ᐅ 2016 KfW Efficiency House 55 based on reference values (U-values)

At first glance, everything seems to be included that is necessary. We are in a very similar situation, except the general contractor assumed we would build according to the KfW 55 energy-saving standard from 2014. Now, it is said that the minimum requirements have been tightened, so the contractually agreed construction work to achieve level 55 might not be sufficient. We also plan to submit the application after April 1, 2016, to qualify for the higher/better subsidy.
Having it checked right now..................

cumpa schrieb:
We are almost in the same situation; however, the general contractor assumed that we would build according to the KfW 55 energy saving standard from 2014.

Have you already looked into or received advice on how challenging it is to upgrade from KfW 55 to KfW 40?

cumpa schrieb:

… however, the general contractor assumed that we were building according to the KfW 55 Energy Saving Ordinance 2014. Now it is said that the minimum requirements have supposedly been tightened, so that the contractually agreed construction work to achieve level 55 might no longer be sufficient.

Your general contractor should get informed, because from the "old KfW 55" to the "new KfW 55" almost nothing has changed; regarding the heat generator heat pump. I initially made the same mistake, assuming that the requirements for building according to KfW 55 had been significantly tightened. This is not the case—I had overlooked that the primary energy factor for electricity was lowered; therefore, the "old KfW 70" roughly corresponds to the current Energy Saving Ordinance. This means that the additional effort—from Energy Saving Ordinance standards to KfW 55, when applying for KfW 55 funding—remains about the same. Your energy consultant should be able to explain and confirm this clearly.

Changes to the Energy Saving Ordinance

The Energy Saving Ordinance was updated on January 1, 2016. From that date, building permit/planning permission applications can only be submitted for houses in compliance with the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance. There are essentially two key changes from 2014 to 2016:

• The primary energy demand must be improved by 25%
• The primary energy factor for electricity was reduced from 2.4 to 1.8 (25%)

The reference building (which defines the U-values for the building envelope) remains unchanged. For a house with a heat pump, these changes effectively offset each other. A house with a gas condensing boiler and solar system must save 25% energy elsewhere.

Changes to KfW

Until March 31, 2016, the old funding conditions (KfW 70) can be used and applied for. From April 1, 2016, only the new loans are available. The basic conditions for loans for 55 and 40 (energy levels) remain the same. Additionally, there is the KfW 40+ house, which requires including a photovoltaic system and an electricity storage unit. The KfW loans correspond to the Energy Saving Ordinance valid at the time of the building permit/planning permission application. That means for projects up to December 31, 2015, the 2014 Energy Saving Ordinance applies; from January 1, 2016, the 2016 ordinance applies.

For houses heated with electricity (i.e., heat pumps), it is irrelevant whether the building permit/planning permission was submitted in 2015 or 2016 for the reasons mentioned above. For houses aiming to achieve KfW 70 with a gas condensing boiler, solar system, and ventilation system, it will generally not be feasible if the building permit/planning permission was submitted only after December 31, 2015; this must be checked individually. Otherwise, KfW 70 can be applied for independently of the submission date of the building permit/planning permission until March 31, 2016.

Summary of consequences:

Regards, Bauexperte

Building expert, could you please provide some information regarding my question? Or is it simply not possible to give a general answer? I’m just curious about how significant the step from 55 to 40 is. With 3 residential units, that’s immediately 15,000 euros waived, and potentially other funding opportunities could be tapped into as well. Or should I dismiss this idea altogether and stick with KfW 55?

Hello,

MarcWen schrieb:

Bauexperte, could you please also provide some information on my question? Or is it just not possible to answer that in general?

It’s rather difficult because each single-family house has to be calculated individually to create a reliable offer; even more so for a three-family house.

MarcWen schrieb:

I’m just curious about how big the difference is between 55 and 40. With 3 residential units, that’s immediately €15,000 saved, and possibly other funding options could be tapped into. Or should I just forget about this idea and stick with KfW 55?

*I* wouldn’t even want to build to KfW 55; are you sure I’m the right person to ask about this?

I currently have a bungalow planned as a two-family house with 280 sqm (3,014 sq ft) of living area and about 92 sqm (990 sq ft) of partial basement on my desk; I requested a quote from our specialist planner to achieve KfW 40+. The following information was returned:

Solar power system with a capacity of 9.54 kWp

Modules: Canadian solar module CS6P – 265P polycrystalline, manufacturer’s warranty: 10 years, 25 years linear performance warranty

Inverter: Energy storage system ALPHA.ESS STORION-S5 (10 years)
SMA SB 3000 TL-21 (5 years)

Mounting system: Rapidsol made of stainless steel and aluminum, two-layer construction; manufacturer’s warranty: 5 years

At a total price of €23,840.00 including installation with optimal south-facing orientation.

Whether you want to aim for up to 70% energy self-sufficiency or not is a question only you can answer.

Best regards, Bauexperte

Hello construction expert,

Am I reading your chart correctly that the combination of gas and solar has not been allowed at all since 2016? Thank you