5:18 min - from 29.4.2019
Project Info: http://sdg21.eu/db/holzhybridhaus-skaio
Keywords: Movies, Movies 4 to 10 Min, Wood construction, News Blog Baden-Württemberg
5:18 min - from 29.4.2019
Project Info: http://sdg21.eu/db/holzhybridhaus-skaio
Dalston Lane at INFORMATIONSDIENST HOLZ
121 flats on 12,500 m² of floor space and a further 3,500 m² of commercial space are currently being built in London, Dalston Lane. This is currently the largest solid timber building in the world. 3,500 m³ of cross-laminated timber are being used across nine storeys. Architect: Andrew Waugh.
Detailed information (11.10.2016):
http://informationsdienst-holz.de/…
Keywords:
Wood construction, News Blog Europe (without DE), News Blog Great Britain, Settlements
Renewable energies accounted for 16.7 per cent of total energy consumption in the EU in 2015. This is almost twice as much as a decade earlier. Compared to the previous year, the share rose by 0.6 percentage points, as the statistics authority Eurostat announced on Tuesday. In 2004, when data was first available, the figure was just 8.5 per cent. In 2015, Sweden was ahead with 53.9 per cent, while renewable energies had the smallest share in Luxembourg and Malta with 5 per cent each. The aim is to achieve a total of 20 per cent across the EU by 2020. (ap)
Keywords:
Renewable, News Blog Europe (without DE), PV, Solar thermal, Environmental policy, Ecology
Recently, the Austrian state of Vorarlberg published the subsidy guidelines for 2020 and 2021 for residential renovation and new construction in the private and public sectors. The climate-friendly procurement of wood and wood products from the region is anchored in these guidelines. The origin of the wood must be proven by means of the "Holz von Hier" label recently introduced in Austria or comparable certificates.
Financial advantage for building owners through regional wood
If regional wood is used, the costs eligible for housing subsidies increase by 20 euros per square metre of roof and façade area, for example. For an average-sized single-family house, this can add up to around 4,000 to 5,000 euros. In the case of new buildings, the recognised costs for a loan under the housing subsidy also increase by 20 euros per square metre of floor space for the use of regional wood for the windows, and by as much as 30 euros for the façade.
"With this innovation, we have placed climate-friendly procurement in the foreground, without the risk of legal discrimination against companies in border regions," says Provincial Councillor Christian Gantner, emphasising the priorities. Unlike other quality labels, "Holz von Hier" is not oriented towards state or national borders, but only takes into account transport distances along the entire processing chain. Cross-border cooperation in the wood processing chain is thus strengthened. "In the long term, thanks to "Holz von Hier", regional, rural businesses can be strengthened and imports from more distant countries such as Russia and Scandinavia can be replaced," adds DI Andreas Amann, Head of the Forestry Department of the Provincial Government.
Trend reversal towards more regionality and climate protection in timber construction
The inclusion of the "Holz von Hier" label can stimulate demand among end customers for domestic timber. In public tenders, the proof of origin is already required in accordance with the law, since it has found its way into the specifications for the municipal building certificate. In order to use the label, the entire processing chain must be traceable - all companies from the sawmill to the dealer to the window manufacturer must join the initiative if they want to offer domestic wood with chain-of-custody certification.
"We think that with the inclusion of 'Holz von Hier' in the housing guidelines, a trend reversal towards more regionality and climate protection in construction can be initiated," hopes Erich Reiner, contact person for Holz von Hier in Austria. This could succeed even better if the regionality of the entire building construction is taken into account in future revisions of the subsidy guidelines. The climate-friendly use of wood is in line with the forestry strategy of the state of Vorarlberg and supports the efforts to achieve the energy autonomy goals.
Link
www.holz-von-hier.eu
Keywords:
Building materials / Construction, Procurement, Funding, Wood construction, Climate protection, NaWaRohs, Sustainable management, News Blog Europe (without DE), News Blog Austria, Resource efficiency, Vorarlberg
On 18 June 2020, the German Bundestag passed the Building Energy Act (GEG) in its third reading. With this law, the federal government is combining the existing requirements of the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV), the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG) and the Energy Saving Act (EnEG). For the information programme Zukunft Altbau (Future of Old Buildings), which is supported by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, the specifications of the new law are not ambitious enough. To bring climate-friendly building and renovation nationwide on the way is not possible in the future. "The legislator has missed it to introduce more demanding standards," says Frank Hettler of Zukunft Altbau. "For a sustainable building stock in Germany, however, these are urgently needed to achieve the climate targets." The GEG will now be forwarded to the Bundesrat, which, however, does not require approval, and is expected to come into force by the end of the year.
The Building Energy Act brings together the previously inconsistent specifications for energy requirements for existing buildings and new buildings as well as the use of renewable energies. "Unfortunately, the opportunity to simplify, reduce bureaucracy and take climate policy necessities into account is not being seized," criticises Hettler. "With the GEG, almost nothing changes for building owners. This is a problem: the climate policy goals of the federal government and the EU, as well as the Paris Climate Agreement of the UN, cannot be achieved in this way. The goals for the building sector defined by the federal government in the Climate Protection Plan 2050 will be missed with the legal requirements if those willing to renovate are guided by them."
Important course missed
If Germany wants to achieve the climate protection targets it has set itself, new buildings and refurbishments must be significantly better in terms of energy than the GEG requires. Otherwise, in addition to the necessary purchase of CO2 certificates and high compensation payments to more exemplary EU neighbouring countries, there is also the threat of decades of lock-in effects. After all, once insufficient insulation thicknesses have been installed, they can no longer be improved economically. Buildings constructed or refurbished in accordance with legal requirements would therefore have to be refurbished again at a disproportionately early stage in order to meet future standards and climate protection requirements. If, on the other hand, they are not refurbished, this means high long-term expenses for the owners in the form of energy costs and CO2 pricing.
In accordance with European law, the next review of the GEG will not take place until 2023, when the energy standards for residential and non-residential buildings are to be further developed. In plain language, this is a further delay of several years. These long, unused periods of time, combined with the minimum standards that have been set too low - especially for renovations - are far from adequate for the building sector to make an appropriate contribution to averting the climate crisis.
Better promotion provides important support
Building owners should therefore not only adhere to the GEG specifications, but also tackle new construction and renovation with an eye to the future, recommends Hettler. The financial subsidies that have been greatly improved since this year, for example from the KfW development bank, are helpful in this respect. As a rule, they compensate for the additional costs incurred for construction measures on the building envelope. Since the beginning of the year, the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) has been awarding extensive financial subsidies for the replacement of heating systems - especially existing oil heating systems - if renewable energies are used and legal standards are exceeded.
Conclusion: Those who rely on ambitious, individually tailored energy concepts will save money in the long run - and also protect the climate, advises Hettler. In accordance with this requirement, it is advisable to use at least the KfW Efficiency House Standard (EH) 40 as a basis for new buildings and at least EH 55 as a standard for extensive renovations. To simplify the integration of local renewable energy sources such as geothermal or solar thermal energy, it is also advisable to switch to low-temperature heating systems - provided there are no restrictions such as listed buildings.
Neutral information to questions approximately around the energetic reorganization gives it also free of charge at the consulting telephone of future old building under 08000 12 33 33 (Monday to Friday from 9 to 13 o'clock) or by E-Mail to consultingphone(at)zukunftaltbau.de.
Up-to-date information on the energy-efficient refurbishment of residential buildings is also available at
www.zukunftaltbau.de
Background
Zukunft Altbau provides neutral information to home and building owners about the benefits of energy-efficient renovation and promotes qualified and holistic building energy advice. The information programme, which is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy Management, provides neutral, interdisciplinary and free advice. Zukunft Altbau is based in Stuttgart and is implemented by KEA Klimaschutz- und Energieagentur Baden-Württemberg.
Keywords:
Stock, DE-News, Quarters, Settlements, Environmental policy, Housing, Housing policy