Save energy and protect the environment: private developers can and should also do the same. After all, climate change is here and buildings account for almost 40% of energy consumption and around a third of CO2 emissions in Germany. By reducing the energy used for domestic purposes (heating, electricity), CO2 emissions from private homes can be significantly reduced. But which building concept is best suited for this purpose? What are the differences between efficient houses, solar houses or passive houses? Let’s give the answer.
THE LOW CONSUMPTION BUILDING TO START SAVING ENERGY
The Building Energy Act (GEG) describes the low-energy building as the residential building whose energy consumption meets the legal requirements for a new building. The minimum applicable requirements have been increased several times over the years. This means that a house that 10 years ago could be called particularly efficient, now that the requirements have become more stringent, at best still corresponds to today’s standard or is even lower.
The minimum requirements in force today now establish a good standard for energy saving or maximum energy consumption in a home. A new residential building requires approximately 50-60 kilowatt hours (kWh) per square meter per year (m²a) for heating and drinking water – this corresponds to the energy equivalent of 5-6 liters of heating oil. At the beginning of the new millennium the average thermal energy requirement of a new building was 16 litres.
THE CLIMATE FRIENDLY HOUSE FINANCED BY THE STATE
The term “climate-friendly house” refers to the financing of new buildings within the framework of the Federal Fund for Efficient Buildings (BEG). Newly built residential buildings whose annual primary energy requirement is equal to a maximum of 40% of the energy requirement of the GEG reference building (Efficiency House 40) are supported. In this respect the Efficiency House 40 corresponds approximately to a 2.5 liter house.
In principle, the federal government does not specify in its financing guidelines how the improved energy efficiency values compared to the GEG can be achieved. It is up to the building owner or its designer to decide whether this is done, for example, through stronger insulation or another building technology with a better calculation factor. However, the house may not have a fossil fuel or biomass heat generator.
Furthermore, to receive the financing, the climate-friendly house must meet the requirements for greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of the building according to a “Quality Seal for Sustainable Building Plus” (QNG-PLUS). In this case, the house is entitled to a low-interest loan from the federally owned Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). A higher loan amount is possible if the house has a full sustainability certification with the QNG-PLUS or QNG-PREMIUM quality seal.
THE HOUSE OF THE SUN TO MINIMIZE PRIMARY ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
A solar home means that more than 50% of a building’s hot water and heating energy needs are generated by solar heat. This is achieved by constantly orienting the building to the south and using large solar panels on the steepest possible roof. For a single-family house, the required collector surface is approximately 30 – 50 square meters.
The second essential component of a solar home is a large buffer tank to store solar energy. The classic thing is a large water tank inside the building where the generated solar energy is stored. Alternatively, solar energy can be used as in solar homes -Baupartners Ottmar Barthel can also be stored by controlling the internal temperature of the building with ground storage.
In solar houses the waste heat is usually generated with a wood or pellet stove, so that the entire thermal energy requirement is covered by renewable sources. The requirements defined for the building envelope of a solar house are slightly higher than those of an efficient house 40.
THE PASSIVE HOUSE AS A WELL-DEFINED ENERGY SAVING STANDARD
A passive house is a building which, thanks to its good thermal insulation and the functional principle of avoiding heat loss by ventilation through a heat recovery ventilation system, generally does not require traditional building heating. Hence the name: heat from passive heat sources such as solar radiation, waste heat from household appliances and the body heat of the inhabitants is sufficient to maintain a comfortable living temperature. The passive house concept has been around since the early 1990s. In this sense, the passive house is a pioneer of highly energy efficient construction. THE -Baupartner After all, Thomas Hägele has been building passive houses for his enthusiastic customers for over 20 years.
In a passive house the requirements for reducing energy consumption are clearly defined. The annual heating requirement can amount to a maximum of 15 kilowatt hours (kWh) per square meter. In this respect each passive house corresponds to a 1.5 liter house. In terms of state financing, a passive house is comparable to an efficient house 40, although the calculation methods are fundamentally different and a higher heating requirement is permitted for the efficient house 40.
With its high requirements for reducing effective energy needs, the passive house also represents the best possible basis for saving energy and creating an energy-positive house. This building, as the ultima ratio of the energy-saving house, produces more energy from solar heat during the year than its residents consume electricity and energy for heating.
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