for commercial and industrial buildings. A few years later, the Green Lights merged with the Energy Star Buildings program, which use is voluntary and has as main goal to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse

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Fig. 3. Sample of national energy conservation label for commercial buildings – USA [36]. Fig. 2. Sample of national energy conservation label for commercial, service and public buildings – Brazil (translated to English by the authors) [28].

while the Energy Star Buildings concentrates on the buildings energy use compared to their peers [38,39].

gases. According to EPA, the benefit of this label is evident, as certified buildings with Energy Star emit, in average, 35% less carbon dioxide equivalent compared to similar buildings which do not have the label [34]. In 2011 was launched in the United States the first phase of the Building Energy Quotient Program – bEQ, developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, ASHRAE and based on the European experience. The first phase encompassed the “In Operation” label. In the subsequent year was launched the “As Designed” label. Both are voluntary and applicable to commercial buildings only, whether existing prior or after bEQ was launched. The score of each label is divided into seven categories, from A þ (net-zero energy) to F (unsatisfactory) – Fig. 3. A certificate, an assessment report and a plaque for public display is provided with the label, containing detail information of the energy performance of the building and suggestions for improvements to enhance building performance [35]. There is no expiration date for the label, but ASHRAE recommends a rerating every three years. The cost of obtaining a Building Energy Quotient from ASHRAE is $500.00 plus services, which are established by an agreement between the owner and a certified Building Energy Assessment Professional [37]. It is important to point out that both in Brazil and in some European countries the energy efficient building label is valid for a given number of years. The bEQ Program brings innovations compared to Energy Star Buildings, since bEQ promotes a better differentiation of high performance buildings, emphasizing net-zero energy buildings,

3.2. Portugal Although one of the first standards regarding energy efficiency dates back to 60's in Europe, the first legal instrument of Portugal related to energy conservation in buildings was introduced by Decree-Law No. 40/90 [40–42]. This was done with the publication of Regulation of Characteristics of Thermal Behavior of Buildings in 1991, updated in 2006 by Decree-Law No. 80 [40]. Also in 2006, the Portuguese government established the Decree-Law No. 78/ 2006 [43], ensured the creation of the National System for Energy and Indoor Air Quality Certification – SCE, observing the European Parliament Decree No. 2002/91/EC [44]. In 2010, the European Union reviewed the aforesaid law, publishing the Directive 2010/ 31/EU [45], which states that, until 2020 all new buildings need to be nearly zero-energy, that means, the building needs to meet a high performance and have very low energy requirements, which must be supplied by renewable energy generated on site or nearby. The label was introduced in stages, starting in 2007 for all new residential and non-residential buildings with a floor area greater than 1000 m2. In 2008, the second stage was initiated, including all new buildings. The final stage (2009) included existing buildings when sold or rented. The buildings are labeled following the guidelines imposed by the regulations and by different assessment methods for residential and service buildings. The certification provides a labeling system from A þ (high energy efficiency) to G (poor efficiency); however, all new buildings must be between A þ and B labeling level [46]. A sample of the label is showed in Fig. 4.


Fig. 4. Sample of national energy conservation label for service and residential buildings – Portugal (translated to English and adapted by the authors) [47].

4. Comparison among the certification programs Pérez-Lombard et al. [18] propose seven questions that should be considered to develop energy certification programs. These questions will outline the comparison of the three energy certification program in analyses: Brazilian Labeling Program for buildings (Programa Brasileiro de Etiquetagem para edifícios, PBE), Building Energy Quotient, bEQ from US, and the Portuguese National System for Energy and Indoor Air Quality Certification, SCE. In order to be able to compare the labeling system from Brazil, Portugal and US, the following must be clear that: 1. In Brazil, the regulation studied, classified the buildings as: commercial, service, public and residential ones. The residential buildings are subdivided into: multi-dwelling unit, public areas of multi-dwelling unit and dwelling unit, which one will be focused on this study; 2. In Portugal the regulation classified the buildings as: services and residential ones; and 3. In US, the regulation studied classified the buildings as commercial only. So the comparison is limited since the building classification is not exactly the same. 4.1. What should be calculated in order to assess building energy efficiency? 4.1.1. Brazil For commercial, service, and public buildings, the envelope, lighting system, and air conditioning system are considered typical for any building; therefore they were parameters selected to be assessed in order to label the energy efficiency. The adopted indicators were energy consumption for envelope (methodology

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described by Carlo and Lamberts [32]), Lighting Power Density, and the Coefficient of Performance for artificial HVAC systems. As an alternative to allow the use of passive strategies, naturally conditioned buildings can be assessed through simulation, which indicator is the indoor thermal comfort, based on the following international standards: ISO 7730, ASHRAE 55 or EN 15,251. The latter evaluation method was provided due to the lack of building information on whether artificial or natural air conditioning is more relevant, although it is known that both are usual. It is important to highlight the weight of each assessed system from the final score: 30% is due to the building envelope, 30% is the lighting system and 40% is the air conditioning and ventilation. For all the aspects both the passive and active characteristics are considered, i.e. natural air circulation is valued, as well as, the artificial air ventilation. For residential buildings, the evaluation encompasses the water system heating and the indoor performance when naturally ventilated, since Brazilian residential buildings are mainly naturally ventilated – only about 12% of dwellings in Brazil have artificial HVAC system [48]. The indoor performance is assessed using degree hours for summer and referential electricity consumption for winter conditions. Artificially conditioned indoor environments, which indicator is the referential electricity consumption, do not influence on the final building score, unless the HVAC environment is assessed as bonus. Since the assessment of the building is focused on electricity savings, and fossil fuel are not usual in the residential sector, except for cooking, then fossil fuel consumption is not taken into account for air conditioning purposes [29]. Presently, the lighting system is not included in the evaluation process, except as bonus, because the regulation assumes that, it depends on the building users after the label is issued. This regulation hypothesis is questionable because lighting is an important energy end-use and cannot be disregarded. The weight from each assessed system varies according to the five geographic regions of the country: the envelope weight can be 95%, 90% or 65%, while the water heating system can be 5%, 10% or 35% from the final score. The energy labeling system may improve its level by bonus, which are issued as a function of the: (i) For commercial, service, and public buildings: local renewable electricity generation or solar water heating, water use, and cogeneration or any technological innovations that result in energy savings, not previewed in the regulation [5]; (ii) For residential buildings: maximization of day lighting, efficient artificial lighting, natural ventilation, efficient artificial HVAC equipment, water use and efficient domestic appliances [29]. The efficient water use for both the residential and commercial buildings is considered to be: (i) efficient water use appliances; (ii) water re-use, e.g.: re-use of gray water for lavatory flush or garden irrigation; (iii) and rain fall water utilization. 4.1.2. Portugal For dwellings (with or without artificially HVAC systems) and small service buildings without or with artificially HVAC systems with lower 25 kW, the calculation includes the primary energy use for acclimatization and for water heating. The regulation establishes as unit kilograms of equivalent oil per square meter per year. In regarding to service buildings (large or small with 25 kW or more of installed HVAC capacity), the calculations also include energy use for lighting systems and to non-acclimatization nonprocesses [40,49]. 4.1.3. United States The “As Designed” label is based on building design components such as envelope, orientation and lighting system. The “In Operation” label measures energy use of a building, based on a combination of structure and features of the building; on how it is

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operated; and on its actual utilities bills [35].

4.3. How should the limit for energy efficiency be set?

4.2. How should energy performance be calculated?

4.3.1. Brazil A score from high energy efficient buildings to low energy efficient buildings was created to measure the energy efficiency of a building using the simulated energy consumption of commercial, service, and public buildings prototypes, according to its size and activity: office buildings, retail, food services, accommodations, educational and health services. The overall building energy range have the following characteristics: (i) no minimum performance is mandatory and (ii) the maximum efficiency level would be a netzero energy building, which was not reached until the present moment. The residential efficiency limits, on its turn, were based on an existing national survey which included constructive characteristics and energy end use. The architecture features (envelope and indoor requirements) are based on degree hours for summer and on a consumption index for winter; the overall energy efficiency range is a combination of the architectural and the water heating variations. The results of the survey were used to define the weight of architectural and water heating in the overall efficiency level according to the five Brazilian regions, which latitudes varies from 4°N to 33°S. Table 1 shows the overall energy efficiency building rate according to the building total punctuation, Tp, which the higher the Tp, the better the building energy efficiency. This approach is valid for commercial, service, public or residential buildings [27,29].

4.2.1. Brazil The energy performance of a building is calculated through prescriptive or simulation method. The prescriptive method provides an algorithm with a set of equations to determine directly the building efficiency [27,29]. These equations take in consideration the energy efficiency of the building envelope, lighting, air conditioning and water heating systems. The result of these set of equations refers to a total punctuation, which is correlated to the building labeling scale. The simulation method, on the other hand, makes comparisons between two building simulation models: the proposed building and a reference model which must “meet the conditions and characteristics for the desired level of efficiency in the prescriptive method” [50]. The prescriptive method of commercial, service, and public buildings was developed based on simulation for the building envelope according to the weather location. The lighting and HVAC systems evaluation are based on the Standard 90.1 – ASHRAE 2007. Even in the prescriptive method, simulation must be performed if natural ventilation is used as an air conditioning and ventilation resource. Then, the efficiency of each system, i.e., envelope, lighting and HVAC. Afterwards, the bonuses are considered in order to issue the building energy efficiency label [27]. The simulation for residential buildings does not integrate all systems evaluated: the envelope is assessed by the BESTest software, while the solar water heating is by the F-chart method. The bonuses are not simulated; they are supposed to be analyzed by the prescriptive method [29]. On the other hand, the simulation method for commercial, service, and public buildings allows the integration of the systems on an overall building efficiency or the evaluation of individual systems using a software approved by the BESTest method – Standard 140-2001 (Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs). The score of the overall building efficiency is calculated by the comparison of the electricity consumption of the reference building and the building under evaluation, which is modeled with all the bonuses, except water use that is included in the final score [28]. Currently, the simulation programs are imported, that means: (i) they are not specific for the Brazilian reality and the Brazilian building typology; and (ii) they have a high level of complexity, requiring intensive training. Because of that, Brazilian researchers are developing a computer simulation program for hygrothermal and energetic building evaluation applied to the Brazilian reality – Domus-Eletrobras [51]. This program will be very important for the development and consolidation of the PBE in Brazil. 4.2.2. Portugal The building energy performance can be calculated through a software tool produced by National Institute of Engineering, Technology, and Innovation; on a spreadsheet; or by any software in compliance to ASHRAE Standard 140-2004 (based on IEA's BESTest criteria). The choice of the assessment method depends on the building type [46]. 4.2.3. United States The “As Designed” label is based on simulated energy cost (ASHRAE Standard 90.1 2007), which the building under evaluation should have costs equal or lower than a baseline model cost, according to the Energy Cost Budget method. The “In Operation” label is based on actual energy use and on operational and on occupancy variables [35].

4.3.2. Portugal For residential buildings (with or without artificially HVAC systems) and for small service buildings (floor area smaller than 1000 m2 and with artificially HVAC systems lower than 25 kW or without artificially HVAC systems), the energy demand is transcribed to equivalent kilograms of oil per m2 and per year; the ratio, R, between this value and its acceptable primary energy defined by the dwelling consumption range, is calculated, giving the energy scale of the building. The higher energy efficiency represents the lower R. Table 2 presents the efficiency range for buildings with HVAC systems lower than 25 kW or without any HVAC. The smaller the building energy consumption the higher energy performance, for a given efficiency level. For other building types, indexes based on simulation, on building typologies and the sum of the consumption of HVAC and lighting, also obtained by simulation, are the variables of the equations developed to indicate the efficiency level. It is important to emphasize that for new buildings, the minimum efficiency level is set as B [49]. 4.3.3. United States The ASHRAE bEQ scale is the same basic scale used in the European Union for commercial buildings: the net-zero energy – score 0, is at the top and the typical building - score 100, is toward the middle of the scale. Below the typical buildings are the worst ones, with 125 or greater score [39]. The score represents the ratio between the assessed building energy consumption and the average energy consumption of its building type. Energy Table 1 Energy efficiency building rate according to range score – Brazil [27,29]. Range score

Energy efficiency rate

Tpa Z 4.5

A B C D E

3.5 r Tp o 4.5 2.5 r Tp o 3.5 1.5 r Tp o 2.5 Tp o 1.5 a

Total punctuation.


Table 2 Energy efficiency rate for residential buildings (with or without HVAC systems) and small service buildings (with HVAC systems lower than 25 kW or without HVAC systems) – Portugal [49]. Ratio (R)


Consumption range

R r0.25 0.25 oRr 0.50 0.50 oRr 0.75 0.75 oRr 1.00 1.00o Rr 1.50 1.50 o Rr2.00 2.00o Rr 2.50 2.50 oRr 3.00 3.00o R

Aþ A B B C D E F G

Caa r 0.25 Crb 0.25 Cr o Ca r 0.50 Cr 0.50 Cr o Ca r 0.75 Cr 0.75 Cr o Ca r 1.00 Cr 1.00 Cr o Ca r 1.50 Cr 1.50 Cr o Ca r2.00 Cr 2.00 Cr o Ca r 2.50 Cr 2.50 Cr o Ca r 3.00 Cr Ca 43.00 Cr

a b

Energy consumption of the building under assessment. Energy consumption of the reference building.

Table 3 Building energy efficiency rate for ASHRAE, bEQ evaluation – USA [36]. Score (S)


Description

Consumption range

S r0 1 rS r25 26 rS r50 51r Sr 75 76r Sr 100 101 r Sr125 S 4125

Aþ A A B C D F

Net zero energy High performance Very good Good Fair Poor Unsatisfactory

Caa r 0 1.00Cr r Ca r 0.25Crb 0.26Cr r Ca r 0.50Cr 0.51Cr rCa r 0.75Cr 0.76Cr r Ca r 1.00Cr 1.01Cr r Ca r1.25Cr Ca 41.25Cr

a b

Energy consumption of the building under assessment. Energy consumption of the reference building.

consumption unit assumed is expressed as kBtus/sq.ft./yr (4,089,633 J/m2/s) [36]. Table 3 shows the scale range related to the rating system, again the smaller the building energy consumption the higher energy performance, for a given efficiency level in this classification system as well. 4.4. To what should the building energy efficiency be compared? 4.4.1. Brazil Energy efficiency targets are being studied, having as base the first published labels, in order to propose benchmarks [52]. A pioneer survey was published in 2008 involving different commercial buildings such as hotels, banks, supermarkets, education institutions and hospitals, describing its final energy use and its consumption patterns [53]. The residential benchmarks are more developed in this requisite; researches about the final electricity consumption by residential buildings has being done since 1988 [52,54]. The surveys were used to establish the energy use requirements for the residential buildings on the simulation method – RTQ-R [29].

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compare the results among similar buildings according to the building type, within a size range and of the same occupancy type within a climate zone [55]. In regarding to the “In Operation” label, it is possible to compare the energy use to a peer group, usually taken from CBECS (Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey) database; it also makes possible to explore the whole potential of energy saving of the building, since it does not consider any occupancy behavior [35,56]. 4.5. How should building energy efficiency be labeled? 4.5.1. Brazil Both the design and the constructed building should be assessed by an institution certified by the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (INMETRO) after the owner request. The evaluation is based on the Technical Regulations of Quality Level of Energy Efficiency for Commercial, Service or Public Buildings (RTQ-C) or for Residential Buildings (RTQ-R). The assessment must follow two steps: (i) first the building design must be assessed and then (ii) the existing building is evaluated. Fig. 5 shows the label issue steps. 4.5.2. Portugal Qualified experts graduated in Architecture or Engineering with at least five years of experience on HVAC systems are eligible for energy audits after a training program [58]. The qualified expert assesses the existing or the new constructed building according to the specific requirements (RCCTE or RSECE), issuing the certificates, which are necessary for requesting the license for building use, sale or renting. At the designed phase, the qualified expert might issue a “pre-certificate” called Statement of Regulatory Compliance, which says that the building project is in accordance with minimum requirements and can receive a license to construction. Fig. 6 shows when the certificates must be issued for the building design, construction or use [59]. 4.5.3. United States Through a professional certificated by ASHRAE (Building Energy Assessment Professional Certification Program), the model is evaluated for the asset rating “As designed” and the building is audited and analyzed after one year of use for the operational rating (“In Operation”) [60,61]. The procedures for obtaining the operational label are summarized in Fig. 7. 4.6. What energy efficiency improvements should be recommended? 4.6.1. Brazil No detailed recommendations are provided, but only a compliance report is available to the owner along with the label, indicating the parameters used in the calculations, as well as the assessment results. The label is available for the public knowledge while the report is exclusively for the owner.

4.4.2. Portugal The certificate provides operational costs for residential buildings according to one of the 32 available typologies, to the year of construction and to the location. A review of the certification requirements is previewed for 2012/2013, which will include building simulation of a proposed building model and a reference model. The results might be compared to net-zero energy buildings, NZB, performance for different buildings typologies, since NZB will be included in the review process [45].

4.6.2. Portugal Besides recommendations for the building energy improvements, the certification also shows the expected costs of the energy conservation measures implementation, the potential reduction on the energy bill, the payback time and the new building classification if all the highlighted suggestions were applied. It also presents detailed information about the measures for subsequent budgets [60].

4.4.3. United States The “As Designed” label is designed to have a particular relevance for real estate transactions, expressing an integral measure of the building's inherent energy efficiency. Thus, it is possible to

4.6.3. United States Through the certification program, it is possible to identify potential energy savings opportunities, as well as the description of each opportunity, including an estimation of energy savings,

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Fig. 5. Process to obtain the energy efficiency building labels in Brazil for design and constructed buildings [57].

Fig. 6. Process to obtain the energy efficiency building label in Portugal, for design, construction and use [59].

Fig. 7. Procedures for obtaining the building energy efficiency “In Operation” label – USA [62].

budget implementation costs, and simple payback [35]. 4.7. What information should the energy certificate include? 4.7.1. Brazil Information included on the label varies according to the building type. In general, the energy certificate indicates the energy efficiency level of the building according to an alphabetic

scale, from “A” – highest level - to “E” – lowest level. The certificate also includes “partial labels”, indicating the efficiency level of each assessed system. Therefore, for commercial, service and public buildings, the partial labels refer to the envelope, the lighting system and the HVAC system. For residential buildings, the partial labels refer to the envelope performance during the winter, the envelope performance during the summer and the water heating system. The label also shows the final bonus score achieved using


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Fig. 8. Improvement measures proposal in the Portuguese certificate of energy efficiency and indoor air quality [58].

other systems, which also enhances the buildings energy efficiency. In addition, other identification information is presented, such as the building name, address, city, estate, bioclimatic zone, orientation and the evaluation date [30].

4.7.2. Portugal The Portuguese certificate is formatted as a report, with a minimum of three pages. Alike the Brazilian label, some information included on the label varies according to the building type. In general, the certificate includes the building identification, the qualified professional who was responsible for the assessment, the building primary energy use, and the amount of GHG emission related to the assessed systems. The certificate also contains energy conservation measures to enhance the building energy performance, costs and its payback time (Fig. 8). Other information found on the following pages is for budget purposes. For building service certificate, information about the indoor air quality is also described [45,58].

4.7.3. United States Besides the label provided to be set on site, the building's owner also receives a report with more detailed information. Among the information included on the certificate are the building identification, energy use summary, suggested improvement measures and the amount of carbon dioxide emission equivalent (tons/year) [35,63].

5. Results and discussion In the countries studied, building energy efficiency labeling program employment is relatively new. The United States are the pioneer (Energy Star – 1999; bEQ 2011), followed by Portugal (SCE – 2006), and Brazil (Procel Edifica – 2009). Fig. 9 shows laws and programs about energy efficiency in buildings, from 1970 to 2011, adopted by each studied country. While in the United States an important regulation regarding building energy efficiency dates back to 70's – ASHRAE 90, in Brazil the most important law about energy savings in buildings was promulgated only thirty years

Fig. 9. Buildings energy efficiency timeline in Brazil, Portugal and United States, from 1970 to 2011.

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later, with the Law 10,295. In Brazil and Portugal, the government is responsible for the labeling program. On the other hand, in the United States the proposed program is regulated by a non-governmental organization, ASHRAE. Even though ASHRAE exercises a remarkable influence to society, only the U.S. Government may turn regulations proposed as mandatory. The main reason identified for the difference between the Brazilian energy efficiency scale and the American and Portuguese is that the first is directly related to the building performance, while the other two programs are related to the energy consumption. This difference may be to the absence of benchmark data and a building stock market mainly composed of naturally ventilated buildings, in Brazil. In Brazil, there is a lack of data on energy use in buildings, therefore, the PBE may have not taken into account the benchmark scoring the efficiency of a building as other countries. In order to overcome this gap, the evaluation is made according to the performance of the building under evaluation. In other labeling programs, such as the bEQ (USA) and SCE (Portugal), the final score is based on benchmarks. The benchmarks are in development in Brazil by the Brazilian Sustainable Construction Council and it is expected to bring enrichment to the labeling program, since the energy efficiency of a building is a function not only of its physical features, but also of how it is used [64]. The majority of the buildings in Brazil are naturally ventilated, therefore, the methodology to evaluate the building energy efficiency is correlated to the thermal comfort, based on international standards, such as ASHRAE Standard 55, since it would be complex to measure the energy consumption of a naturally ventilated environment (RTQ-C). The ventilation score is related to the percentage of occupied hours that the user is in thermal comfort. The higher the percentage of hours in comfort of the occupied hours, higher is the punctuation for the ventilation part of the final score equation, which will lead to a higher value to the building energy efficiency. In the United States and Portugal, the majority of the buildings are artificially conditioned, which is easier to evaluate the energy consumption. Government role is important considering it can propel, by public policies, the application of energy conservation in buildings; and, studies indicate that energy efficiency programs often fails because there is no sufficient attention given by the government to support the implementation of the program [65,66]. Besides that, failure in applying energy efficiency measure lay on that gap that separates the theoretical potential from what can really be achieved practically; therefore it is important a cooperation between governments, industries, business, associations, donors and international institutions [66]. Labeling process in Portugal is already facing a more advanced stage, comparing to the Brazilian labeling program; about 3000 new buildings and 15,000 existing ones are certified every month in Portugal [66]. In Brazil this number is much lower: 125 commercial labels and 2523 residential labels were issued until early 2015 [67]. The reason is not only the Brazilian labeling program being at an initial stage, but also there are just three certifying entities for the entire country [68]. Two of the three studied countries adopt a voluntary labeling system. In Brazil, the trend is the program becomes compulsory to all types of buildings over time. Nowadays, the labeling in Brazil is obligatory for federal public buildings only, what is a great beginning. With mandatory labeling, it is expected a stronger valuation of labeled real estate for rental and for sale, as well as an increase on market building competition. Implementation of a mandatory labeling system must be cautious in Brazil, since (i) there are not enough professionals in the area trained to certify buildings and there is just one entity allowed to label buildings until now; (ii) the building assessment is a

lengthy process, sometimes requiring technical information from third-parties, extending even more to issue the label; if a mandatory program be launched without a consolidated infra-structure, the system might become overloaded, impairing the energy labeling program efficacy; and (iii) in general, people might not be aware of their homes energy consumption and neither the importance of energy efficiency implementation [69]. According to [70], real estate owners would financially benefit from building labeling programs, since they highlight less energy demanding buildings, and, therefore, influence the sales and the renting process. In fact, as [71] shows, the better the building label score, the higher is the building value. However, according to the same authors, the label score and market price variables are only correlated, i.e., it is not possible to affirm that the label program alone introduction is the reason of prices. Buildings quality is likely to improve, providing a better environmental comfort to the end-user. Furthermore, with a mandatory labeling, consumers will easily identify buildings with best energy savings. It should be emphasized as well that the construction of buildings which require less energy on its final use may help to alleviate the investment growth in electric power systems - especially in the electric generation. Therefore, the influence of occupancy behavior in energy efficiency in buildings is another issue that is being intensely researched [17,72]. Much of the energy is wasted during nonworking hours, because of human inadequate behavior, i.e., many occupants left the lights on after work [72]. Additionally, an increase in the energy efficiency of a building may lead to an increase in its energy consumption, since energy efficiency measures can propel social and economic development, especially in developing countries [17]. Thus, for a more accurate rating energy system, the Brazilian Labeling Program should consider the occupancy on its assessment, so the energy efficiency assessment would represent more faithfully the real energy consumption of the building. In order to boost the labeling program in Brazil, research centers are developing a faster assessment method that uses simplified spreadsheets. This new methodology is very important, since Brazil is a huge country and lacks of capable professionals for labeling buildings, i.e. the simplified spreadsheet aims to reduce the complexity of training new professionals. Although, if a more accurate assessment is required, it is still possible to issue the label using the Brazilian software, Domus-Eletrobras [51]. This last one takes longer to assess the building and requires financial and knowledge resources, since it must be created a model of the building for further simulation, which can take several days of data processing. Like the other programs, the Brazilian one transforms the whole assessment into an equivalent number, which classifies the building within a range varying from A to E. That is a simple and marketable way of showing the energy efficiency of a building. Although, while the Brazilian Labeling Program goal is to achieve the maximum of energy efficiency; in U.S., the bEQ aims to achieve the net-zero building; additionally, it is already a goal in Portugal to achieve new net-zero energy buildings by 2020 [69]. Therefore, to enhance more the PBE, another category should be created (Aþ þ , for example) to value net-zero energy buildings, even further when considering the Brazilian buildings potential to generate energy from the solar power and the Brazilian Electric Energy Agency Resolution 482/2012 promulgation [73]. The cited Resolution establishes general conditions for access of micro and minigeneration distribution systems of electric power in Brazil, including solar, wind, small hydro and biomass power generation systems [73]. The resolution applies the power compensation system, in which excess energy produced by a consumer unit generates discounts on its energy bill. It is expected that the


Resolution 482/2012 encourages decentralized electric energy generation in the country, applying various renewable sources. While in Brazil buildings must be assessed by Accredited Inspection Entities, in U.S. and in Portugal it may be certified by a professional responsible for the building assessment. The Accredited Inspection Entities tends to be more general then a single specialist. A multidisciplinary group will give a broad evaluation, what may include approaches from architects, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and renewable energy specialists. On the other hand, the creation of a certification entity takes a long time compared to licensing professionals. Naturally, an expiration date must be set to the professional license, so the expert must get refresh course, since the labeling programs are being constantly improved. Comparing the Brazilian label to the North-American and Portuguese labels, the Brazilian Program lacks some information. A detailed documentation about improvements measures should be taken into account on the Brazilian PBE. A study launched by the Energy Portuguese Agency pointed out from the people who made some renovation or maintenance on their homes, the majority took into account the improvement suggestions listed on the certificate [74]. The study shows not only how well the energycertification program was accepted by the population, but also how important are the descriptions of the suggestions for improvement. Although the usefulness of the inclusion of suggestions for energy efficiency improvement on the certificate, the PBE would face some barriers: (i) need to adapt of a consolidated labeling program - the PBE started during 1980, covering the certification of appliances, pumps, vehicles, and other products, based only on measuring the energy performance of a product; and (ii) possible market competition, consultants in energy efficiency in buildings. The authors think that those barriers are smaller than the advantages to publicize in the label, suggestions to the buildings energy efficiency improvements since: (i) Brazilian Labeling Program for Buildings must accommodate enhancements even though it had been shown that had accomplished some degree of success, and (ii) building energy efficiency consultants will be continuously to be demanded to calculate the improvements suggested and others to be proposed independently. It is important to highlight that CO2 emission is not considered on the Brazilian label as it is on the Portuguese and U.S. ones. Some reasons might be (i) the Brazilian energy grid which is majority composed of renewable sources, while in Portugal, and in countries of the Northern Hemisphere, it is mostly composed of fossil fuels; (ii) the Brazilian Labeling Program for Buildings does not look to analyze the energy grid but only energy consumption; and (iii) it is at an initial stage, needing to consolidate as a reliable assessment method. Finally, the building energy efficiency assessment methods discussed in this paper take into account the building as single element, not considering the influence of surrounded environment, such as the influence of trees and other buildings around the evaluated one. Therefore, as [75] discuss, more research is needed to cover the gap between the urban and the building scale, and enhance the building energy efficiency certification process.

6. Final considerations Currently, the world is in a globalization pressure, where the desire for economic growth often prevails. The development of mechanisms that contribute to environmental sustainability and do not impact the economy negatively is the synthesis of sustainable development challenge. Therefore, the countries are facing with the key questions: Does the labeling system that value

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the high efficient building a priori in order to save energy a posteriori really means to promote a more sustainable development? Does the energy expend for the construction of a high efficient building is paid in the building life expectancy? Labeling buildings, already adopted by several countries, is becoming an option for both development and sustainability to grow entwined. The application of labels that evaluate how economic, in terms of energy, a construction is seems to be a promising idea, however there must be a careful analysis on this matter. Positives points and drawbacks must be highlighted, so continuous improvements in the energy efficiency labeling field are possible. Forecasts indicate that future energy savings and reduced carbon emissions from sustainable buildings are promising for countries more dependent on non-renewable energy; however, it requires a joint effort of governments, the private sector and society. Finally, it must be clear that the implementation of energy saving program for buildings must be cautious. Therefore, in fact, this idea can become a reality, benefiting the environment; the final end user who might have fewer expenses on power and more indoor comfort; and the government, which might need to face a lower demand of electricity by conventional power plants. The final goal mixtures economy and natural resources, and seems to be a typical Integrated Resource Planning task.

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank FAPEMIG, UFV-CREDI and ELETROBRAS for the financial support.

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