Reducing the energy consumption of buildings is an important goal for the European Union. However, it is therefore of interest to investigate how different member states address these goals. Countries like Sweden and Germany have developed different strategies for energy conservation within the building sector. A longitudinal comparison between implemented energy conservation key policy instruments in Sweden and Germany and a survey regarding the management of energy requirements in the building process Shows that: - No evidence is found that energy consumption is of great importance for producing competitive offers, either for Swedish or German clients. - The Swedish market-driven policy has not been as successful as the German regulation policy in decreasing the energy consumption of new buildings. - Building standards and regulations regarding energy performance affects how professionals are educated and the way energy requirements and demands are managed throughout the building process. In conclusion, the client's demand will govern the development of energy efficient buildings. Therefore, in order to use market-driven policies, the desired parameters must be of concern for the customer to influence the majority of building projects to be more energy efficient than is specified in national standards and regulations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.