Bundesverband Deutscher Fertigbau e.V. (BDF e.V.)

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Energy saving houses

Saving energy is worthwhile
The world’s energy requirements keep on increasing. Fuel consumption has increased by almost 60 percent in the past 25 years, in line with globalisation. And the craving for more energy is not growing constantly, but still accelerating. Whereas global oil consumption in 2003 was around 12.5 billion litres of oil per day, the figure rose to around 13.5 billion litres in 2005. Based on calculations by the International Energy Agency, IEA, our consumption will have risen to 18.4 billion litres a day by 2030.

Fuel prices keep on rising
Oil, gas and coal are the most important energy sources. The size of the reserves is a topic of controversial debate. The Federal Agency for Geo-Sciences and Raw Materials [BGR] estimates that the world’s oil and gas reserves will not last much longer than the year 2050. And even if we don’t use up all the oil, growing demand entails some serious risks: oil is becoming scarce, and thus more expensive.

Climate protection is a political goal
Combustion of fossil energy sources releases large quantities of carbon dioxide [CO2] into the atmosphere, and is thus the biggest cause of the greenhouse effect and global warming. If we don’t do anything about it, CO2 emissions will rise to approximately 20 billion tons per year by 2100 – about three times the current level – according to investigations by the international climate research committee IPCC. In this period, the earth’s temperature could increase by up to 6 °C with catastrophic effects.

In Germany it is not industry or traffic that consumes the most energy, but it is private households. They account for some 27.3 percent of total primary energy requirements. The lion’s share of this, some 90 percent, is attributable to heating and water heating. House owners, and prospective builders, are starting to realise that a building’s operating costs are becoming increasingly crucial: Saving energy is worthwhile. Thus, a considerable reduction of CO2 emissions has become a foremost political goal in Germany, too. We need to increase the ratio of renewable energy sources compared to total energy consumption to 10 % by 2020. The introduction of an energy passport for buildings is just one political instrument for more energy efficiency, because this is one area in which substantial energy savings can be achieved.

Every house consumes energy – but the less the better
In Germany it is not industry or traffic that consumes the most energy, but private households. They account for some 27.3 percent of total primary energy requirements. The lion’s share of this, some 90 percent, is attributable to heating and water heating. House owners, and prospective builders, are starting to realise that a building’s operating costs are becoming increasingly crucial: Saving energy is worthwhile.

An energy-efficient new building offers the best conditions for retaining independence of increasing fuel costs in a sustainable manner. Modern energy saving houses based on prefabricated wooden structures give home owners every technical option they could wish for: highly efficient heat insulation, a customised heating system, and consistent use of renewable energy sources such as solar power, geothermal power or biomass. An energy saving house pays dividends your whole life.

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