Future tasks and countermeasuresfrom the viewpoint of evaluation andinspection company after compliancewith BEC have become mandatory
Takashi Uchida
Nov 28, 2011

JAPAN ERI CO.,LTD.

Today’s Contents
1 Outline of Japan’s new Building Energy Code
2 ERI’s Activity① Before April (preparation for new Building
Energy Code)② After April (implementation of new Building
Energy Code begins)
3 ERI’s evaluation system
4 Numerical statements prepared afterconstruction starts

5 Future tasks
1What is ERI?

JAPAN ERI CO., LTD.

ERI

Evaluation
RatingInspection

Building Permit is only allowed for(local) governments until March
2000.

April 1,2000

Building Permit is allowed for privatecompanies from April 1, 2000.

JAPAN ERI began November 11, 1999.

1 JAPAN ERI is the first private company that has
attained building permits.
2 JAPAN ERI is the only company providing support allover Japan (ERI has 33 branch offices)2

1 Outline of Japan’s new Building Energy Code3

Outline of the new Building Energy Code
Important points of the new Building Energy Code1 Buildings over 2000 m2 total area, except forresidential/housing uses, require a “building energyconsumption performance compatibility evaluation”
for the building permit.
(An official letter for approval will be published.)
2 The new Building Energy Code requires
construction as shown in the design documents for abuilding permit. When a difference is found, thenan official letter for approval will not be published.
(The architect or building owner needs analternative permit, or the builder needs to revise
the building same as the documents.)

4

Standards of the new Building Energy Code
Buildings except residential/housing uses
Consumption of Primary Energy
BEI ≦ １．０
（BEI Building Energy Index）

Definition of BEI
Designed Consumption of Primary Energy
BEI＝Standard Consumption of Primary Energy5Calculation System for BEI
Two calculation systems for BEI are regulated in the new
Building Energy Code.
1 Standard input method
Inputs required window specifications, outside wallinsulation, HVAC, domestic hot water supply, lighting
system for all rooms, elevator, and solar cells.

2 Model building method
26 existing model buildings have already been preparedwith this method. Much less input data are required
versus the standard input method. Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) recommend thismethod. Calculation precision is worse than the standard
input method, but less time is required to obtain the BEI.
6Comparison of old code and new codes
Building Energy CodeTotal Area

≥ 2000 m2< 2000 m2≥ 300 m2

< 300 m2

oldnew

Non-housing
use

Notification

Fitness obligation(permit needed)

Residential/
housing use

Notification

Notification

Non-housing
use

Notification

Notification

Residential/
housing use

Notification

Notification

Effort only

Effort only

The new Building Energy Code started as a partial regulation,
but after 2020, all building permit will require a fitness obligation.
7Permit and notification ①

We have two systems to check building construction.
Permit1 The design document is checked byprofessionals having special license orexperience.
2 The design document is checked mainly forlegal, and partially for technical compliance.
3 An official letter for approval is issued.
4 A completion check performed by anauthorized person is necessary.
8Permit and Notification ②Notification
1 The documents are submitted to the local
government office.
2 The documents are checked by a professional,
but in most cases, a license is not needed.
3 An official letter for approval is not issued.
4 A completion check is not needed, except as
required by the code for the treatment of
explosives and combustibles.

9Permit and Notification ③
Building Permit

Until end ofMarch(old code)

FromApril 1st(new code)

Building
Notification①Building standards ①Building energy code(old code)
code②Environmental codes②Fire life safety code
(noise, vibration, drainage
water, exhaust, indoorconditions)①Building standards ①Environmental codes(noise, vibration, drainage
code
water, exhaust, indoor②Fire life safety codeconditions)③Building energy
code (new code)10

2 ERI’s activity① Before April (preparation for the new Building
Energy Code)② After April (implementation of the new Building
Energy Code starts)
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Activity before April ①■Company activity

1
2
3

4

5

ERI registered with the government as a private company
for building energy consumption performance compatibility
evaluation.
ERI organized the new Promotion of Energy Saving
Department for this evaluation.
A special license is required for evaluation. ERI has 33
branch offices. Each branch is capable of performing theevaluations, as ERI has people with the special license ineach office. In total, 168 ERI employees were licensed in
March.
ERI created a management and accounting databasesystem for the new building energy code.
ERI created a charges scheme for the energy consumption
performance compatibility evaluation.
12

Activity before April ②■Activity for clients

12

ERI held many client seminars to explain the new buildingcode.
ERI sent questions to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport. ERI published a booklet of these questions
and responses.

■Activity for ERI’s members
Technical skills in HVAC, plumbing, and lighting are required
to evaluate energy consumption performance compatibility.
ERI held lectures on the new code, HVAC, plumbing, andlighting systems, not only for M&E engineers but alsoarchitects. There are not many professional M&E engineers todesign and construct buildings in Japan, so every company can
not get enough of them. Thus, many architects in ERI have toevaluate energy consumption performance compatibility.
Note: HVAC = Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning

13

Activity after April■Activity for clients

1
2

ERI held seminars for architects and M&E engineers about
calculation methods for the building energy code.
The new building energy code requires additional
supervision compared to the old building standard code. SoERI held many seminars all over Japan about supervision.

■Activity for ERI’s members
1 The Promotion of Energy Saving Department has answered
many questions from ERI’s clients, members, and evencompetitors.
2 The Department developed a questionnaire to choose newlectures for next year. Many architects have requested alecture on HVAC, and thus, the text on HVAC must be madeeasily accessible to nonprofessional members.
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3 ERI’s evaluation system
15

ERI system for the new Building Energy CodeERI Main Office

ERI Main Office

Promotion ofEnergy Saving
Department

Department of energy
consumption performancecompatibility evaluation

A department of energy
consumption performancecompatibility evaluation in
the ERI main office has
experienced mechanicaland electrical engineers.

Branch Office・Inquiries for technicaland legal compliance.
・Communication of
information for newbuilding energy codes.
・Developing strategy to
get jobs of evaluation.

Department of energy
consumption performancecompatibility evaluation

Branch Office

ERI has 33 branch offices,and each branch has asection of energy
consumption performancecompatibility evaluation

Department of energy
consumption performancecompatibility evaluation

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Evaluation abilities by staff

Check point in new building
energy code

Architect

Mechanicalengineer

Electricalengineer

Skin (insulation and window
specification)
HVAC
Domestic hot water supply
Lighting system
ElevatorSolar cells

Primary work

Sub work or partial work

17How will ERI evaluate?
1 ERI staff need a wide range of knowledge about architecture,
HVAC, domestic hot water supply, lighting systems, and otherenergy saving systems to evaluate energy consumption
performance compatibility.
2 This knowledge is basic, so it is not difficult for even architects
to become licensed for this purpose.
3 In ERI’s branch offices, one architect evaluates both thebuilding standard code and the new building energy code.
4 When the model building method is used to get the BEI, it iseasy for architects to perform the evaluation.
5 When the standard input method is used, it is sometimes notpossible for a branch office architect to perform the assessment.
If so, M&E engineers from the ERI main office will step in.
6 In cases with complicated HVAC systems, main office M&E
engineers will advise the branch office architects.

18Comparison of before and after April
Before April
Period to get building permit is about 1 month.
Building Permit
BuildingStandardCodeevaluation by architect
evaluation by structural engineer
evaluation by mechanical or electrical engineer
evaluation by fire department

3 staff needed
to evaluate abuilding permit.

After April
Period to get building permit is about 1 month,almost the same as before April.
Building
Standard
Code
New Building
Energy Code

Building Permit
evaluation by architect
evaluation by structural engineer
evaluation by mechanical or electrical engineer

Additional staff
needed to evaluate
a building permit.

evaluation of energy consumption performance compatibility

evaluation by fire department

19Main trends of the past six months
1 The period to get a building permit after April under thenew Building Energy Code is almost the same as before
April under the old code.
2 A few permits take longer, typically due to document’s
mistakes made by an architect or engineer
unaccustomed to the new code.
3 The model building method is used to calculate the BEI
in more than 95% of cases. Permits using the standard
input method are very rare.

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3 Numerical statements prepared after construction starts
21Construction start and building permit numbers
450400350300250200150100> 2000 m2 total area
housing use notincluded.

500Jan.

Feb

Mar.

Apr.

MayJun.

Jul.

Aug.

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Construction start in 2015
Construction start in 2016
Construction start in 2017
Building energy consumption performance compatibility evaluation by ERI
Building energy consumption performance compatibility evaluation in all over Japan22

Summary of construction start numbers in recent year
The number of evaluation for energy
consumption performance compatibility
from April to September

Construction start of >2000 m2 from April toSeptember

789 ( ERI’s evaluation 217)

in 20152176

in 20162203

in 20172209

1 The number of constructions started after the new building
energy code was enforced are almost the same as in 2015 and2016.
2 About 1400 buildings are exempt from the new building energy
code according to official rules.
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4 Future tasks

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Future tasks for clients
1 ERI has had many questions from clients, in-housearchitects and engineers over the past six months, andwill likely have more. This information will continue tobe shared.
2 The information to make the design document forevaluation of energy consumption performancecompatibility is not enough in detail. ERI will work to
make more easily, and inform to society.

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Future tasks for the company
1 MLIT declares that all building permit of both housing andnon-housing use will require fitness obligations until 2020 asa revision of the new Building Energy Code.
2 Then, the number of fitness obligations will increase
annually. It is difficult to employ new professional engineers,
so ERI will have to improve engineering knowledge, not only
for M&E engineers but also architects.
3 It is especially necessary to improve the engineeringknowledge of architects as soon as possible.
4 How to improve?
・Make the HVAC text more understandable.
・Educate staff to judge energy consumption performancecompatibility using e-learning systems (a.k.a. network
learning systems)
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Thank you for your attention
and enjoy your stay in Japan.
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