Moving forward with our green building project
September 7, 2009 at 12:06 pm | Posted in Events, Green Building Projects, Member Projects | Leave a commentTags: Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Green Building, Green Building Council, green buildings, green cafe, meeting, sustainability, sustainable architecture, Sustainable Development
Plans for the RoGBC’s high performance, multi-purpose green building continued as member companies gathered to hear updates and provide input at an information session on Wednesday. Steve Borncamp provided an update for the RoGBC’s project. The aim for the project includes developing an exemplary building that the RoGBC will use as its office, exhibition and training space for green building solutions, a library for sustainable construction, and a reading room and café open to the public. Space will be made available for auxiliary offices and meeting facilities that our members will be able to use according to their needs. An offer of office space for incubating new green tech businesses would be included in the design and strategic plan.
Hannes Guddat of soap architektur GbR, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the many design and technology options available for sustainable buildings and his experience with demonstration projects. He explained their work with the Technical University of Darmstadt award-winning “Solar House” and a “Plus Energy Home” demonstration building whose energy efficiency and green energy production created a net-positive contribution of energy.
Further meetings will be announced on our website, this blog, and in our members’ newsletter. Next steps include solicitations from member companies for project planning guidance and completion of the next version of the project description document.
Energy efficiency conference organized by the Association of Energy Auditors – October 22-23
September 3, 2009 at 3:45 pm | Posted in Events | Leave a commentTags: Energy Audit, Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency in Buildings, EPBD, event, Legislation, Legislative Outreach, meeting, sustainability
The capacity of Romania to meet the EU requirements regarding the energy performance of buildings
When: 22-23 October 2009
Where: Bucharest, Parliament Palace, Nicolae Balcescu room
Organizers: the Association of Energy Auditors for Buildings (AAEC) in collaboration with Commission of Industries and Services, with the support of the Chamber of Deputies.
It is a two day conference that will discuss the following:
- the technical regulations and legislation regarding the building energy audit, at a national and international level
- the institutional capacity of Romania to promote the energy efficiency of buildings
- the financial tools (national and EU) and banking products available for energy rehabilitation of buildings
- the building energy audit
- the architectural solutions available for the energetic rehabilitation of buildings, and other technologies available for energy efficienc buildings
- the use or renewable energy sources in buildings
- the impact of the Energy Performance Certificate on the real estate market
- the involvement of the society in the reduction of the energy consumption and the environment protection
- relevant aspects from the activity of the building energy auditors.
More details about the event and the Call for Papers can be found here. (Romanian version)
The Registration Form is available here. (Romanian version only)
Sustainable Construction in Transylvania!
August 17, 2009 at 7:29 pm | Posted in Events, General | Leave a commentTags: buildings, GBC, Green Building, Green Building Council, green buildings, meeting, sustainability, sustainable_development, Training
Building green means building for the future, but at the same time building green has a lot to do with the past. Tradition and sustainability are, in a way, similar : both of them have to defeat time. Therefore analyzing tradition can reveal very interesting facts about the way people in the old times perceived sustainability and even applied it, although the term did not yet exist. The RoGBC used this idea and transformed it into an exciting event in Transylvania, the mountainous heart of Romania.
In the medieval environment of the “Land of the Seven Citadels” – as Transylvania is historically known – the participants took notice of the roots of sustainability in Romanian architecture and also got acquainted with the traditional Romanian food, music and folk dances.
Architect Horatiu Racasan held a presentation on sustainable construction practices and also showed some of his projects.
Eva Schmincke, a director of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and product specification expert, discussed the future of sustainable construction materials product declarations (EPD) and their role in sustainable construction in Europe.
Gabriel Rosca, President of the Sibiu chapter of the Romanian Order of Architects discussed the results of a summer school where attendees developed and presented urban planning and green solutions for the city’s challenges.
Nicholas Dimancescu showed a short film and explained the history and development of the Inn at Balaban – our venue for the weekend in Transylvania.
Sabin Maghiar of Monsena demonstrated some of the work their company is doing for historical renovations in Romania.
Architect Silvia Demeter of Context Architecture and Romania’s representative to the European Council of Architects provided an excellent tour of Brasov city despite some interruptions from uncooperative weather. The sun got friendlier as we visited the Rasnov fortress.
As they first arrived in Bucharest, the participants took a walking tour through the capital city and hear about the stories behind its most important buildings. Luiza Hanc and Octavian Partenie, two of the associate members of the RoGBC, as well as RoGBC Communication Specialist, Alina Kartman, were in charge with providing the information for the tour.
Although time was short, plenty of other activities were fit into the schedule: an excellent outdoor dinner at the Hilton’s La Strada, and two unforgettable train rides 
Check the RoGBC Flikr account for more photos from the event.
Protected: Meeting notes – Romania Green Building Council – Founding Members General Meeting 31.07.08
August 5, 2008 at 2:50 pm | Posted in Meeting Notes | Enter your password to view comments.Tags: Founding Members to date, meeting
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UNDP and Ministries of Environment; Foreign Affairs meeting
August 24, 2009 at 9:56 am | Posted in Legislative Outreach | Leave a commentTags: climate change, comments, conference, Green Building Council, meeting, Sustainable Development
Representative of the Ministry of Environment's climate change team briefs the attendees on the activities to date
I just returned from a consultative meeting organized by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Romania, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting’s subject was entitled “Romania in the Context of Negotiations for the New Global Climate Change Agreement, Copenhagen, December 2009 – United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention COP 15″. Attendees included dignitaries of the above-mentioned organizations as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, various academic institutions, NGOs and private sector representatives. We as stakeholders were asked to provide concrete recommendations as Romania prepares its position for national and international policy for the post-Kyoto period beyond 2012.
On behalf of the Romania Green Building Council, I made the following points:
1) That studies being performed to calculate the economic impact of greater CO2 / greenhouse gas reduction commitments should also include the reduced economic risk from greater energy efficiency and energy security. In addition, recognition of the significant contribution of buildings, new and existing, to greenhouse gas emissions must be elevated in the continuing climate change discussions in Copenhagen and beyond.
2) Financing mechanisms that reward green building, green tech, and renewable energy solutions and are paid back by future energy savings are a low cost way for encouraging innovation and helping Romania to prosper from adopting a low carbon economy.
3) Density bonuses, property tax exemptions and expedited permitting (among other incentives) for green buildings can provide better quality investments, sustained economic growth, and, of course, better buildings. A greater amount of green property investments offset the cost of tax reductions to municipalities and promote high-quality jobs.
4) Greater willingness to review and allow environmentally-superior construction materials is necessary to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce their environmental impact. Reaching climate change commitments can be achieved by more innovative thinking and new policies instead of requiring greater spending.
5) Companies should be supported in their transition away from fossil fuel. We must let the market economy function but provide support in specific cases where the environmental costs are not captured by the normal market mechanisms.
Eliza Teodorescu presents recomendations from the Climate Action Network Romania
The Legislative Outreach Task Group of the Romania Green Building Council is preparing, in cooperation with WWF Romania a position paper to be delivered to the Government of Romania which will include the above points along with more details on policies and tools to ensure Romania’s climate change response brings sustainable economic growth.
We look forward to your comments.
- Steve