ESG Insights

Research Summary · 2026.09

Building decarbonization requires energy demand and supply to be considered together from the design stage.

Policy Perspective

In April 2026, Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior published progress on near-zero-carbon buildings, covering building photovoltaics, energy-efficiency improvements, information disclosure and facade photovoltaic demonstration projects.

Three Conditions to Clarify Before Planning a Site

• Building use, operating hours, and daylighting and thermal-insulation requirements.
• Facade orientation, shading, available glass area and maintenance conditions.
• Existing electrical equipment and supply methods, to assess compatible energy configurations.

SHAN-CING’s Application Approach

GOOPV architectural light-effect glass integrates daylighting, thermal insulation and power generation. It has been applied to the facade curtain wall of the Energy Center at ITRI’s Tainan Shalun Campus. Actual configuration must be evaluated for each site, while whole-building energy performance depends on both design and operating conditions.

Sources:Ministry of the Interior | Near-Zero-Carbon Building Progress (2026.04.09) ↗
This article summarizes policy direction and SHAN-CING’s application perspective. Requirements for individual projects should be confirmed against the latest official notices.

Research Summary · 2026.09

A discussion of building energy efficiency can begin with how heating and cooling demand is created.

International Perspective

The IEA’s Energy Efficiency 2025 report states that buildings account for about 30% of global energy demand. Improving insulation in existing buildings and raising design and HVAC efficiency in new buildings are important paths toward greater energy efficiency.

Review the Envelope and Equipment Together

Glass, walls and roofs affect how buildings absorb and transfer heat, while HVAC, lighting and operating hours also shape final energy use. Glass evaluation should consider sunlight, visible light transmission, thermal insulation and indoor-use requirements together.

Use Measurement to Establish a Basis for Improvement

Begin by organizing existing electricity-use records, HVAC schedules and environmental conditions, then compare performance before and after improvements. GOOPV can be considered when evaluating integrated architectural-glass and energy solutions; energy-saving and generation outcomes should be verified through actual design, simulation or measurement.

Sources:IEA | Energy Efficiency 2025: Buildings ↗(2025; CC BY 4.0). This summary includes SHAN-CING’s perspective on site evaluation.

Research Summary · 2026.09

A building’s environmental impact includes both operational energy use and carbon emissions from materials and construction.

Two Different Assessment Scopes

Operational performance covers energy used by HVAC, lighting and other systems, while embodied carbon covers materials, construction, renovation and demolition. They should be documented separately to compare improvement options clearly.

Policy Progress in Taiwan

Since July 2024, Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior has implemented guidelines for building embodied-carbon labeling, extending building decarbonization assessment beyond operational energy.

What Information Should Be Prepared for Material Selection?

First confirm product composition, quantity, transport method, expected service life and maintenance approach, then obtain environmental data appropriate to the assessment. Power-generation and insulation functions should be documented separately from carbon-footprint or labeling assessments; certification claims require valid documentation and a defined scope.

Sources:Ministry of the Interior | Building Embodied-Carbon Labeling Guidelines ↗. This article introduces material-selection concepts; it does not claim that SHAN-CING products have received this label.