Profil, 02.2010Energy Efficiency & Mechatronics as Key Future Challenges
According to the latest CO2 building report from the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS), buildings – that is, around 17.3 million residential buildings (including 39 million
units) and 1.5 million non-residential buildings – account for 40% of CO2 emissions in Germany. Energy efficiency of the existing buildings needs to be improved through the use of innovative technologies, and it needs to be modified so that use can be made of renewable energies. Investigations conducted by the German Energy Agency (dena) indicate that the amount of energy consumed by existing buildings can potentially be reduced up to 85%. Simply by replacing old, high-energy-consuming windows and glazing with modern ones, it would be possible to save up to 8.6 billion litres of heating oil each year in Germany, according to the “Studie zur energetischen Modernisierung alter Fenster” [Study on the energy-efficient upgrading of old windows] conducted by the industry associations VFF and BF, dated 12/2007. The minimum requirements for U-values are therefore also being considerably tightened in the new EnEV, which comes into effect from October 2009. The limit for the U-value of windows used in building refurbishment is being reduced from 1.7 to 1.30 W/(m2K). The new European product standards for windows, facades and glass also make it easier for architects/planners, manufacturers and users to issue function-oriented, materials-neutral invitations to tender (see e.g. ift’s aid to issuing invitations to tender at www.ausschreibungshilfe.de). In conclusion: we need innovative products.
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Trends in the Window and Facade Construction.pdf - [219 KB]
