Guidelines For Energy Conserving Design of Buildings and Utility Systems

FOREWORD

With the unstable supply and possible shortage of fossil fuels in the future, efforts to conserve energy should be seriously considered. The building sector in the Philippines is one of the energy-intensive sectors of the national economy. Building energy consumption accounts for about 15 to 20 percent of the nationwide electric power consumption. It is therefore imperative that buildings that will be erected in the future be designed in accordance with energy conservation concepts in order to contribute to the nationwide effort to avert an energy crisis or at least mitigate its worse effect. Furthermore, actions should now be taken to rationalize the use of energy in existing buildings and their services so that energy wastages will be prevented.

These guidelines aim to attain efficient energy utilization in buildings. It contains energy conservation guidelines for the design of buildings and their services. The guidelines are based on present day viewpoint and are therefore subject to review, with regard to urgency and rigidity, as time passes.

The overall objective of the guidelines is to save energy in the building sector and pave the way for designers/architects to apply energy conservation principles and techniques in their designs. To be able to meet this objective, the guidelines were developed to address the aspects of design of new buildings as well as the upgrading of existing buildings.

The guidelines provide recommendations at the design stage of buildings, as well as retrofits to existing units but exclude residential units and premises using large quantities of process heat. Moreover, the guidelines recommend means of achieving energy-efficient utilization without compromising the comfort, safety and health of the occupants. Majority of the factors that affect the use of energy in buildings are considered.

Levels for environmental conditions, performance characteristics and general design criteria for building services, etc. are suggested. These were drawn out from existing local and foreign codes, standards, basic design practices, etc., as well- as energy surveys and audits.  

Click to Read More on the Guidelines on Energy Conserving Designs of Buildings Version 2008

  • Published in 1993 by the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.

  • Approved in 1992 by the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS as a Referral Code to the National Building Code.