Project Roster

Buildings & Appliances Task Force

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 - Buildings & Appliances Task Force Action Plan - PDF format
 - Numbering Framework for BATF Projects and Activities - PDF format

*Please note that all documents are in Adobe PDF format

Project 1. Appliances - Harmonization of Test Procedures
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In an effort to eliminate a major barrier to developing successful standards and labeling programs, this project works to compose harmonized test procedures among Partner countries, such as common methods of testing and gauging energy performance of selected appliances.  The goal of this project is to encourage the growth of international markets for more energy-efficient products and new energy-saving technologies, by reducing the burden and discouragement of multiple tests to manufacturers.  The project includes an evaluation of existing test procedures followed by revisions and/or the development of new testing measures.  Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 2. Appliances - Standby Power
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In this project, participating countries will build on existing national and international initiatives and focus on better understanding market trends and cost-effective technical opportunities to reduce standby power levels in a range of devices.  This work will also encourage actions by each Partner country to accelerate market acceptance of new energy conserving technologies that can help reduce unnecessary standby power usage.  Australia, China, India, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 3. Appliances - Market Transformation
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In an effort to encourage market transformation, Partner countries with a wide-range of market-oriented policies/programs dealing with energy-efficient appliances intend to share experiences to extract lessons learned and highlight best practices.  Areas of focus include, but are not limited to: voluntary labeling and recognition programs for energy efficient products, utility rebates and tax incentives to both consumers and manufacturers, training and information campaigns, and combing buyer demand to create a “marketpull” for energy-efficient products.  Through this project all Partners are committed to reduce energy consumption and its environmental burdens by seeking to innovate and
make the production of energy-efficient products economically viable.  Partner countries will also work to facilitate the penetration of energy-efficient products within their domestic markets.  Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 4. Buildings - Building Certification
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Energy labeling is a key mechanism for ensuring effective energy-saving management and has a broad, positive, and important effect on economy-wide energy savings.  In order to overcome institutional, market and other barriers to building certification, the six Partner countries intend to collect information on current certification activities, promote their use, and work toward strengthening their efficacy in generating energy-savings.  The energy evaluation and labeling of buildings will not only demonstrate their potential to save energy but also improve market transparency, which can be a catalyst for greater energy efficiency in buildings.  Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 5. Buildings - Improvements to Existing Buildings
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This project aims to employ best practice and market transformation strategies to improve energy efficiency in existing commercial and residential buildings.  This approach exploits the abundant opportunities that exist to cost-effectively make energy-saving improvements by sharing Partner countries’ experiences and implementing proven program approaches.  In this project, Partner countries will explore the potential for buildings to achieve measurable energy savings as policies and programs are initiated and/or enhanced to advance energy efficiency improvements, and address barriers to the installation of more efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment.  Australia, China, India, Japan, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 6. Buildings - Building Codes
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Building codes can help maximize energy conservation in buildings through application of available technologies and policies.  For this project, every Partner country will work together to facilitate their exchange of information on building codes and related issues, such as policy systems, evaluation and rating systems, and lessons learned through implementation.  These actions will build a foundation to develop new markets by reducing the amount of time and expenditures necessary to improve codes, enhancing international trade of building materials and systems, and improving international cooperation between building-related companies.  Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 7. Buildings - High-Performance Buildings and Development
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This project aims to increase the proportion of new buildings and developments that incorporate cost-effective measures. The project participants will collect and disseminate verified technical and economic information in a common framework. This information will be provided to Partner countries for use in building projects, policy initiatives and demonstrations. The Partners anticipate reduced energy consumption on peak electricity demand and associated CO2 emissions through the incorporation of improved building practices, building materials, equipment, controls and ongoing management, and better disaster resistance in buildings. Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 8. Utility Regulation and Incentives
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Electric and gas utilities have enormous opportunities to finance and deliver energy efficient technology and services to their customers and end-users. Financial incentives or regulatory imperatives are critical for encouraging utility companies to take up these efficiency measures. The participating Partners will work in a number of areas to address this issue, e.g., identifying and sharing successful models of innovative approaches for overcoming barriers to utility financing and implementation of energy efficiency programs. This work will allow Partners’ utility companies to shift a greater fraction of their resources to financing and implementation of energy efficiency in buildings. It will also allow them to play an expanded role as a delivery mechanism for energy efficient appliances, equipment, and services to residential and commercial customers.  Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 9. BATF-06-09 – Smart Systems 
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“Smart systems” are a key enabling technology that increases the knowledge, control and innovative energy efficiency options available to end users and utility system operators.  These technologies allow for more sophisticated exchanges of information between suppliers and end users of electricity (or other resources such as natural gas) as well as improved electricity system operation and reduction of costs.  This project will focus on increasing the market take-up of residential smart systems by working with utilities and industry experts to develop business case rationales and supporting tools to encourage their wider implementation.  Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 10. BATF-06-10 – Green Leases
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Buildings designed to achieve high levels of efficiency often operate at far below their potential without effective management of performance, sometimes doubling the energy consumption and operating costs for the building.  Under typical commercial building lease arrangements the tenant pays the building energy costs yet does not have control over equipment operation and cannot guarantee, or in some cases even measure, whether they are achieving the energy efficiency outcomes they desire or have contracted for.  In contrast the owner has little incentive to properly maintain or upgrade plant and equipment or to strive to achieve high levels of building energy management performance.  This project will help to overcome the tenant–landlord split incentive barrier to energy efficiency in commercial building operations through increasing the use of green lease schedules in participating Partner countries.  Nationally tailored green lease schedules and supporting tools will be developed and promoted through government demonstration, industry champions and investment sector involvement.  Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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Project 11. BATF-06-11 – Commercial Financing
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This project aims to facilitate increased levels of private investment in building energy efficiency projects.  Participating countries will identify and share successful model approaches to remove barriers to private financing and contracting for energy efficiency investment. Partner countries will also voluntarily identify and implement joint projects to remove barriers. The project will provide an inventory of successful approaches, including assessments of effectiveness and energy savings performance contracting, which are expected to result in increases in private company offerings of energy efficiency services, private investment in energy efficiency investors, and volume of equity.  Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States are participating Partners in this project.

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