The Marker, Yael Drel,20.02.2020
One of the major failures in construction will soon be overhauled: New regulations formulated by the Treasury's Planning Administration are expected to make a makeover and gradually require all new construction - both residential and hotel and office - to meet the green building standard. This is now being done 15 years after the standard was formulated in 2005.
Although the buildings in Israel are responsible for 40% of energy consumption, and despite the state's commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the green building standard remains voluntary today and is used by established residents. Tens of thousands of apartments were also built into the housing market's flagship program, without the developers being obliged to comply with the green standard.
This morning, the Green Building Regulations are expected to reach the Subcommittee on Construction and regulations of the National Planning and Building Council. They first stated that the Green Standard (TA 5281) should be adopted as part of the Planning and Building Regulations in Israel, in a way that would make it binding according to a gradual outline.
The Green Building Standard is currently divided into several chapters, each of which deals with a different aspect, including energy, water and materials.The standard lists various requirements that a building must meet to score.According to the score, projects range from one star - the most basic level - to five stars for an outstanding green project. The current regulations will, in the first phase, require developers in green construction throughout the country at relatively low star-rating ratings.
The amendment stipulates that any new multi-storey (ten-story or more) residential project that will apply for a building permit as of July 1, 2021 will be required to be built in the one-star green standard.
Subsequently, any developer who applies for a building permit as of January 1, 2023 will also be billed for the green standard for a project in lower saturation construction (ranging from six housing units to ten floors). Another extension of the standard is expected in January 2025 - then all new high-rise residential buildings, built more than 15 stories high, will be billed for a green building standard with a more advanced two-star rating.
The regulations also stipulate that new construction for the use of offices, hotels, hospitals and public buildings will also be gradually phased in as of July 1, 2021 in green construction by standard, in the one-star category.
Increase in construction costs - up to 5%
According to the Ministry of the Environment, at present, only 35% of all new construction in Israel is committed to a green standard, as only the strongest cities - the 15th Forum - have decided to adopt it. This situation has left peripheral cities out of the game, although in recent years most of the new construction is concentrated in them.The founding cities of the 15th Forum are Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ashdod, Beer Sheva, Givatayim, Herzliya, Hadera, Holon, Haifa, Kfar Saba, Netanya, Petah Tikva, Rishon Lezion, Rehovot, Ramat Gan and Ra'anana.
The Planning Administration says that "the significance of this move is not just about climate change and the need to build healthier, more economical materials for households, but it is a social first and foremost." In their current reality, there is already a market for green building materials, there are contractors who know how to build right, but The green projects are set up in established communities, they are built for those who have - and lower socioeconomic families do not.
The social issue also emerges from a report on an issue drafted by the Ministry of the Environment, which found gaps in the quality of construction and the efficiency of buildings between the center and the periphery. The same goes for the benefit of private households. While residents of the center cities benefit from the energy efficiency of the buildings and from the savings in electricity and water costs - residents in the peripheral cities do not.Among other things, the report states that even in the huge programs in which the state is the developer, the obligation to comply with the standard of green construction has not been introduced - and so far national moves in this area have been avoided.
One of the popular arguments that players in the industry use to explain green building inaction is the costs.However, a review previously conducted by the Israeli Green Building Council has been shown that investment in green building varies according to the standard of certification of the standard, and that in Israel the average rate of increase is 1% - 5% of the total cost of construction of offices, residences and hotels.
According to a comprehensive and first-of-its-kind study conducted at the Ministry of the Environment, and its findings were published in July 2017, a household acquiring a new apartment built in a green standard is credited with the electricity bill for a relatively significant saving of NIS 1,000 a year. The study included collecting electricity bills along with collecting physical and behavioral data of tenants in households. The survey was conducted in 12 cities, and in each city a pair of buildings were sampled - one building in standard construction and one building in green construction. The study shows that the economic benefits of these housing units are also not significant. So far, 10,500 "green" housing units have been built in Israel, saving NIS 10 million a year in household electricity costs.
The Ministry of the Environment estimates that the standard may cost each housing unit by NIS 5,000, but as stated, according to the tests, the standard is expected to save NIS 1,000 a year in the electricity bill of each household. This, without taking into account additional health and water saving benefits due to the use of higher quality materials.
Galit Cohen, senior vice president for planning, policy and strategy at the Ministry of the Environment, noted that "billing a green building standard for all construction in Israel is no less than a long-standing historic injustice. In 2011, we launched a new and updated standard and this year we are waiting to integrate it into national commitment.We're glad it's finally happening in 2020 thanks to the Planning Administration's move.
"The residents of the 15th Forum in the center of the country have been enjoying many years as a result of implementing a standard of green, high-quality, healthy and efficient office. But unfortunately, to date, it has not been decided to make the standard binding throughout the country, leaving Israel's social and geographical periphery to live in quality homes The standard bill will now reduce the cost of living for residents of the Galilee and the Negev. "
Planning Director General, Dalit Silber: "The Green Building Standard" which was voluntary, has become binding and will do social justice. Those who did not enjoy the standard until today were mainly residents of the periphery, and we are changing that. The requirement for a green building standard is one step in a series of moves that the Planning Administration promotes in light of climate change. Adopting green building standards and standards could lead to a 20% to 30% reduction in energy consumption in buildings, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cities. "