Regulations on technical requirements for construction works (TEK17)

Published on March 6, 2023

Revised chapter 9 with requirement for better facilitation for subsequent reuse and a requirement to determine whether materials in existing buildings are suitable for reuse, and to prepare a reuse report.

New chapter 17 with requirements for documentation of greenhouse gas emissions from materials (greenhouse gas calculation) for apartment buildings and commercial buildings. Experience from such documentation will help to set future requirements to emission levels, and that requirements for greenhouse gas calculation can also be extended to cover more building categories, such as small houses.

Implementation of new requirements contribute to help Norway reach its national targets and international commitments within climate and environment. The requirements involve supplementing the existing energy requirements for passive house level with requirements that will contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from materials and improve resource consumption. The existing energy requirements together with these supplements constitute the nearly zero energy level.

Even though the construction sector in Norway has low direct emissions of greenhouse gases, it has a major impact on the emissions of other sectors, through such factors as procurement. Greenhouse gas emissions linked to production and transport of building materials account for a large part of greenhouse gas emissions from the activities of the construction sector. It is therefore necessary to focus on the environmental impact of buildings through their lifecycle, and include requirements linked to greenhouse gas emissions from materials in addition to energy-efficiency and energy supply.