Sichuan: Pilot program launched for building photovoltaic transformation, increasing the area of existing building energy efficiency transformation by 6 million m²

On July 31, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued the "Notice on Accelerating the Green Transformation of Existing Urban Buildings." The notice points out that by the end of 2025, all localities should complete the newly added energy efficiency transformation tasks for existing buildings, The total area of existing building energy efficiency transformation in the province will increase by more than 6 million square meters compared to 2023. The building energy efficiency level will be significantly improved, and the carbon emission intensity during operation will be effectively reduced. Promote the low-carbon and green transformation of existing public buildings With energy efficiency and environmental quality improvement as the core, following the principles of adapting measures to local conditions and economic applicability, priority should be given to energy efficiency transformation of the enclosure structure, focusing on optimizing the thermal performance of exterior walls, roofs, and exterior windows. Promote the application of renewable energy, and install rooftop photovoltaic systems after ensuring structural and fire safety. 。 Encourage the application of renewable energy. In the green transformation of existing buildings, adhere to the principle of "safe, reliable, and economical", and promote the application of renewable energy technologies according to local conditions. In A and B zones with abundant solar resources, actively carry out pilot programs for building photovoltaic transformation, and implement the installation of photovoltaic systems on the roofs of factories and government office buildings. 。 Promote the application of green building materials Increase the application and promotion of green building materials in the transformation of existing urban buildings, strengthen design guidance, Clearly specify the proportion of green building materials in the design documents. Implement the requirements for the application of green building materials in government-funded projects in the main bearing areas and collaborative development areas of the green building materials industry chain. Encourage Chengdu, Deyang, and Luzhou, cities that implement government procurement policies supporting green building materials to improve building quality, to form replicable and promotable advanced experiences.

Original text is as follows: Notice of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Accelerating the Green Transformation of Existing Urban Buildings To the housing and urban-rural construction administrative departments of various cities (prefectures) and relevant units: In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Urban Work Conference and in accordance with the "Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Continuously Promoting Urban Renewal Actions" and the "Notice of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government Office on Forwarding the Sichuan Provincial Implementation Plan for Accelerating Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in the Construction Field jointly issued by the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission" (chuan ban han [2024] No. 102), etc., combined with the urban renewal action to continuously improve the level of building energy conservation and carbon reduction, and promote the green and low-carbon transformation in the field of urban and rural construction, the following matters concerning the promotion of green transformation of existing buildings are hereby notified. I. Continuously promote the energy efficiency transformation of existing buildings Comprehensively conduct a field survey of existing urban buildings, implement energy conservation and carbon reduction transformation diagnosis, strengthen the use of diagnostic results, establish and improve a database of building energy conservation and carbon reduction transformation, and dynamically update the project reserve. Considering factors such as the construction year, structural form, energy consumption status, equipment service life, owner's renovation willingness, and financial security capacity of existing buildings, scientifically and reasonably formulate an annual energy efficiency transformation plan. By the end of 2025, all localities should complete the newly added energy efficiency transformation tasks for existing buildings, with the total area of existing building energy efficiency transformation in the province increasing by more than 6 million square meters compared to 2023, significantly improving building energy efficiency levels, and effectively reducing operational carbon emission intensity. II. Scientifically determine the technical path for green transformation (1) Improve the energy efficiency of existing residential buildings. Improve the green and low-carbon performance of existing urban residential buildings, focusing on the implementation of thermal insulation transformation for exterior walls, roofs, and exterior windows, and promoting the application of energy-efficient soundproof windows, shading facilities, and other suitable technologies (Attachment 1). Combined with the transformation of old urban communities, add rainwater recycling systems and other technical measures as appropriate while ensuring safety. Optimize public area lighting, add barrier-free access, and improve elderly-friendly functions. Guide residents to purchase high-efficiency products when replacing doors, windows, air conditioners, wall-hung boilers, and other components and equipment. Encourage the use of energy-saving technologies such as variable frequency control of equipment to reduce energy consumption in public areas. (2) Promote the low-carbon and green transformation of existing public buildings. With energy efficiency and environmental quality improvement as the core, following the principles of adapting measures to local conditions and economic applicability, priority should be given to energy efficiency transformation of the enclosure structure, focusing on optimizing the thermal performance of exterior walls, roof insulation, and exterior windows, and encouraging the use of intelligent control methods to improve equipment operating efficiency, while simultaneously promoting the updating of high-efficiency equipment. Promote the application of renewable energy, and install rooftop photovoltaic systems after ensuring structural and fire safety; areas with suitable conditions can use high-efficiency heat pump technology. Encourage the use of energy-saving lighting fixtures and zoning, sensing, and other energy-saving control measures in public areas. Support the establishment of building energy management systems to conduct itemized metering and energy consumption monitoring of equipment such as air conditioners, lighting, and elevators, and gradually implement energy consumption quota management. Encourage the use of measures such as adding shading systems, glass structural layers, and fresh air systems to optimize the indoor thermal and humid environment and acoustic environment; relevant technical paths can refer to Attachment 2. (3) Encourage the application of renewable energy. In the green transformation of existing buildings, adhere to the principle of "safe, reliable, and economical", and promote the application of renewable energy technologies according to local conditions. In conjunction with the "Implementation Guide for Solar Energy Resource Utilization in Buildings (Trial)" of Sichuan Province, encourage the use of solar water heating systems coupled with air source heat pump technology to prioritize meeting residents' hot water and heating needs; in A and B zones with abundant solar resources, actively carry out pilot programs for building photovoltaic transformation, and implement the installation of photovoltaic systems on the roofs of factories and government office buildings. (4) Promote the application of green building materials. Increase the application and promotion of green building materials in the transformation of existing urban buildings, strengthen design guidance, and clearly specify the proportion of green building materials in the design documents. Implement the requirements for the application of green building materials in government-funded projects in the main bearing areas and collaborative development areas of the green building materials industry chain. Encourage Chengdu, Deyang, and Luzhou, cities that implement government procurement policies supporting green building materials to improve building quality, to form replicable and promotable advanced experiences. III. Steadily implement contract energy management in the construction field (I) Promoting Contract Energy Management Model. Actively promote the application of contract energy management in the green transformation of existing urban buildings, and reasonably select contract energy management models such as energy efficiency sharing, energy saving guarantee, and energy cost entrustment. Standardize contract energy management contract texts, clarify the rights and responsibilities of all parties, and protect the rights and interests of energy users and public safety. Encourage owners or users of public buildings such as schools, hospitals, shopping malls, and hotels to adopt contract energy management methods for energy-saving renovations. The contract format can refer to the relevant reference contracts (Appendix 3) of the "Technical General Rules for Contract Energy Management" GB/T 24915. Promote the adoption of contract energy management models in emerging scenarios such as centralized air-source hot water systems and photovoltaic building applications. Support contract energy management projects to adopt an integrated service model of planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance. (II) Cultivating the Building Energy Efficiency Service Industry Market. Focus on building a market mechanism of cost-sharing and benefit-sharing, and cultivate professional and large-scale building energy efficiency service companies. Support the implementation of green transformation of existing buildings using market-oriented models such as contract energy management, and encourage energy efficiency service companies to share energy efficiency benefits with energy users. Cultivate comprehensive service enterprises with full-chain service capabilities including consulting, diagnosis, design, financing, transformation, and operation. For new technologies, new materials, new products, and new processes that meet relevant requirements, they can be promoted and applied in accordance with the "Implementation Measures for the Promotion and Application of New Technologies in the Sichuan Province Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Field (Trial)". Encourage cooperation with financial institutions to actively explore and develop green financial products and services such as green credit, green bonds, and green insurance for contract energy management projects, and simplify credit procedures. IV. Strengthening Quality and Safety Management Strictly implement the quality and safety responsibilities of all responsible entities in engineering construction, consolidate the primary responsibility of the construction unit, strengthen the management of design, construction, supervision, and testing units, strengthen safety control of high-risk sub-projects, strictly manage high-altitude operations, fire operations, confined spaces, and temporary electricity use to ensure on-site construction safety. Implement requirements for seismic fortification, structural safety, and fire performance, strictly control quality acceptance, and ensure that the green transformation project of existing buildings achieves a significant improvement in building energy efficiency. In conjunction with the province-wide chain-wide rectification action for safety hazards of building insulation materials, encourage local governments to simultaneously promote the green transformation of existing residential buildings for high-rise existing buildings that need to be rectified for insulation materials. V. Strengthening Support Measures All levels of housing and urban-rural construction authorities should earnestly fulfill their responsibilities as leading departments, work together with relevant departments to establish and improve a coordinated mechanism, orderly promote the green transformation of existing buildings, truthfully count work progress data, and do a good job in reporting the annual investigation form on the progress of building energy efficiency and green building work. Integrate the use of central budgetary investment, ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, local government special bonds, and other policies, and promote the green transformation of existing buildings in conjunction with the renovation of old residential areas and urban renewal. Actively attract social capital to participate, forming a market-oriented work mechanism of "benefit sharing and cost sharing". Implement tax preferential policies for the energy efficiency service industry in accordance with regulations. Typical projects of green transformation of existing buildings that meet the requirements of the application ratio of green building materials will be given priority in the scope of financial support for the green building materials industry chain. All localities should earnestly organize and implement the green transformation of existing buildings, ensure that the decomposition tasks of energy efficiency transformation of existing buildings are tightened and implemented, summarize experience and practices in a timely manner, and promote excellent cases of contract energy management. Appendix: 1. Technical Path for Green Transformation of Existing Residential Buildings 2. Technical Path for Green Transformation of Existing Public Buildings 3. Reference Contract for Contract Energy Management Project Sichuan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction July 31, 2025 Technical Path for Green Transformation of Existing Residential Buildings:

Technical Path for Green Transformation of Existing Public Buildings: