Trade Introduction of a New Building Code with Requirements for Energy Performance

A new version of the Swedish Building Code (BBR) that introduced requirements for the energy performance of buildings has applied since 2006, with restrictions on energy performance for buildings heated with electricity applying since 2009. Requirements are set for the energy performance of buildings with the effect of ensuring that energy calculations are performed at the planning stage and that energy performance is verified by measurements within 24 months of building completion. This is a major change from the previous codes. It is the building proprietor’s responsibility to ensure that the regulations set by the authority are followed. The building proprietor may sue the contractor if the requirements are not fulfilled. The contractor, in turn, may sue the designer, installer, etc. In order to avoid future conflicts, a cooperation project between building proprietors, contractors, and consultants has been initiated. The cooperation is called SVEBY (Standardize and Verify Energy Performance in New Buildings) and it consists of 17 subprojects. The aim is to develop guidelines for contracts, calculations, measurements, and verifications to ensure that the requirements for energy performance are fulfilled.

SVEBY will facilitate cooperation between actors to avoid disputes caused by
unclearness in building codes, methods, trade agreements, and contracts. So far, five subprojects
have been successfully completed, and the results are supported standard contracts, trade rules,
and guidelines.