Decree No.530 of the State Council promulgating Regulations on Energy Conservation in Civil Buildings

The purpose of these Regulations is to strengthen administration of civil building energy conservation, reduce energy consumption in the use of civil buildings, and improve energy efficiency. The text consists of 45 Articles divided into 6 Chapters: General Provisions (I); Energy Conversation of New Buildings (II); Energy Conservation of Existing Buildings (III); Energy conservation in operation of building energy system (IV); Legal Liabilities (V); Supplementary Provisions (VI).
In the Regulations, the term "civil building" refers to residential buildings, office buildings for State agencies, and buildings for commerce, services, education, and public health, as well as other such public buildings.
The department of construction under the State Council is responsible for nationwide supervision and management work regarding civil building energy conservation and the organization for formulation of national civil building energy conservation standards. The construction authority under the State Council shall, under the guidance of the State's medium- and long-term energy conservation plan, draw up nationwide civil building energy conservation plans, and align them with related planning.
The Regulations provides for energy conservation control in the whole process of new building development. The State promotes new technologies, industrial processes, materials and equipment, and restricts or prohibits the use of high energy consumption technologies, industrial processes, materials and equipment. Energy conservation renovation of existing buildings shall be carried out step by step based on the category of the buildings, local economic and social development level and practical factors such as geographical and climatic conditions. The use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, geothermal energy in new construction and the retrofit of existing buildings are encouraged and supported by the State. People's governments at and above the county level shall plan funding for science and technology research and standards setting for civil building energy conservation, energy retrofits of existing building envelopes and heating systems, the use of renewable energy, etc. Building energy conservation projects shall, by law, enjoy preferential taxation. The Regulations further provide for offences and penalties.