dena GmbH - German Energy Agency
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An energy refurbishment can reduce the energy required by an older building to such an extent that consumption is well below that of a comparable new building. dena’s Niedrigenergiehaus im Bestand project demonstrates in over 375 buildings that a focus on energy aspects during construction can reduce energy requirements by an average of 87 percent.
At present, an average of three times the energy required to heat a new building is used in older buildings. Yet despite rising energy prices, refurbishment projects are still not exploiting energy savings as far as they could. dena therefore initiated the model project entitled Niedrigenergiehaus Efficient homes, which can be traced back to a recommendation of the German Council for Sustainable Development.
The aim of the model project is to use best practice examples to:
Over 375 buildings are being refurbished to top energy standards, some of them with the most innovative of passive house elements. On average, the energy used by these buildings is around 62 percent lower than what is legally required of a comparable new building. A total of 5,900 housing units with an area of 385,000m³ will be optimized where energy is concerned in the course of the project.
dena has established a successful network of existing regional competence centres to increase the multiplier effect of energy-efficient refurbishment, with new partners joining the network constantly.
Building on the success of the scheme, a similar model project for the use of low energy standards in schools and other non residential buildings was initiated in 2007.
dena is supported in the project by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Buildings and Urban Development (BMVBS), BASF AG and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).
