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In Germany, around 29 per cent of the final energy demand is used for heating, hot water and cooling buildings. A lot of energy could be saved here via more refurbishments. This is because two thirds of residential buildings built before the country’s first Thermal Insulation Ordinance (Wärmeschutzverordnung) in 1977 are not state-of-the-art in terms of energy. Private households need 70 per cent of their energy requirements for heating. This is unused savings potential.
In order to be able to demonstrate exemplary energy-efficient refurbishments using real examples, dena launched its Model Project for Efficient Houses in 2003. The highly efficient refurbishment of over 400 buildings was initiated in cooperation with a network of regional energy agencies, competence centres and experts. The energy savings were up to 80 per cent. dena defined the framework conditions, which exceeded the legal requirements, and carried out quality assurance. The projects serve as excellent examples of public relations work and have been scientifically evaluated.
The model project has successfully launched around 400 best practice examples. These are suitable for defining demanding new construction and refurbishment standards. For example, the ‘Efficient House Standards’ tested in the model project have been firmly integrated into the KfW funding programme ‘Energy-efficient Refurbishment’. Refurbishments must meet certain energy standards in order to receive funding from this programme. Convincing examples and financial incentives create a new dynamic for refurbishments – both quantitatively and qualitatively.
