The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning

Research Project: The energy-efficient construction of municipal and social infrastructure

Project briefing

Accompanying research and an evaluation of pilot initiatives

The ambitious climate change targets of the German federal government demand efficient yet cost effective solutions for an improved carbon footprint. The federal government has promoted innovative approaches and transferable concepts for the energy-efficient construction of new municipal and social infrastructure by means of a pilot initiative. In the context of the research project the selected pilot initiatives were accompanied and evaluated.

Project duration: October 2010 - March 2015

Background

Demographic and social change will result in shifts in the demands placed on municipal and social infrastructure. On the one hand, the bundling of such infrastructure in central locations and the development of new frameworks will be needed in regions with declining populations, on the other hand, further expansion will be necessary in prosperous cities and their outlying areas. Additionally, in the coming years, demand will rise for the replacement of existing infrastructure deemed unworthy of high-level energy-efficiency renovations on economic or technical grounds.

Objective

The ambitious climate change targets of both the EU and the German federal government demand efficient yet cost effective solutions for an improved carbon footprint. Further exploiting the potential energy savings of municipal and social infrastructure – both, existing and new – is a primary objective of the CO2 Building Renovation Programme. High energy efficiency is thus expected, especially in the case of newly built infrastructure. The federal government has promoted innovative approaches and transferable concepts for the energy-efficient construction of new municipal and social infrastructure by means of a pilot initiative, the exemplars of which were selected in 2011. They cover a wide range of infrastructure including childcare centres, schools, sports halls, administrative and exhibition buildings as well as hospitals.

The accompanying research serves as the academic groundwork for the application of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD), which specifies a nearly zero-energy building standard for all new public buildings from the year 2019. The aim is to cut national CO2 emissions 40% by the year 2020 and by at least 80% by 2050 (compared to the base year of 1990). To achieve this, the energy concept relies on the reduction of energy consumption, increased energy efficiency and the extensive replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.

The contractors of the research project were: Weeber+Partner Institut für Stadtplanung und Sozialforschung, Stuttgart/Berlin, G.A.S. planen bauen forschen, Stuttgart

Contact us

  • Ute Birk
    Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
    Division WB 9 "Housing and Climate Protection, Construction Industry"
    Phone: +49 228 99401-1242
    Email: ute.birk@bbr.bund.de

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