Draft law on 'energy saving' houses

All new buildings will have to be adequately insulated in order to save energy, according to proposed legislation.

Large windows will also have to be double or triple glazed, said Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit at a conference yesterday on promoting energy efficiency in Maltese buildings.

The minister said that under the proposed Registration of Building Industry Contractors and Building Industry Control Act, architects would see that the law's provisions are incorporated in the design of the house. "These provisions require, among other things, that buildings be adequately insulated, especially when it comes to roofs and outer walls," Mr Zammit said.

He said emphasis would be placed on the size of wells, which should reflect the size of the site.

The conference, on Renewable and Efficient Energy: The Cost-savings Home, was organised by the Building Industry Consultative Council.

Among the themes touched upon were energy efficient structures for houses, the benefits of using domestic solar water heaters, the efficient collection in rainwater and a general improvement in how energy is used and saved.

Mr Zammit noted that the maximum demand for electricity in summer has increased drastically over the past decades, almost surpassing winter peaks.

He said that in the past people not only consumed less energy because technology was less developed but in building their homes they also took climate into consideration.

"This is why we find thick walls and small windows and internal courtyards for ventilation in the old houses of our villages." These traditionally efficient characteristics had been gradually lost with the introduction of concrete roofs and bricks in outer walls.

BICC chairman Robert Musumeci said the council had published a document on the efficient use of energy in Maltese buildings.

The document includes guidelines on the positioning of the building, the construction materials that should be used, the size of windows and guidelines on how these criteria should change according to the location of the building.

Aesthetic criteria were also being taken into consideration, Mr Musumeci said.

Two British specialists spoke about the latest EU standards of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

The conference was held at the Coastline Hotel.