Key project: e80^3 – Buildings

The retrofit concept is based on energy efficiency measures (highly insulated, prefabricated active energy roof and energy facade elements with built-in building service units), on a high ratio of renewable energy sources and on an intelligent integration of energy supply in heat and electric power networks. The concept contributes significantly to the achievements of three EC-objectives:

• 80% energy efficiency – reduction of energy demand
• 80% ratio of renewable energy sources of the total energy consumption
• 80% reduction of CO2 emissions

High quality retrofit into plus-energy standard only can be reached by implementing integrative retrofit and energy concepts. That means in detail, that high quality retrofit of the building envelope with passive house components, integration of energy generating active elements (PV, solar panels) and an integration of electric power and heat into networks used as storage and distributing media are necessary.

The innovative and integrative retrofit concepts will be based on a short analysis of the building stock built between 1945 and 1980. Enquiries on building typologies, constructive attributes, building physics and static standards and the status of building services will serve information for further activities and will allow a statement on the financial practicability.

A further important step is the development of concepts for buildings and estates. The building is regarded as a total system influenced by analysis for optimum efficient covering of energy demand peaks through renewable energies and synergy effects within estates.

The development of the concepts focuses on the transfer of the total building service units (shafts, walls,…) into the building envelope. In this way the habitants will not be disturbed during the retrofit phase.

The development of technologies and components for prototypes of prefabricated façade elements and supply systems is especially influenced by aspects of construction and building physics. Based on already implemented innovative “Building Of The Future” projects (like Markartstrasse in Linz or Dieselweg in Graz) these key projects will be further developed and optimized – led from piece to serial construction.

By further development of prefabricated façade and roof elements as well as of external new building service modules for up to 4-storey buildings it will be possible to retrofit buildings of mentioned ages in a high quality and economically at the same time. On the one hand the façade and roof elements include traditional ventilated constructions, on the other hand active energy generating elements, like solar or PV panels. The number and arrangement of these elements can be adjusted and optimized depending on the given frame conditions (zero-energy or plus-energy building).

New building service modules in different performance standards will be co- developed and installed by a sophisticated building service producer from the outside. In this way the pipeline run can be organized and completed easily.

Conclusion:
The building envelope as an active (not only passive) element, as energy converter (from 2020 as energy generator) has more functions than the separation of the outside from the inner with more or less insulation. There are insufficient approaches and economically implemented examples of prefabricated façade and roof elements. The systematic implementation of façade elements with integrated pipeline runs outside the existing façade in combination with a new building envelope would be a great innovation. The integration of existing and designed networks as storage and distributor allows the retrofit of estates into plus-energy buildings.