Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
Abstract
International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency (IEA) was established in 1974 within the framework of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to implement an international energy
programme. A basic aim of the IEA is to foster co-operation among the twenty-eight IEA participating
countries and to increase energy security through energy conservation, development of alternative
energy sources and energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D).
Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems
The IEA co-ordinates research and development in a number of areas related to energy. The mission of
one of those areas, the ECBCS - Energy Conservation for Building and Community Systems Programme,
is to develop and facilitate the integration of technologies and processes for energy efficiency and
conservation into healthy, low emission, and sustainable buildings and communities, through innovation
and research.
The research and development strategies of the ECBCS Programme are derived from research drivers,
national programmes within IEA countries, and the IEA Future Building Forum Think Tank Workshop,
held in March 2007. The R&D strategies represent a collective input of the Executive Committee
members to exploit technological opportunities to save energy in the buildings sector, and to remove
technical obstacles to market penetration of new energy conservation technologies. The R&D strategies
apply to residential, commercial, office buildings and community systems, and will impact the building
industry in three focus areas of R&D activities:
Dissemination
Decision-making
Building products and systemsIEA - International Energy Agency
ECBCS - Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems
Annex 50 – Prefabricated Systems for Low Energy Renovation of Residential Building