Special knowledge: Step by step towards the Nearly Zero Energy Building standard
At the beginning of 2016 − and for the first time in seven years − the legal requirements for the energy efficiency of new buildings have been tightened in Germany. On average, new-builds have to consume 25 % less primary energy and have to have U-values 20 % better than previously. Along with these changes, the semi-state bank, KfW has also updated its funding programmes for energy efficient new-builds (KfW-Effizienzhaus). Typical U-values of a KfW-Effizienzhaus 55 can be found in fig. 2, along with those of the reference building for EnEV compliance calculations. Even more demanding are the standards KfW-Effizienzhaus 40 and KfW-Effizienzhaus 40 Plus. While the first stipulates energy efficiency levels close to that of the Passive House Standard, the latter additionally requires a 'plus package' for renewable energies to be installed (fig. 3).
