The energy consumption of buildings has significantly increased since 1990. Accordingly, the reduction of energy consumption is highlighted as one of the keys to achieving the goals stipulated in the Kyoto Protocol.

According to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change published in October 2006 by the British government, 8 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide come from buildings. This amounts to 3.4 billion tons on a CO₂ equivalent.

In 2008, the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol will commence, marking the start of the 2008-2012 challenge by advanced nations to reduce average annual greenhouse gas emissions by a collective 5 per cent below 1990 levels at a minimum. Specifically, the European Union is targeting an 8 per cent reduction, the United States 7 per cent, and Japan 6 per cent.

However, current trends in energy consumption stemming from the use of electricity in private homes and buildings, as people continue to seek greater comfort and convenience in their lives, have certainly shown an increase. In Japan, for example, energy consumption of homes and buildings in fiscal 2006 was shown to have increased by 40.8 per cent above consumption levels in fiscal 1991, marking a new record high. In European countries, 40-50 per cent of all energy consumption is accounted for by the electricity usage of buildings, demonstrating the urgency for reductions in the use of energy within homes and buildings.

It is for this reason that buildings are said to hold the key to achieving the commitments outlined by the Kyoto Protocol. Attention is therefore warranted, as the world takes on the challenge of reducing building and home energy consumption.

Building heating and cooling systems consume a substantial amount of energy. Clues to reducing such consumption can be found in glazing-the path through which heat enters and exits.

The windows of a house serve the vital purpose of shielding the interior from solar heat in the summer and preventing heat from escaping during the winter. According to our data, of the amount of heat that penetrates a home during the summer, 71 per cent of that warmth is let in through windows. Similarly, in the winter, windows are responsible for 48 per cent of the heat that escapes.

Although the energy-saving capabilities of heating and cooling equipment continue to improve, the fact is that one-third of a building's CO₂ emissions are produced by the energy these systems consume. In Japan, where seasonal temperatures vary greatly, CO₂ energy emissions from homes and buildings account for 34.2 per cent (fiscal 2006: 1,203 million tons) of the nation's total emissions.

Additionally, one-third of these emissions are the product of cooling and heating systems.

Regardless of how efficient a heating or cooling system might be, if a building or home unable to prevent heat from penetrating in the summer, or from escaping in the winter, then the efficiency of the equipment becomes irrelevant.

With this in mind, it is no wonder the world is focused on glass that curbs heat loss and contributes to heating or cooling efficiency.

 

CSR Report 2007