EXPERT TALKS is a new initiative from BUILD UP. In the form of face-to-face interviews, experts coming from all around Europe and covering the field of Energy Efficiency in buildings from different perspectives will share their views, experience and expertise with BUILD UP audience. The interview addresses relevant topics linked to the Topic of the Month.
Check the link to watch the full interview!
For the 5th edition of the Expert Talks series, the interviewee is Dr Duygu Erten, Senior Sustainability Executive, Green-Building certification expert and board member of Turkeco Construction and Energy Inc – SME she started in 2009. Among other recognitions, she has received the BREEAM Fellow recognition (2016) and the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award WSLA (2017) from USGBC.
The focus of this Expert Talk edition is on the topic of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), the challenges this level of performance brings for the building sector and the role of Green Building Certifications in achieving NZEB construction.
During the interview, Dr Erten addressed that relevant criteria required for NZEB buildings are included in different certification systems and different rating levels, recalling the goals and origins of these certifications. Dr Erten underlines the challenge for these systems to evolve and adapt to comply with the Paris Agreement and the European 2050 climate-neutrality goals, where energy consumption in buildings is an essential factor. Furthermore, she mentions the emergence of recent and future certifications, where not only energy is a crucial component but also the users and occupants’ health and experience of the buildings. The question of the actual in-use energy performance verification is also brought forward.
During the interview, Dr Erten evokes the evolution of the Energy Performance regulation in Turkey in the past 20 years. The correspondent requirements have been gradually strengthened up until the current developments, referring to the European EPBD Directive, where the national definition of nZEB and renewable energy parameters are being determined.
Finally, Dr Erten stresses the pertinence of the NZEB concept integrated into the holistic vision of restorative sustainability and allowing buildings to become independent from fossil energy sources.