Demonstration projects

Demonstration projects such as the retrofitting or construction of energy efficient buildings are a frequently used informational instrument in China. On the one hand, they are supposed to be a role model for construction companies and developers in an illustrative sense in order to show how EEB standards can be realized. On the other hand, demonstration projects aim to raise the awareness of building residents of the benefit and co- benefits of enhancing EEB. In addition, model projects can lead to experience gained and produce “best practices”, which can be fostered through information exchange between local governments or other actors involved in the implementation of EEB policies and measures. The different projects can be divided into three categories: model cities and projects, single demonstration buildings and demonstration programs.

a) Model cities and projects

The MOHURD has chosen four model cities, namely Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Shenzhen, to gain experiences and derive best practices for the implementation of EEB policies and measures in different climate regions. Furthermore, the MOHURD has introduced a “National Award for Green Building Innovation” to push the development of best practices. In addition, the MOHURD supports model projects by local governments that are enhancing EEB. One model project will be described here in a summarized version:

Tangshan

Together with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the MOHURD is carrying out the project “Energy efficiency in existing buildings” from 2005 until 2010. The project focuses on residential buildings in urban areas within Northern China. The aim is to improve energy efficiency by integrating retrofitting concepts, technologies and financing modes. To achieve these objectives the project offers advisory services regarding policies and standards, the introduction and transfer of technology, cooperation with industry as well as knowledge management (GTZ 2007).

The heart of the project has been the successful retrofitting of residential plots in Tangshan, Hebei Province. According to interviews with a variety

of actors10 _{involved in the project, three main benefits can be observed: 1)} the project has served the national government as a role model and experience ground for successful retrofitting practices, 2) it has served to raise the knowledge of residents both of already retrofitted and of non- retrofitted buildings about the benefits of EEB and 3) it has fostered “best practices” and extensive knowledge exchange between the local government of Tangshan and other local governments.

b) Single demonstration buildings

Apart from model cities and projects, there are several single demonstration buildings in China which serve the same aims as pilot cities, just on a smaller scale. Even though the projects pertain to public buildings, they also contribute in increasing public awareness and are therefore of importance for this study.

The central government and the Beijing and Shanghai local governments have used the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 and the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai as events to promote EEB and to raise public awareness for this topic. This has been done by constructing single energy efficient demonstration buildings. The efforts being undertaken are described as follows in a summarized version:

Beijing: Olympic buildings and village

As part of a campaign to improve China’s environmental image and to counteract concerns about the effect of air pollution on athletes and spectators alike, the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 have been dubbed “The Green Olympics” by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

In the field of EEB, China’s aim is that the Olympic venues “adopt

efficient technology to conserve energy and use energy properly, such as using advanced architecture to decrease the heat radiation, making good use of solar energy, natural ventilation and the possible technology to conserve energy” (BOCOG 2008)

10 Interviewed actors involved in the Tangshan demonstration project: households, local government officials, experts from the German international cooperation agency GTZ.

Furthermore, in the Olympic Village efforts are being made to conserve energy. One example is that the Olympic Village relies on a heat exchange heating and cooling system that makes use of the heat produced in the sewage treatment system. By using high-level insulation for the enclosure structure, adopting advanced energy supply technology and full utilization of renewable energy, BOCOG hopes to improve energy efficiency substantially (BOCOG 2008).

Shanghai: Expo buildings (Puijiang Intelligence Valley and Wen Yuan)

Puijiang Intelligence Valley (PIV) was built in 2006 as a new business park in the southeast of Shanghai. It covers an area of 1.5 km². All buildings are consistent with ecological and sustainable requirements and use energy efficient technologies for heating and cooling. As the first buildings outside of Germany, Puijiang Intelligence Valley received the German Energy Pass (see Box 5) (Dena / CEEB 2007, 222-230). The Wen Yuan building was constructed in 1953 on the site of the Tongji University in Shanghai and was reconstructed according to EEB standards. Until the beginning of the world exposition Expo “Better city, better life” 2010 in Shanghai, the energy efficiency of Wen Yuan will be documented. Therefore, it offers sponsors from the building industry the possibility of demonstrating their abilities (Dena / CEEB 2007, 231-241).

c) Demonstration programs

The MOHURD had set up its own demonstration program, the “National Comfortable Housing Program”, from 1995 to 1998. The aim of the program was primarily to advance quality design standards and high quality construction methods and materials. Through this project the Chinese government invested over 220 billion RMB11 _{and provided over} 260 million square meter of floor area to households. In Beijing city, about 52,000 households, which had a floor area per capita of less than four square meters, had their living standard improved (Meng / Feng 2005, 431; Rousseau / Chen 2001, 300).