ᐅ Single-Family Home Energy Saving Regulation 2016: Is Additional Insulation Recommended by Developers Worthwhile?

Is your house now built according to the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance or not?

Both options comply with the Energy Saving Ordinance 2016. With an air-to-water heat pump, compliance is possible even without additional insulation as of 2016, whereas with gas-fired boiler water heater (BWT), compliance is only achievable with the described insulation.

Hello Michael,

ölschlamm schrieb:

The Energy Saving Regulation could still work with 36.5 aerated concrete. Not anymore with Poroton,

According to whom?

ölschlamm schrieb:

A thin wall with external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) has the advantage that you lose little interior space, since the insulation is applied on the outside.

Extensions or wall claddings like ETICS must also fit within the building envelope.

Regards, Bauexperte

Bauexperte schrieb:
Extensions/wall claddings like EIFS must also be within the building envelope

...that's correct, but payment is based on the square meters of living area, not the built-up square meters – and what do 10 m² (108 sq ft) of living area cost us?

ölschlamm schrieb:
Oh, thanks for the answers

@Manu: We also considered a thicker solid block at the start during consulting. The Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) could still be met with 36.5 cm (14 inches) aerated concrete. With Poroton, that’s no longer possible, so clearly you’d need a thicker wall. A narrow wall with external thermal insulation systems (ETICS) has the advantage that you lose less interior space since the insulation is applied on the outside. (A 10x10 m (33x33 ft) slab yields 91.7 m² (987 sq ft) of living space with a 42.5 cm (17 inch) block, but 96.5 m² (1,039 sq ft) with a 17.5 cm (7 inch) block—that’s nearly 10 m² (108 sq ft) across two floors).

@lastdrop: He suggests this to meet the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance with a gas condensing boiler plus 10 m² (108 sq ft) of solar thermal. Alternatively, 6 cm (2.4 inches) XPS under the slab. Gas boiler including solar would be roughly the same price as the Rotex HP air-to-water heat pump. But the extra cost of insulation is quite high in terms of amortizing the additional expense with gas, since that would come on top of the gas heating system. XPS would “only” cost around 1,800, but I’m not sure if I want to take that risk.

@BeHaElJa: No idea about the collar beam roof or 24 cm (9.5 inch) mineral wool—why would he report worse values than actually present?

@andimann: Your point basically holds (assuming the numbers are about right). With an air-to-water heat pump, my rough calculations suggest around 3,000 kWh per year (annual performance factor 2.1 is realistic with radiant panel heating at 45°C (113°F) supply temperature—please no discussion, this is my choice!—and extremely drafty high altitude on the Swabian Jura at about 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level. That would mean electrical costs of approximately 750. With a gas system, I estimate 6,000 kWh minus 1,500 kWh from solar thermal, so about 4,500 kWh, which is roughly 260. Savings of about 500 per year against additional costs of 9,000 (gas tank, connection, chimney, etc.). Add another 100 savings from insulation, so about 600 per year—still probably not a good investment.

Looking forward to opinions on this

michael

Phew, the statement about aerated concrete and Poroton really bothers me. Such a general claim completely misses the point. You need to achieve a certain overall energy efficiency with your entire house. It’s not about the outer wall or insulation alone. What really matters is the end result. I bet Poroton T9 is usable, and Poroton T7 even more so. You’ll just have to invest more in controlled mechanical ventilation or regenerative heating technology.

Are you aware how much extra cost is involved in meeting the Energy Saving Ordinance with a gas condensing boiler? As far as I know, a regenerative component with solar panels on the roof is mandatory with that. You can comply with the Energy Saving Ordinance much more easily with a heat pump and significantly less insulation obsession, which can really cost you a lot.

Could it be that your “consultant” has an interest in selling you something? I would be very skeptical! I find the arguments and the comparison to other alternatives including pros and cons lacking.

Choosing gas could be just as right or wrong as a heat pump or even pellets, etc. Nobody truly knows how prices will develop in the future.

My arguments in favor of an air-to-water heat pump:
Investment costs are reasonable (probably cheaper with gas)
Electricity as an energy source is producible from all kinds of resources—even from the photovoltaic system on my roof with battery storage.
Underfloor heating with low supply temperature ~30-35°C (86-95°F)
No chimney needed → more living space
Low maintenance
Positive effect in the Energy Saving Ordinance calculations → lower costs to comply

Think about which arguments make sense for YOU and do your research.

We have Poroton T9, 10 cm (4 inches) XPS floor insulation, 22 cm (9 inch) insulation between rafters, and standard windows around Uw=0.8. That is enough to meet the 2014 Energy Saving Ordinance. As for the 2016 version... no idea. Many think we are building an old-fashioned house, which is true since this standard was achievable 10-15 years ago. But it’s affordable and still nice.

I tried to calculate and asked others to help. The costs outweigh the benefits. So it’s not economical. Trust your common sense and listen to various opinions. Everyone is partly right and partly wrong. Filter out what seems reasonable to you and decide. You have to pay for it and live in the house.

The worst part for me is the fear of making the wrong decision. Admitting that you didn’t listen to Fritz or Peter who said, “Build KfW 55 or 40... buy a controlled ventilation system, or else you’ll get mold,” etc. You probably know those arguments.

It’s easy for outsiders to say “Buy the best block, the best insulation, the best technology, the best of the best...” They don’t have to pay for it.

Oh, and trust your gut feeling! That has helped us a lot so far with the general contractor, financial advisor, architect, structural engineer, surveyor, soil expert, shell builder, and earthworks contractor!

Low supply temperatures are also achievable with gas, just as a side note.
I believe the chimney for gas is not particularly relevant when calculating living space.
It is unclear whether the heating system ultimately requires less maintenance compared to other types of heating.
Regarding primary energy... this is mainly about transmission heat loss – here it doesn’t really matter whether it’s gas, heat pumps, or even electric direct heating (for example, your kitchen stove). By the way, it is rumored that controlled mechanical ventilation offers benefits beyond just improving your calculation.

W. Pickartz is certainly not wrong when he says that complying with the energy saving regulation starting next year is already sufficient to build an energy-efficient and economical house. Just take a look at the requirements of the energy saving regulation and compare them with the standard house from 1995.