Launch of the GBPN Global Knowledge Platform for the Energy Performance of Buildings
Paris, France – February 21, 2013 – The GBPN launched today its participative global Knowledge Platform advancing best-practice policies in building energy performance. www.gbpn.org, the new GBPN web-based tool, will stimulate collective research and analysis from experts worldwide to promote better decision-making and help the building sector effectively reduce its impact on climate change.
The new platform has been designed to enable key stakeholders from the building sector – researchers & experts, policymakers from our regions, building professionals, members of governmental institutions and multilateral organizations – to gather around a common participatory tool and a common purpose: sharing and curating global best knowledge and data on building performance policies that can deliver the abatement potential of buildings globally.
The new GBPN platform, available in English and soon in Mandarin, is composed of four exclusive online interactive and collaborative tools:
1) A Policy Comparative Tool, enabling comparison of the world’s best practice policies for new buildings (residential and commercial), by reviewing 25 state of the art building energy efficiency codes and using 15 criteria developed with some of the world’s leading experts in the field.
The Policy Comparative Tool provides interactive data visualization. Users can access detailed building codes information, search specific parameters, and generate graphs and comparisons. By understanding how jurisdictions have designed and implemented best practice codes and supporting packages, policymakers can use this information to strengthen the future design of dynamic policies that can help move the building stock towards zero energy.
2) A Report Database, a unique knowledge pyramid presenting all of our publications in 10 different formats to address the information needs of different stakeholders. Users can browse our database and check out which steps of the GBPN knowledge pyramid best suit their information needs.
3) A Glossary gathering key terms in the field of buildings energy performance to fill the lack of a common terminology and facilitate international research collaboration.
4) The Laboratory, a participative platform for building energy efficiency experts to share information and generate knowledge on how best to develop ambitious building energy performance policies globally. The Laboratory focuses on two main topics: Positive Energy Buildings and More and Deeper Renovation.
The platform also connects to our Regional Hubs’ data portals:
• Buildingsdata.eu, a comprehensive open data portal for energy efficiency in European buildings developed by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) in 2012.
• Buildingrating.org, the leading online tool for sharing global intelligence and best practices on building rating and disclosure policies worldwide launched by the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) in 2011.
The GBPN Knowledge Platform is a Linked Open Data project that aims to open and connect with the best resources, data, and information on buildings energy performance policies worldwide.
The GBPN data will be enriched over time with additional topics and information generated through data exchange projects and research partnerships. We are inviting any other organizations interested in joining this effort to increase data transparency about buildings energy performance to contact us at project@gbpn.org and suggest any further opportunities for collaboration.
The release of the GBPN Knowledge Platform also gives us a great opportunity to unveil our refreshed visual identity and logo. As we wish to provide users with a comfortable navigation and experience, we have chosen a more clear-cut and contemporary design, as well as a more dynamic and intuitive user interface. Rebuilding the GBPN’s visual identify is just another step along our Deep Path Strategy (Our Vision) to fulfill the global abatement potential of the building sector.
If you wish to find out more about the GBPN and its activities, visit our sections “About” and “Activities”. You can also follow our Blog to receive updates from our network of experts.
We hope that you’ll enjoy browsing through our brand-new Knowledge Platform.
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ABOUT GBPN:
The Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) is a globally organised and regionally focused network whose mission is to advance best practice policies that can significantly reduce energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions from buildings. We operate a Global Centre based in Paris and are represented by Hubs and Partners in four regions: China, India, Europe and the United States.
