The International Energy Agency Energy in Buildings and Communities (IEA EBC) Programme, formerly known as the Energy in Buildings and Community Systems Programme (ECBCS), is one of the International Energy Agency's Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs). The Programme "carries out research and development activities toward near-zero energy and carbon emissions in the built environment".
History
The programme was formally launched in 1977, following the oil crisis which drove research into alternative sources of energy and technologies to improve energy efficiency. Since then, IEA EBC's main aim has been to provide an international focus for energy efficiency research in the building sector, with its current mission being to “develop and facilitate the integration of technologies and processes for energy efficiency and conservation into healthy, low emission and sustainable buildings and communities, through innovation and research”.
Former EBC Executive Committee Chairs
Andreas Eckmanns, Bundesamt für Energie, Switzerland
Morad R. Atif, National Research Council, Canada
Richard Karney, Department of Energy, USA
Sherif Barakat, National Research Council, Canada
Gerald S. Leighton, Department of Energy, USA
EBC Strategic Plan
Every five years, the IEA Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) renews the Programme's Strategic Plan. The latest EBC Strategic Plan was developed in 2019 and is effective until 2024.
The strategic objectives of the EBC TCP are: the refurbishment of existing buildings; reducing the performance gap between design and operation; creating robust and affordable technologies; the development of energy efficient cooling; the creation of district level solution sets.
EBC Participating Countries
Countries currently participating in the EBC are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, P.R. China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
EBC Annexes
The EBC carries out research and development (R&D) projects known as Annexes, with a typical duration of 3 to 4 years forming the Programme's basis. “The outcomes of the Annexes address the determining factors for energy use in three domains: technological aspects, policy measures, and occupant behaviour”. Below is a list with completed and current Annexes.