e80^3-Buildings - Sub project 4: Demonstration object

Alongside the realisation of the plus energy building in Kapfenberg, a demonstration project is scheduled to be created that accomplishes an economically viable and technically innovative solution for the future.

Short Description

This project is a subproject of the flagship project "e80^3-Buildings - Renovation Concepts for Residential Buildings to Plus-Energy Buildings with Prefabricated Active Roof-and Façade Modules, Integrated Building Services and Grid Integration"

Starting point/Motivation

The combination of pre-fabricated façade modules and modules for building services as an advanced opportunity for the retrofit of buildings has not been implemented in any case in Austria by now.

On the one hand the pre-fabricated active and passive facade modules and the modules for the building services should be used in the pilot-project to develop them, after their evaluation, to get ready for series production. On the other hand the implementation leads by using the heat and electricity grid to a plus-energy-building.

A few plus-energy-concepts have been realized at new buildings, but the evaluation of these buildings is influenced by non-harmonized definitions and methods for balancing. By the optimized development of the concepts for net-integrated plus-energy-buildings an economic implementation of the demonstration project in the retrofit was possible.

Contents and Objectives

Main objective of the subproject demo-project (SP4) was the implementation of the developed active and passive façade and building service modules in practice and to evaluate and test them in a demonstration project in Kapfenberg.

An additional objective is to apply this concept to all buildings of this era (serial production). Specific project aims were:

  • Realization of the active and passive facade modules and modules for the building services
  • Optimization of the building through an innovative energy supply and disposal concept:
    - 80% reduction of the energy demand
    - 80% reduction of the CO2 emissions
    - 80% renewable energies based on the total energy consumption of the building
  • Optimization of the energy concept by using the existing heat and electricity grids to plus-energy
  • Raising awareness of the residents and the property management for sustainable energy efficient usage of the apartments
  • Preparation of the results for following projects as well as for the national and international dissemination

Methods

In WP1 project partner AEE INTEC was responsible for the scientific project monitoring with the aim to achieve an optimisation of the results for the scientific program "Haus der Zukunft Plus" and to establish an optimal communication between practical implementation and scientific research.

Additionally dissemination activities were carried out to visualise the results and the experiences.

In WP2 the scientific basis for the "plus energy network" was developed by using appropriate simulations and calculations.

In WP3 the detailed design was done and documented. Therefore the methods design and planning meetings for ascertainment and coordination were used.

In WP4 the planned measures were implemented and the system solutions were realised. The result is the retrofit of a residential building to a plus-energy building.

In WP5 the criteria for the TQ-assessment were demonstrated and included in the design phase. Additionally quality assurance measures in the planning phase as well as in the implementation phase were carried out.

Results

In WP1 the scientific support, the coordination and the documentation of the demonstration project were done by regular meetings with all involved professionals.

In WP2 first of all the calculation of the energy performance of the building according to OIB guideline 6 (2007 and 2011) to optimise the plus-energy concept was performed. This calculation was necessary for the application of the building permit and also formed the basis for the first calculation of the plus-energy balance. Besides this calculation also a dynamic building simulation with TRNSYS 17 was carried out that allowed a detailed statement about the thermal quality of the building and the room temperatures in a particular apartment ("show flat"). In WP2 also the potential for the reduction of the electricity consumption was illustrated and the white goods for the show flat were defined. Finally the plus-energy balance of the demonstration project was calculated. As a result the necessary areas for the active energy production on-site could be determined.

In WP3 the overall planning of the demonstration project was done, always focused on the requirements of the building to reach the set objectives of the key project "e80^3". Also the necessary documents for the application of the building permit were prepared. The detailed planning of the mechanical ventilation (four different ventilation systems are tested in this demonstration building!), the heating and hot water supply, the photovoltaic power plant and the electrical installations was also done in WP3. Tender documents and specifications were created as well.

The official start of the retrofit of the demonstration project, and also the start of WP4, was on the 28th of March, 2012 with the ground-breaking ceremony and a test assembly of the façade prototype. The installation of facades and HVAC modules was carried out mid October 2012. The first construction phase was finished at the end of April 2013. Shortly afterwards the new tenants could move into the new apartments of the first construction phase. As part of the relocation the residents were accompanied by social scientist as well as they were informed und instructed about the heating and ventilation system in their apartments. The second construction phase was started on the 06th of May, 2013 with the demolition of the roof. The second construction phase took about one year and so the construction phase was completed in mid-May 2014 and the apartments could be handed over also in May 2014. The official opening was celebrated with Ms Doris Bures, Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology, on the 17th July 2014.

WP5 included the quality assurance in the planning stage. Therefore specific requirements in the detailed planning were defined and included in the tender documents. The focus was among other things on the ecology and the building biology. At the same time an ÖGNBassessment with TQB was performed. Thereby 867 points out of 1000 points were achieved. The certificate was hand over to the building owner at the topping out ceremony. Besides the ÖGNB-assessment also other measurements were carried out for the quality assurance. For example: Blower-Door-Test to check the airtightness of the building, an investigation of the indoor air regarding formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOC) and sonic measurements.

Prospects / Suggestions for future research

The knowledge gained from this project regarding the prefabricated façade modules, the
prefabricated modules for the building services as well as the renovation of a residential
building to a plus-energy building, will be used in further research projects. Based on this
results proposal for research projects including the integration of additional components of
the building services in the prefabricated façade resp. the optimisation of the façade modules and the modules for the building services were submitted and partly approved yet.

Furthermore the results of this project were for example also discussed and disseminated in the ongoing IEA EBC Annex 56. In numerous newsletter and publications this demonstration project is on the front page and national and international congresses were used to present the demonstration project to the expert audience.

On the national and international level a high potential for building renovations with prefabricated façade modules and integrated building services is predicted in future.

Project Partners

Project management

Project or cooperation partners

Contact Address

DI Dr Karl Höfler
AEE – Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien
Feldgasse 19
A-8200 Gleisdorf
Tel.: 43 (3112) 5886-325
Fax: 43 (3112) 5886-18
E-Mail: k.hoefler@aee.at
Web: www.aee-intec.at, e80^3 - Buildings key project website