Nearly-zero energy building materials market to grow to $16.5 billion in 2017

USA:  Driven by rising global awareness of the impact of building energy consumption on climate change, materials boosting building energy efficiency will reach $16.5 billion in sales in 2017. Floor space for net-zero energy buildings (NZEB) and especially nearly-zero energy buildings (nNZEB), will soar more than six-fold to 80 million m2 in 2017, according to Lux Research.

“A robust market is emerging despite the fact that no country will meet its 2017 targets for nNZEBs, on account of uncertain implementation plans of ambitious policy targets in the European Union and select countries in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Aditya Ranade, Lux Research senior analyst and the lead author of the report titled, “Getting to Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings: Ambitious Targets, Modest Progress.”

Lux Research analysts surveyed the global market, tracked 391 NZEB projects, and assessed key enabling technologies in order to identify drivers and project the market size for building envelope materials over the next five years. Among their findings:

* Europe leads now, but Asia-Pacific will catch up in 2017. Europe will garner a whopping 61 percent share of the energy-saving building envelope materials market. However, Asia-Pacific’s share of annual nNZEBinstallations will rise from 23 percent in 2012 to 39 percent in 2017 due to higher rates of new construction.

* A few technologies will dominate materials markets in the near term. High-R value glazing and daylighting skylights together will account for 86 percent, or $14.2 billion, of the total market for building envelope materials. High-R value glazing alone will be worth $8.2 billion.

* Commercial, institutional buildings dominate. Of the total NZEB floor space, 93 percent is commercial and institutional buildings. However, in the number of projects, the residential segment fares a bit better, with a 35 percent market share.