ᐅ How can requirements like the 2016 energy-saving regulations be met?

Are there any layman-friendly resources that clearly explain which construction measures are needed to meet the requirements of the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance?

For example, if I want to build with Poroton bricks without additional insulation, combined with a heat pump and a ventilation system, I would like to understand what the specifications need to be to make that work—without having to consult a mathematics professor.

Regards
Pius

If in doubt, this also depends on other factors such as the insulation of the other parts of the building.
Furthermore, it depends on the type of brick.
In very general terms, a 425 (16.7 inches) T8 brick or a 365 (14.4 inches) T7 brick is usually sufficient.

I would also like to have such information.
Basics for me:
Single-story on a slab foundation with a living area of about 110sqm (1,184 sq ft)
2 people
Monolithic construction and gas condensing boiler are a must
What additional technology is required according to the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV)?

Regards, Portoalegre

How is one supposed to answer that—or even begin to help?
"I'm building a house, how much does it cost, and what do I need to do for the energy saving regulations?" … huh?!
Do you have a detailed scope of work? Are you working with a designer or architect?
Take a look at the scope of work documents from major general contractors—they are often available online. That will give you a pretty good idea of what is included and what is not.

pius123 schrieb:
Are there any easily understandable resources for non-experts that explain which construction measures are needed to meet the requirements of the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance?

I would say: No, there aren't.

It is a complex topic, with a "dual" requirement (primary energy demand and transmission heat loss). Besides the insulation and airtightness of the building envelope (construction measures), the type of heat generation is also important. While this can certainly be explained to a layperson, the possible measures are very diverse because they always have to be considered as a combination of various individual factors.

My recommendation is to thoroughly read the relevant pages on kfw.de. "Efficiency house" is also an entry in Wikipedia, which is worth reading and of course contains plenty of references (hyperlinks, unfortunately not allowed here, so you will have to look them up yourself ...) to the important related terms.

HTH

Your building will be compared to a reference building, where the transmission heat loss must be at least as good as the reference building, and the primary energy demand must be 25 percent better. Achieving the primary energy demand should not be a problem with a heat pump. With a heat pump combined with a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, it is even easier.

What remains is the transmission heat loss. The reference values (U-values) are as follows:

Wall: 0.28
Roof: 0.20
Windows: 1.30
Ground slab/basement: 0.35

Thermal bridge equivalency must be proven; don’t ask me now which catalog for thermal bridges.

If you want to meet the limits exactly everywhere, then a masonry unit with a thermal conductivity (lambda) of 0.09 and 300mm (12 inches), or a masonry unit with lambda 0.10 and 365mm (14 inches), or a masonry unit with lambda 0.14 and 490mm (19 inches) will suffice. Alternatively, as a minimal solution based on the reference values, 175mm (7 inches) calcium silicate block with a thermal conductivity of 2.0 plus 100mm (4 inches) EPS 032 insulation also works. A masonry unit with lambda 0.07 would theoretically be sufficient at 240mm (9.5 inches), but this is usually not feasible from a structural engineering point of view.

In general, building standards have already improved over recent years, so there is no reason to worry.