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    Sweden - Country Report: Response Questionnaire

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    Ar Karthikeyan Tamizh
    The document summarizes Sweden's building regulations as follows: 1. The Swedish building regulations are performance-based and include laws on planning, construction works, and the environment. The key regulatory body, Boverket, issues building regulations and design regulations. 2. Regulations cover ecological topics like energy efficiency, insulation, and water conservation. Economic and some social and functional aspects are also regulated. Requirements are generally performance-based with accepted solutions documented. 3. Enforcement involves building permits checked by municipalities for social aspects. Owners are responsible for compliance, with inspections scheduled as needed. An energy certificate must be issued within two years of completion. Monitoring of functional quality and energy aspects of existing buildings is

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    Sweden - Country Report: Response Questionnaire

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    Ar Karthikeyan Tamizh
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    The document summarizes Sweden's building regulations as follows: 1. The Swedish building regulations are performance-based and include laws on planning, construction works, and the environment. The key regulatory body, Boverket, issues building regulations and design regulations. 2. Regulations cover ecological topics like energy efficiency, insulation, and water conservation. Economic and some social and functional aspects are also regulated. Requirements are generally performance-based with accepted solutions documented. 3. Enforcement involves building permits checked by municipalities for social aspects. Owners are responsible for compliance, with inspections scheduled as needed. An energy certificate must be issued within two years of completion. Monitoring of functional quality and energy aspects of existing buildings is

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    The document summarizes Sweden's building regulations as follows: 1. The Swedish building regulations are performance-based and include laws on planning, construction works, and the environment. The key regulatory body, Boverket, issues building regulations and design regulations. 2. Regulations cover ecological topics like energy efficiency, insulation, and water conservation. Economic and some social and functional aspects are also regulated. Requirements are generally performance-based with accepted solutions documented. 3. Enforcement involves building permits checked by municipalities for social aspects. Owners are responsible for compliance, with inspections scheduled as needed. An energy certificate must be issued within two years of completion. Monitoring of functional quality and energy aspects of existing buildings is

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    44 views12 pages

    Sweden - Country Report: Response Questionnaire

    Uploaded by

    Ar Karthikeyan Tamizh
    The document summarizes Sweden's building regulations as follows: 1. The Swedish building regulations are performance-based and include laws on planning, construction works, and the environment. The key regulatory body, Boverket, issues building regulations and design regulations. 2. Regulations cover ecological topics like energy efficiency, insulation, and water conservation. Economic and some social and functional aspects are also regulated. Requirements are generally performance-based with accepted solutions documented. 3. Enforcement involves building permits checked by municipalities for social aspects. Owners are responsible for compliance, with inspections scheduled as needed. An energy certificate must be issued within two years of completion. Monitoring of functional quality and energy aspects of existing buildings is

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    of 12

    SWEDEN - COUNTRY REPORT

    1.1 Response questionnaire

    • Preliminary questionnaire for Working Group, filled in by The Min. of Environment, Sweden, 2009
    • Questionnaire 1, filled in by The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning
    (Boverket), shortened hereafter as ‘Boverket’, with help of The Ministry, June 2010, followed by
    email correspondence
    • Questionnaire 2, filled in by The Chalmers University of Technology, 11/5/2010, shortened here-
    after as ‘Chalmers University’.

    1.2 Rule system

    1.2.1 Type of regulation


    The Swedish building regulations are performance based.

    Relevant laws concerning construction are


    • The Planning and Building Act (1987:10)
    • The Act on Technical Requirements for construction works, etc (1994:847)
    • The Environmental code (1998:808)

    Relevant Ordinances, issued by the government are:


    • Planning and Building Ordinance (1987:383, many changes since then)
    • Ordinance on Technical Requirements for Construction works, (1994:1215)

    Sustainable construction is also regulated in The Environmental Code and The Work Environment
    Act.

    The governmental authority, Boverket, develops and issues Building Regulations and Design Regula-
    tions. Both consist of mandatory provisions and general recommendations.

    1.2.2 Regulated sustainability topics for new buildings


    On the field of ecological quality there are regulations for energy performance, thermal insulation, air
    permeability and water conservation/efficiency techniques, but no regulation on energy efficiency
    techniques (e.g. low-energy light bulbs), waste reduction and use of recyclable/renewable materials.
    In future regulations on usage of renewable energy sources will be introduced.

    With respect to economic quality only the reduction of waste during the construction process is regu-
    lated.

    Some sustainable aspects of social quality are regulated, for example provision of safe and healthy
    work conditions, and the provision of transport links to local context.

    Most sustainable aspects of functional quality and technical quality are regulated

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -1- 14 febr. 2011


    The two respondents differ in their answers on some aspects of regulation of sustainable construc-
    tion. Chalmers University has the idea the many of aspects in the questionnaire are only mentioned
    as recommendations or as desirable for policy, but are not regulated by law. Boverket answers that
    the general advice is to clarify the requirements, that are given as functional demands in the legisla-
    tion.

    1.2.3 Rules for existing buildings and for renovation of existing buildings
    The building code applies for renovation of existing buildings with consideration to the extent of the
    renovation and the possibilities of the building. Several regulations on sustainability aspects also ap-
    ply for renovation of existing buildings, but only for renovation of the main structure or building ser-
    vices.
    For existing building only regulations exist on energy performance/thermal isolation and on water
    conservation/efficiency techniques. In case of energy performance/thermal isolation a lower level
    applies in comparison with new buildings.

    1.2.4 Level of regulation


    Most regulation on sustainability aspects is on a national level, with exception of the following social
    and functional aspects, which are regulated on a local level:
    • To provide local schools, health, social facilities
    • To provide housing for the elderly
    • To reject or discourage gated development
    • To provide transport links to local context
    • To provide links to adjacent neighbourhoods
    • To the shape of the exterior

    1.2.5 Background in EU-Directives


    The following regulations have a background in EU-directives:
    • Ecological quality: energy performance, usage of renewable energy sources, thermal insulation,
    limitation of ozone depleting gasses;
    • Economic quality: reduction of waste during the construction process;
    • Functional quality: moisture protection of the building envelope, indoor air-quality, thermal com-
    fort in winter, acoustic comfort, indoor air daylight entry;
    • Technical quality: structural safety of the construction, fire resistance of the construction, safety
    of a construction during a fire;

    1.2.6 Ordering of the regulations


    For all sustainability aspects, the regulations apply to all building types.

    1.2.7 Type of requirements and deemed-to-satisfy solutions


    Almost all regulation is performance based (’verifierbara funktionskrav’) There is documentation
    available on accepted or deemed-to-satisfy solutions for all aspects of sustainability.

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -2- 14 febr. 2011


    1.2.8 Process of implementation
    Most regulation is top-down implemented (mostly a government led process), with exception of the
    regulation on technical quality aspects of sustainability: this was a cooperative process (governmental
    parties collaborated with the construction sector).
    Regulation on energy efficiency is dictated on what the market can achieve in recent constructions.

    1
    1.3 Enforcement regime
    Building plans:
    General: To start a construction work the owner of the building needs a building permit. In Sweden
    the owner of the building is responsible for meeting the demands of the technical regulations. The
    building permit only covers planning and local aspects (site, architecture) and does not take the tech-
    nical design or technical requirements into account. The application for a permit is processed by the
    local building committee. The committee checks the location of the construction work, the design, and
    if the work fulfils the regulations of the detailed development plan. The assessment is mostly on pre-
    cise siting and external appearance, not on technical design.
    Sustainability aspects: Only social sustainability aspects of the plan are checked by the municipality.
    (But Chalmers University answers that energy performance is also checked by the municipality.)

    Work under construction:


    General: When a building permit has been launched it is again the building owner who has the total
    responsibility to society to ensure that a construction work fulfils all the technical requirements. The
    local authorities, the building inspection, have a purely supervisory responsibility. Before the construc-
    tion work starts, the owner has to give in a building notice. This notice gives the building committee an
    opportunity to assess the need for supervision and inspection. When a building notice is received, the
    committee shall convene for a consultative meeting unless this is evidently unnecessary. At the mee-
    ting the construction work will be examined at such issues as planning of the works, supervision and
    other controls which are necessary to comply with the requirements of society.
    At the time of the consultative meeting, or as soon as possible thereafter, the building committee shall
    decide of an inspection schedule for the works. It is primarily the responsibility of the owner to set out
    what inspections and verifications he considers necessary to confirm that the technical requirements
    are met. The building committee shall determine whether the inspections proposed by the owner are
    sufficient or if other actions have to be taken such as additional inspections, notifications and docu-
    mentation. For complicated constructions or details the committee can also ask for the opinion of an
    external expert.
    When the inspection schedule has been decided, it is the building owner who has the responsibility to
    ensure that it is compiled with. To aid him in this respect the owner shall normally have appointed a
    quality assurance supervisor. The quality assurance supervisor shall assist the building owner, be
    present at consultative meetings and inspections and also in other respect ensure that the inspection
    schedule is complied with.
    Sustainability aspects: sustainability aspects are not checked formally by the authorities. But for en-
    ergy an energy certificate has to be issued within two years after the building is completed.

    1
    For this section also the following paper is used: B.Nivall - “The Swedish system for inspection and supervision
    of works and products”, Conference paper ‘Competitiveness in the European construction sector’, Malmö, 6-7
    Sept. 2001

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -3- 14 febr. 2011


    Finished construction work prior to occupation:
    General: When the construction is completed and the building owner has met his obligations in ac-
    cordance with the inspection schedule and the building committee has not found it necessary to inter-
    vene as supervisory authority, the committee shall issue a completion certificate. If the building com-
    mittee finds that the building owner has failed to satisfy all conditions necessary for the issue of a
    completion certificate, the committee shall without undue delay decide to what extent use of the build-
    ing shall be permissible until such time the failure has been remedied.
    The supervision and inspection system described is intended not only to ensure that the technical
    requirements in BVL have been compiled with, but also that the project agrees with the building per-
    mit and with the detailed development plan or special area regulations. These issues should be given
    the necessary considerations during consultative meetings and in the inspection plan, as well as
    when the completion certificate is issued.
    Sustainability aspects: only functional quality aspects are (visually) monitored by the technical advisor
    on behalf of authorities (=building committee?). This monitoring is regulated in law.

    Existing buildings in use: Energy-related aspects of existing buildings are monitored by the technical
    advisor on behalf of owner. This is done superficially by means of a paper checklist.
    Functional sustainability aspects are checked visually by the technical advisor on behalf of the au-
    thorities. This monitoring process is regulated in law.

    1.4 Sustainable construction initiatives – including public and joint public-private initia-
    tives

    There are no special guidelines for a national strategy on sustainable construction as such. Sustain-
    ability has to be interpreted in different ways into many areas. The environment is an important part of
    sustainability.
    In 1999 the Swedish Parliament adopted 16 national environmental objectives. These objectives
    demonstrate what environmental situation should be achieved in the perspective of one generation.
    The most relevant objective in this context is the one concerning a Good urban environment.
    The Environmental Code and the national environmental objectives lay the groundwork for a decen-
    tralisation of environmental endeavours. This boost opportunities and interest, above all in the busi-
    ness and industrial community, to initiate measures promoting a better environment. The objectives
    themselves provide guidelines for application of the Code.
    There are sub-goals concerning indoor air in buildings focusing on sufficient ventilation and radon
    levels in schools, day-nurseries and housing. The health aspects of the indoor air are stressed, noise
    and use of energy are other aspects.
    To stress the importance of an adequate working ventilation the Parliament introduced in 1992 a sys-
    tem for obligatory checks of ventilation - systems.
    The Swedish construction sector has voluntarily undertaken to reduce the amount of construction
    waste by one half within a specific period of time.
    Climate-change: There have been local investment programmes including grants to reduce energy-
    consumption, replace fossils and electricity and reduce C02.
    Energy-efficiency: Sub-goal saying: the total energy use per heated area unit in housing and offices
    decreases. The decrease should be 20% up to year 2020 and 50 per cent up to 2050 in comparison
    to the energy use in 1995. Up to the year 2020 the need of fossils fuels for energy use in buildings
    should have come to an end and at the same time the percentage of renewables are continuously
    increasing.
    Government regulation to sustainable construction and complementary sustainable construction initia-
    tives in general work hand in hand in Sweden.

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -4- 14 febr. 2011


    Voluntary initiatives
    The Building and Living Dialogue consists of voluntary agreements between the Government and
    different actors within the sector of property-owners and managers, construction sector and others.
    The aim of the dialogue is that those that are taking part want to get beyond what regulations stipu-
    lates. The target is, to reach before 2025 a sustainable construction sector, mainly concerning a good
    indoor air, efficient use of energy and the use of natural resources. The result of the efforts of the
    participants has been presented in a booklet.
    The Building and Living Dialogue as a whole is evaluated by an independent consultant. The envi-
    ronmental objectives and especially the sub-goals are continuously monitored and evaluated by an
    special organisation formed for that purpose.

    Research activities
    There is a cross-discipline research program that is financed partly by the construction sector and
    partly by the Government concerning efficient use of energy and resources in construction and man-
    agement of buildings. The program also includes buildings as a system, that is more of a holistic view
    and studies on relations between technical systems, information and users behaviour.

    1.5 Role of EU
    On the question “Do you see any role for the EU to stimulate sustainable construction in your coun-
    try?”, Chalmers University answers: “Yes, set higher ambitions.”

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -5- 14 febr. 2011


    Regulations on sustainable construction – Boverket

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -6- 14 febr. 2011


    Regulations on sustainable construction – Chalmers University

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -7- 14 febr. 2011


    Checking of building plans – Boverket

    Checking of building plans – Chalmers University

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -8- 14 febr. 2011


    Checking of work under construction – Boverket

    Checking of work under construction – Chalmers University

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden -9- 14 febr. 2011


    Checking of the finished work, prior to occupation – Boverket

    Checking of the finished work, prior to occupation – Chalmers University

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden - 10 - 14 febr. 2011


    Checking of existing buildings in use – Boverket

    Checking of existing buildings in use – Chalmers University

    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden - 11 - 14 febr. 2011


    Y0602.01.01, Screening nat. building regulations - Sweden - 12 - 14 febr. 2011

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