Building standards have a long history in Norway, and the first energy requirements for buildings were introduced as far back as 1949. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is responsible for determining the requirements of the Technical Regulations on buildings.
The Technical Regulations apply to new buildings and when large-scale renovation and alterations are carried out on existing buildings. The regulations set minimum standards that must meet for the construction to be legal. These minimum standards include requirements relating to energy use in buildings. New buildings correspond to only about 1-2 % of the building stock per year. However, buildings have a long lifespan, and the energy requirements will therefore influence energy use for many years to come. Norwegian energy requirements have been revised and made stricter a number of times, most recently from 1 January 2016.
In 2020, the use of mineral oil for heating buildings was banned. Traditionally, oil heating had been a widespread local energy solution and functioned well in interaction with the power system. High taxes and clear signals that the use of fossil oil for heating buildings would be prohibited contributed to a significant shift in energy use in buildings ahead of the ban. Fossil energy sources in buildings have largely been phased out in favor of electricity, district heating, and bioenergy.
From an energy system perspective, it is beneficial to find new heating solutions that do not place additional load on the power system during the winter.
Mandatory connection to district heating
A sufficiently large number of customers is required for a district heating system to be developed for an area, since the cost per customer drops as capacity is more fully used. In, Norway, a municipality is entitled to require new buildings to be connected to a district heating system when a district heating license has been issued.
Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Energy has published guidelines explaining how municipalities can use requirements for mandatory connection to a local district heating system for new buildings. They emphasize that the municipalities can modify the requirements to suit local conditions, for example by specifying which types of buildings are to be connected or defining the geographical areas where the requirements apply. The district heating companies are responsible for providing municipalities with the information they need in order to make good decisions on mandatory connection. This is to make sure that the municipal planning process is as effective as possible.
Since 1 July 2010, it has been mandatory in Norway to hold an energy performance certificate for any building that is constructed, sold or rented out. The energy performance certificates are intended to improve knowledge and awareness of energy use in buildings. Inspection of large heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems has also been made mandatory to encourage sound operation and inspection routines. Owners of private homes may choose to use a free online system for obtaining energy certificates for buildings, while commercial buildings and new buildings must be certified by an expert.
The energy rating ranges from A (very energy efficient) to G (low energy efficiency). The rating provides an assessment of the building’s need for delivered energy, meaning the number of kWh the building or home requires for normal use. The energy rating is based on a calculation of the building’s need for delivered energy and is independent of the actual measured energy consumption. Standard values, such as indoor temperatures and climate data, are used in the calculation.
Energy used for heating from sources other than electricity—such as district heating or bioenergy—is also included in the calculation of a building's energy rating. These energy carriers help reduce the load on the electricity system and are rewarded in the energy labeling scheme by only counting as 45 percent of the actual delivered energy. This means that 1 kWh of district heating is counted as only 0.45 kWh when calculating the energy rating in the labeling system.
Buildings constructed according to the 2016 building regulations (TEK17) will normally receive a B rating, while older buildings with lower energy performance and no upgrades will receive lower ratings. Buildings with an energy need that is 10 percent lower than TEK17 requirements will generally receive an A rating.
Ecodesign and energy labelling establish minimum requirements for energy efficiency and eco-friendly design. NVE is market surveillance authority for eco-design and energy labeling related to energy efficiency.
More information on ecodesign and energy labelling can be found here.