Whether it's financial incentives for moving to smaller apartments, mandatory bicycle parking spaces or public tenders that are based on social and environmental criteria - there are a variety of ways to reduce the consumption of space, energy and materials in municipalities. This is shown by a study of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy [...].
Kategorie für Blog: Ecology
613 posts
The gap between knowledge and action is often wide. Michael Kopatz explains at the beginning of his book "Ökoroutine" why we often do not do what we think is right: out of routine. Because the here and now determines our actions. Because it is difficult to escape advertising. Or because sustainable [...]
The area around reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is unusable for agriculture. Now the exclusion zone of 2,600 square kilometres is to become a solar power plant... Continue reading at utopia.de
Bruderverlag has completely revised its popular smartphone application Holzbau-Finder for searching the vicinity of wooden buildings. New objects have been added, for the first time the two common operating systems iOS and Android are served and the design and user guidance have also been improved. To the article by Bauen mit Holz: www.bauenmitholz.de/wo-steht-der-naechste-holzbau/150/10803/
With every new building, soil is sealed and land for nature is thus consumed. Now the German government wants to more than halve land consumption in the next few years. Nicola Brockmüller explains that this is also a good way to cool the earth's climate and prevent flooding [...]
WIESBADEN: In 2014, businesses in Germany generated 3.7 billion euros in turnover with goods and services in the solar industry. Compared to the last economically strong year 2011, this corresponds to an overall decline in turnover of 74.2% or 10.6 billion euros. The crisis in the solar industry in Germany was already apparent in previous years: [...]
The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) is looking for municipalities that enable new solutions for climate-, environmentally- and socially-compatible mobility in their urban districts, as well as a pleasant stay in public spaces. This includes, above all, the development and optimisation of infrastructure for walking and cycling, the linking of different mobility offers, [...]
Recycling companies are not getting rid of their goods because they might be polluted. About conflicts between resource and environmental protection. Source: taz article from 15. 7. 2016
The renovation project "Efficiency House Plus in Old Buildings" shows how two ramshackle rows of houses from the 1930s can be brought up to plus energy levels - and in some cases that good architecture can be created in the process. Location: Pfuhler Strasse 4-8 and 10-14, D-89231 Neu-Ulm Architects: Werner Sobek Stuttgart and o5 architekten bda - raab hafke lang Client: NUWOG [...]
"With all kinds of regulations, cities want to ensure sufficient and cheap parking spaces. But economically this is nonsense. It is higher earners who are subsidised. Parking thus becomes a question of justice."
The master thesis "Living without a car - niche concept or future model for sustainable urban development? Planning and implementation of car-free and car-reduced urban development projects in comparison" by Andreas Blechschmidt (2016; 104 pages) is now available online.
A broad alliance of chambers, the housing industry, trade unions, environmental and nature conservation associations as well as consumer and social associations joined forces in June 2016 to form a "NRW Building Alliance for Climate Protection". The aim of the alliance is to promote climate protection in the areas of housing and construction and to introduce jointly developed priorities into the political arena. The [...]
In Brütten near Zurich in Switzerland, an apartment building with nine rental apartments that is not connected to the energy grid has now been inaugurated. "The rental costs are no higher than elsewhere. The most important energy source is photovoltaic modules. Schmid has had an electrolyser installed in the basement as a long-term storage facility for the solar power. The device uses [...]
Accessible as an interactive world map, the "New World Atlas of Artificial Sky Brighness" is now publicly available, marking the first global measurement of light pollution since 2001. Further information: New atlas of light pollution: a third of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way | WIRED Germany
As the news agency Reuters reported last week, key targets in the draft Climate Action Plan 2050 drawn up by Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendriks have been cancelled by Federal Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel. According to Reuters, all greenhouse gas targets up to 2030 in the areas of energy, industry, transport and agriculture have also been cancelled [...]
This website of the "Affordable Housing Initiative" provides an overview of funding and programmes in the building sector.
On 30.6. the field test started in Herten, North Rhine-Westphalia. For one year, scientists coordinate the operation of three combined heat and power plants with the use of three heat pumps, a PV system, a large lithium-ion storage unit and a private electric storage heating system to balance the PV and wind feed-in.
Project outlines, especially for public buildings, municipal properties and urban districts, can be submitted until 29 July as part of the new funding initiative "Solar Building & Energy Efficient City".
Billions from pensions will be invested more sustainably and no longer used for fossil energies Today, Thursday, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU officially announced their agreement on new EU rules for occupational pensions. Thanks to the persistence of Green shadow rapporteur Bas Eickhout, we were able to make important demands in the [...]
The SOLAR.shell research project clarifies how the yields of photovoltaic components on building facades can be increased by up to 50 percent compared to vertically installed PV elements by tilting and turning the elements. Read more here at Detail: Article
Billions seek eco-projects The UN's "Green Climate Fund" in the South Korean city of Songdo has a luxury problem: there is enough money. What is missing are good ideas to spend it www.taz.de/!5315954 Link www.greenclimate.fund
In the new brochure "Finishing and Designing with Renewable Raw Materials" published by the Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V.). (FNR) provides a compact overview of bio-based building and furnishing products for interior designers, renovators and builders. The topics range from floor coverings, paints and wood protection systems to wooden windows and furniture for interior [...]
4,996 single- and multi-family houses in timber construction were approved in Bavaria in 2015. This early indicator from the State Statistical Office sets a new record in the readiness for timber construction. In terms of building permits, the timber construction rate is thus already at 19.6 percent. In the last 30 years, never before have so many residential buildings been [...]
The New Energy Outlook 2016 (NEO) from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) assumes significantly lower prices for coal and gas than the forecast from the previous year. However, BNEF now also expects stronger cost reductions for solar and wind energy. According to NEO 2016, the LCOE of [...]
Roof extensions offer enormous housing potential A great opportunity for more housing in Germany lies on the roofs: More than 1.5 million additional flats could be created by adding storeys to roofs. And this could happen in places where living space is already scarce and housing is expensive: in large cities, conurbations and university towns.
Five prize winners can look forward to the Lower Austrian Timber Construction Prize 2016, which was awarded for the 15th time on 6.6.2016. Winery Högl, Wachau Prize winner utility building (Copyright Elmar Ludescher) "Planning is becoming more and more creative and every year there are new technical solutions. As a result, wood as a building material is gaining in importance for builders and planners every year [...]
Method for the holistic analysis of planning concepts by Stephan Anders 39,- Euro | ISBN 978-3-946319-02-3, 310 pages with numerous color illustrations, 19 x 25,5 cm, Softcover - May 2016 Melting glaciers, floods and the smog in cities are just a few visible signs of the need for sustainable development. Sustainable neighborhoods can [...]
Several federal ministries launched new funding programmes and research initiatives in April. The common goal is to promote affordable and climate-friendly construction in order to advance the energy transition through energy-efficient and climate-friendly buildings. The building sector accounts for around 40 percent of Germany's final energy consumption and about one third of CO2 emissions. At the same time, the potential for energy and CO2 savings [...]
ExWoSt Information 48/1 (April 2016) This issue of ExWoSt Information provides an up-to-date and well-founded overview of common balancing tools and also introduces you to one that was developed as part of the ExWoSt predecessor study "Requirements for energy-efficient and climate-neutral neighbourhoods (EQ)". Publisher Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) at the Federal Office for [...]
"Hermann Knoflacher wants to build on roads and parking spaces. Car-free cities are feasible, says the transport expert. This would allow municipalities to create masses of affordable housing." Read the complete article from 3.3.2016: Deutschlandradio Kultur
Since April 2016, there have been interesting changes at KfW Bank for sustainable construction: Houses in the "KfW 40" or "KfW 55" efficiency house standard will in future be eligible for an interest subsidy of €100,000 instead of €50,000, and the subsidy will double as a result. In addition, the KfW 70 house will be eligible for subsidies from the L-Bank [...].
Saturday, May 21, 2016, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Address: 50226 Frechen | Europaallee 45 | FertighausWelt Köln/Frechen Program 11.15 a.m. Official opening and blessing of the house from 12.00 p.m. Building experts will advise you throughout the day, on the topics of "Healthy Building & Living", "Innovative Building Technology" and "Individual & Modern Architecture" Experts [...]
In 2015, 939 projects with 548 million euros were newly approved by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. In the previous year, the figure was 695 projects with 373 million euros in funding. Most of the money went to wind energy, photovoltaics, energy efficiency in buildings and cities, energy storage and grid infrastructure. A detailed insight into [...]
According to the DGS (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie e.V. - German Solar Energy Society), the general conditions for solar thermal systems are more attractive than ever before, which is related to the market incentive programme (MAP) for solar thermal subsidies that was overhauled last year. After years of dwindling sales, the latest collector sales statistics from the German Solar Industry Association (BSW) and the German Heating Industry Association [...]
"Cars have no place in cities" Hermann Knoflacher with Vladimir Balzer and Axel Rahmlow Hermann Knoflacher wants to have streets and parking lots built over. Car-free big cities are feasible, says the transport expert. This would enable local authorities to create masses of affordable housing. But will they go for it?
Maic Verbücheln and Susanne Dähner (eds.), Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik Special Publication "Klimaschutz in der Stadt- und Regionalplanung. Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency in Municipal Planning Practice", Berlin, February 2016 (pdf, 9 MB)
ifeu-Institut Heidelberg commissioned by the Heinrich Böll Foundation In recent years, many cities around the world have committed themselves to significantly reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by improving their heat supply and thus making an important contribution to climate protection. Despite the energy transition, Germany is lagging behind in this endeavour because the energy transition [...]
Question: The energy transition has entered a new phase with the EEG reform of summer 2014. How do you assess the current situation? Nina Scheer: The question of when it entered a new phase cannot always be identified so precisely. In any case, it was marked out in the coalition agreement, and it was given legal form [...].
