Environment Seeking for a Symbiotic Home - Steps in Establishing a Certification System 1999

Environment Seeking for a Symbiotic Home - Steps in Establishing a Certification System 1999

In the late 1990s, the Japanese housing sector began to be required to take an environmentally conscious perspective, and emphasis began to be placed on improving performance, such as energy conservation and high thermal insulation/airtightness. In response to the aging of the large number of houses supplied during Japan's period of rapid economic growth, the urban heat island phenomenon, and air pollution, a foundation affiliated with the Ministry of Construction established the "Eco-Symbiosis Housing Certification System". The system included energy-saving performance, durability, barrier-free features, site conditions, and greening rate as essential requirements, and also included evaluation of unique design proposals such as rooftop greening, rainwater harvesting, and use of natural energy.

Related technologies were beginning to spread, such as heat insulators, double-glazing, and plastic sashes to reduce heat loss, energy-efficient water heaters and solar water heaters, and passive design. In addition, rooftop greenery, rainwater harvesting systems, and gray water facilities contributed to solving urban environmental problems. Furthermore, the use of renewable energy technologies was gaining momentum, as the residential installation of photovoltaic (PV) power generation accelerated and a system for reverse transmission of surplus electricity was discussed.

However, the lack of incentives to obtain certification itself was an issue in the diffusion of the system, and it was considered essential to link the system with financial incentives and municipal subsidy programs. This was due to the international trend to promote global warming countermeasures following the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, and the Japanese housing sector was also strongly influenced by this trend. The "Eco-Symbiosis Housing Certification System" was a symbolic effort to redefine housing as a place where people and the environment coexist, rather than just a living space, and it became the cornerstone of the shift to a recycling-oriented society.