Technology: Energy-Efficient Office Building - a Paradigm Shift in 2006
Ideally, modern office buildings should be architecturally attractive and communicate a sense of transparency and openness. The indoor climate should be neither too cool nor too warm; and workplaces should not be disturbed by sunlight or reflections on computer screens. In addition, the running costs, in terms of energy, should be as low as possible. To ensure that concepts of this kind are actually implemented, an integrated planning process is necessary from the very outset. Current regulations for energy use are primarily concerned with reducing the consumption of energy for heating. With the implementation of a EU directive, new energy legislation will come into force in 2006. This foresees an equal assessment of energy requirements for heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting. In the past two years, intensive work has been carried out in Germany to establish a new evaluation standard (German standard DIN V 18599) based on a method of monthly balances and designed to take account of functional energy needs for heating, cooling and lighting in air-conditioned sections of buildings. This standard makes it possible to assess the efficiency of all service systems (heating, ventilation, cooling, lighting) as well as their reciprocal influence.
