“Low-energy house” actually sounds like a firmly defined, sustainable building concept. The fact is, however, that there is no legal definition that specifies concrete requirements and standard values for such a building.
Rather, the term “low-energy house” is a kind of umbrella term for different types of buildings whose energy consumption is significantly lower than would be permissible under the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) in Germany.
Not all low-energy houses are the same
There are various types of low-energy houses – but they all have one thing in common: they are usually particularly well insulated and airtight, consume little energy, save heating costs, protect the environment and, on top of all that, provide a high level of living comfort.
Hanse Haus meets the requirements of a low-energy prefabricated house, among other things, through the high-quality wall construction – fitted as standard.
Energy efficiency and sustainability are important topics in house building. That is why we at Hanse Haus also attach particular importance to this.
Would you like to build in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way? Perhaps you would also like to be as independent as possible from public electricity suppliers? Our Hanse Haus experts will be happy to advise you!
We have planned various energy-optimised house concepts for our prefabricated houses.
Low-energy house of the highest quality
Passive house
What is a passive house?
A passive house is a building that, due to its good thermal insulation and other specifications, does not usually require conventional building heating. The houses are called “passive” because the majority of the heat demand is covered by “passive” sources such as solar energy and residual heat from people and technical equipment.
In our show house park in Oberleichtersbach you can view such a passive house - the Variant 192. The house has been officially certified by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt and covers its heating energy requirements almost entirely from solar energy. Thanks to the extremely high thermal insulation, virtually no heat is lost through the walls, roof or windows.
Plus Energy House: your prefabricated house as an electricity generator
With the Plus Energy House you go one step further – you generate more energy than you need for your own consumption.
A photovoltaic system converts sunlight into electricity, which, when not in use, is fed into a storage unit via an intelligent house control system. Excess electricity is then fed into the public grid.
Visit us at our Hanse Haus show house in Wuppertal and experience live how a Plus Energy House works in practice. Our Variant 35-235 house design served as the basis for this energy-efficient house.
Which requirements must a low-energy house fulfil?
Nowadays, almost every new building is constructed using low-energy construction methods – and Hanse Haus is no exception. Various approaches and energy-saving methods are used to optimise the energy balance and protect the environment.
1. THERMAL ENVELOPE & INSULATION
Insulation in the low-energy house
A major role in the construction of a low-energy house is played by the thermal insulation of the facade and roof, as well as thermal-insulated windows. The reason? Because the better the house is insulated, the less energy is used for heating. At Hanse Haus, we are in an excellent position when it comes to energy efficiency with our ThermoEfficiency wall, our specially developed, excellently thermally insulated windows and doors, and our thermal insulation in the roof structure.
2. INSULATED WINDOWS
Windows in the low-energy house
For maximum thermal insulation, thermal glazing should be used in the windows of a low-energy house. In addition, the orientation of the house and size of the windows also have an impact on the efficiency of the building. For example, windows facing south allow the use of solar energy, i.e. passive heating.
3. COMPACT BUILDING STRUCTURE
Energy-efficient planning
Low-energy houses are usually planned and built in a compact form. This means without thermal bridges and weak points caused by protruding building elements such as ledges, bay windows or balconies, which promote heat loss.
4. EFFICIENT HEATING SYSTEM
Heating in low-energy houses
The right choice of heating system also saves energy. Therefore, particularly sustainable heating systems are generally found in low-energy houses – often as a ventilation system with heat recovery. Solar systems for hot water and photovoltaic systems for electricity generation are also used in low-energy houses.
What are the advantages of a low-energy house?
Clearly, low-energy houses are designed to be particularly energy-efficient. However, they also have a few other advantages up their sleeves:
- Conservation of resources and the environment
- Lower energy consumption, and thus lower heating costs, thanks to better energy efficiency
- Partially autonomous energy supply
- Higher living comfort
- Better interior climate
- Subsidies from KfW Bank
- Independence from energy price fluctuations
- Better price achievable when for sale
Welche Nachteile hat ein Niedrigenergiehaus?
Even environmentally-friendly houses such as low-energy houses have their quirks. The following disadvantages exist:
- Higher purchase costs
- High maintenance and repair costs
- More complex, cost-intensive heating technology
- Ventilation of living spaces is often necessary. As the windows are usually kept closed to save energy, this counteracts the build-up of moist air and the growth of mould.
What does a low-energy house cost?
More elaborate insulation, multiple glazed windows and also the installation of energy-efficient heating technology all leads to monetary costs. This means that the more sustainable a property is, the more expensive it will be. Roughly speaking, a low-energy house will cost 5 to 10 percent more than a “conventional” detached house. Of course, the costs can vary greatly depending on the materials used.
However, one should not be deterred by the higher costs. The additional costs can quickly be recouped over the years thanks to the higher energy savings.
Hanse Haus will be happy to provide you with a non-binding offer according to your requirements and wishes.
