Leinefelde:
The low-energy pilot project "Solar Building Leinefelde 2000"
Leinefelde:
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| Country: | a) Western Europe | ,b) Germany |
| Language: | |
| Type: | Project, Concept, 1 |
| Area: | Inner City/CBD , < 20,000 |
| Actors: | Regional government, Economic sector, NGO |
| Funding: | Regional government, Economic Sector, NGO |
| Topics: | Architecture and construction |
| Housing (and new settlements) | |
| Renewable resources | |
| Objectives: | Increase use of clean technology |
| Increase use of ecological building materials | |
| Increase use of renewable resources | |
| Reduce energy consumption | |
| Instruments: | Demonstration and pilot project |
| Integrated planning approach | |
| New environmental policies and regulations |
On 14th May 1996 the nation-wide exemplary pilot project „Solar building Leinefelde 2000“ was officially opened in the presence of the Federal Minister for Regional Planning, Building and Urban Development, Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer. This project is regarded as a front-runner in the sector of energy saving as the building heats itself to a large extent. It needs no fossil energy for heating, cooling and ventilation. The building has no chimney, gas or oil supply. Instead regenerative energy is used in combination with effective insulation. The example of the solar building in Leinefelde is a best practice case as it includes a wide range of innovative elements in the field of construction:
As 40 per cent of all energy consumption in Germany is used for heating the interior of houses and this even rises to 80 per cent in private households, the construction of energy-saving buildings and the usage of renewable energy is a central environmental issue. Especially in the Eastern part of Germany with its typical slab-constructed housing complexes, the ecological modernisation of buildings is of high priority. Against this background, the construction of the low-energy solar building in Leinefelde can be regarded as an innovative pilot project that is aiming at promoting a new generation of building construction. It also intends to demonstrate that minimum energy consumption combined with economic feasibility and high comfort is possible in public buildings like administration offices and schools. The project also aims to show that such an innovation is implementable in slab-constructed buildings.
The energy saving concept consists of six essential principles:
The idea of building a low-energy house without fossil energy was brought up by the Eichsfeld- Akademie Leinefelde e.V. in 1993. This educational establishment was founded in 1990 and works in the field of further job training. Due to the lack of space the Eichsfeld-Akademie looked for new rooms and finally decided on the reconstruction of a former kindergarten. As the building was three floors high, additional storeys could be added. It is also aligned to the south and therefore predestined for the use of solar energy.
After only eight months construction the foundation stone of the solar building was laid on 16th June 1995. The technical installations were brought into service on 2nd February 1996. In the presence of the Federal Minister for Regional Planning, Building and Urban Development, Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, the solar building was officially opened on 14th May 1996.
The solar building in Leinefelde was constructed on the grounds of a former kindergarten. By preserving and renovating the side wings of this slab-constructed house, the project could demonstrate that such buildings can be successfully redeveloped in terms of energy sufficiency and economic feasibility. The building previously had 3 storeys, with a length of 72 metres, and was divided into a 38 metre long middle section with two side wings, each with a length of 18 metres. Both wings were renovated and each was provided with an additional storey and attic storey.
The middle section of the kindergarten was pulled down because the ceilings were not high enough for educational purposes. Instead, a middle section with five storeys and two staircases was built. Now the building has a total length of 72.8 metres.
As the thermal insulation is of high importance, special windows against heat loss were inserted into the north facade (0,4 W/m2 K-value) and into the south facade (0,9 W/m2 K-value). Generally, the whole facade is airtight and therefore will minimise heat loss. The thermal insulation has a thickness of 16 cm in walls and of 18 cm in the roof area. An installation for recovering heat losses from the vitiated air has an efficiency of about 90 per cent.
A solar system with a 44 m2 collector surface is used for heating support and warm water supply. It produces about 20,000 kWh per year. Moreover, a photovoltaic installation (42 sq. m in area) produces the required electricity, i.e. 5,000 kWh annually. This installation is used for the energy requirement inside the building and to drive the heat pump. Surplus energy can be fed into the public mains.
In order to use natural thermal energy, a system of pipelines passes through all the ceilings and the soil in front and under the building. By transporting a special liquid the pipelines serve as a cooling system in summer. In the cold season this liquid is warmed up to the required room temperature. Due to the large heating surface and to the energy requirement the heating system operates with quite low temperatures (< 30° Celsius). Therefore, in winter the temperature inside is 21° Celsius. The difference in temperature between ceiling, wall and window surfaces is less than 2° Celsius. In this regard, the heat pump only has to balance out a slight difference in temperature and its energy outcome is very positive. In this context, the visitors’ behaviour plays an important part as they can also regulate the temperature in the rooms to the south just by changing the position of the Venetian blinds.
Other components of the demonstration project are a guidance system for light at the windows and an installation for the treatment of rainwater. The water outlet from the roof is used for flushing toilets, cleaning the building and watering the garden.
During the work on the shell of the house only reinforced concrete was used, even for the roof construction. In regard of the energy-saving concept this material has the following important advantages:
In the course of the implementation phase continuous technical monitoring took place.
The project achieved its general aim to build a low-energy building while integrating a slab- constructed part of the house.
The whole building needs no any fossil energy for heating, cooling and ventilation. It has no chimney, even no oil or gas supply. By using solar energy and the very good insulation combined with only small heat losses in the cooling system, the building heats itself to a large extent. The heat still required is gained by regenerative energy in an economic way.
The energy requirement for the heating and cooling system is under 15 kWh/m2/a while the building costs at 2,700 German Marks per square metre are not at all high in comparison to conventional houses. Altogether the building needs for its heating, cooling and ventilation system less than 60,000 kWh primary energy annually. Some of the electric driving energy can be produced by the photovoltaic installation.
Compared to conventional buildings, primary energy of about 600,000 kWh can be saved annually and annual CO2 emissions reduced by 140 tons. Related to the national heat protection ordinance of 1995 this means an annual energy saving of approximately 200,000 kWh and relating to the forthcoming amendment in 1999 an annual saving of 100,000 kWh. The data received confirm all the relevant values that were predicted in an earlier computer simulation.
Furthermore, the architecture with its elements of glass (porch, ridges) gives a bright and pleasant atmosphere.
The private company „Energie-Spar-Union - Gesellschaft für energieoptimiertes Bauen mbH“ located in Leinefelde is the client of the solar building and at the same time runs the building. The company was founded in June 1994 by three persons and has specialised in redeveloping and building energy-saving houses. Beside major projects it also offers the construction of smaller units like detached houses. Many experts from all over Germany were involved in the planning phase and over 17 construction firms as well as firms of consulting engineers took part in the project.
The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Land of Thuringia promoted this project as the technical monitoring and evaluation is of general interest.
The financing of this project was very difficult from the beginning. The banks were quite sceptical about the new concept and the Eichsfeld-Akademie was not specialised enough in this field to put the idea into practice. Therefore the Energie-Spar-Union took over the planning and implementation of the low-energy building.
Altogether the building costs amounted to 11.8 million German Marks. The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt in Osnabrück and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Land of Thuringia supported this pilot project by bearing approximately 14 per cent of the total costs, i.e. 1.5 million German Marks.
Energie-Spar-Union: Solargebäude Leinefelde 2000, leaflet
Energie-Spar-Union 1996: „Einweihung Pilotprojekt für energieoptimiertes Bauen“, in: Wirtschafts- Information - Industrie- und Handelskammer Erfurt, Nr.8, S.7-8
Pingel, Hartmut / Heckrodt, Gerhard 1996: „Solargebäude in Leinefelde - Niedrigenergiegebäude durch optimierte Planung und Ausführung,“, in: Sonderdruck aus „Beton“, Nr.12, S.1-4
| Name | : | Heckrodt |
| Firstname | : | Gerhard |
| Telefon | : | 0049 / 3605 / 517710 |
| Telefax | : | 0049 / 3605 / 517769 |
| Address | : | Energie-Spar-Union |
| Gesellschaft für | ||
| energieoptimiertes Bauen mbH | ||
| Lisztstraße 2 | ||
| D - 37327 Leinefelde |
| Name | : | Pingel. |
| Firstname | : | Hartmut |
| Telefon | : | 0049 / 3605 / 517710 |
| Telefax | : | 0049 / 3605 / 51 77 69 |
| Address | : | Energie-Spar-Union |
| Gesellschaft für | ||
| energieoptimiertes Bauen mbH | ||
| Lisztstraße 2 | ||
| D - 37327 Leinefelde |
Leinefelde is situated in the Northwest of Thuringia and has over 16,000 inhabitants. The town is named after the Leine River whose sources are located there. About 25 years ago Leinefelde received its town charter. Today Leinefelde is the town with the highest population density not only in Thuringia, but in the whole of Germany.
For generations the textile industry has been a major source of employment. In the 1960s one of the biggest cotton-mills in Europe was built and until 1989 about 4,600 people worked there. Nowadays yarns of high quality are still produced, but on a smaller scale.
Project was added at 23.01.1997
Project was changed at 10.03.1998