ᐅ How can you bypass energy-saving regulations and avoid bureaucratic hassle?

Hello Farilo,

I think it’s good that you want to think for yourself about whether a solution really makes sense. However, you seem to lack some basic knowledge of physics that would help you recognize if your reasoning is correct or not. I conclude this at least from many questions you have asked throughout the thread.

First and foremost: It is right to gather information from multiple sources. But you must be aware of the risk of confirmation bias. You fall into this thinking error when you give more weight to sources that confirm your subjective feelings than to those that provide information you do not like. So be especially cautious if you find Mr. Fischer’s position “understandable” — maybe you would think the opposite if you knew more!

A strong counterargument is, for example, that he reinterprets his personal experience to represent the general situation: He works against faulty insulation, so he sees only faulty insulation cases and then presents it as a general problem. In reality, this concerns only 0.x% of insulated buildings, while professionally installed insulation performs as promised in the remaining 99,...% of cases. Anyone adopting this view just because it confirms a (pre)judgment is not really thinking independently, so be careful!

You should also reconsider your economic approach about whether all of this is worth it economically. Just as an example: You might (I don’t know your building) create usable space by insulating the roof where there was only very limited usable space before (too hot in summer, too cold in winter). In this case, you have created space that might have cost you more upon acquisition than the insulation itself. And that could be seen as a gain, even if there is no short-term payback just from heating cost savings. Depending on your calculations... you also need to be clear about whether you want to factor in increases in your property’s value (purely financially) and increases in usability (from uninhabitable to potentially livable or good storage space).

Now to the physics: Properly insulated houses are cooler in summer and warmer in winter than otherwise identical houses without insulation. Whether the insulation is made of thicker bricks, plastic, natural materials, etc., is irrelevant for the basic principle.
The physically relevant questions are:

- How do I keep heat from entering or leaving the house in summer?
- How do I keep heat inside the house or prevent it from escaping in winter?

So the question to start with is: How does heat enter the building at all?

The likely ways are 1) Sunlight that directly warms the interior through windows. 2) Supply of outside air that is warmer than indoor air. 3) Heating. 4) The building envelope heats up until this heat transfers inside through the roof and walls.

The next step is to consider how heat leaves the house.

Likely ways include a) Supply of outside air that is colder than indoor air. b) Active cooling (e.g., air conditioning). c) The interior shell warms up until the heat transfers outward through the roof and walls.

What can you do with this information? Well, you can start with the basic assumption that a comfortable indoor temperature, both in summer and winter, is desirable. From the above points 1) to 4) and a) to c), you can logically derive some things:

- In very hot or very cold periods, ventilating is not helpful for achieving a comfortable temperature (due to points 2) and a)).

- Solar heat gain through windows may be desirable or undesirable depending on the season (point 1)). At the same time, people usually want daylight...

- Heat entering and leaving through the roof and walls depends on their thickness, their ability to conduct heat (a property that varies significantly depending on the material), the temperature difference between inside and outside, and the area of roof or wall sections exposed to direct sunlight.

Because of this last point, you should now understand how insulation works. Insulating materials have very low thermal conductivity—therefore, when outside temperatures are cooler, heat has a harder time escaping through roof and walls (and closed windows), and when outside temperatures are warmer, heat has a harder time penetrating inside.
Following the initial assumption about comfort temperature, insulation definitely makes sense. As I mentioned earlier, it can also make economic sense depending on how you look at it.

What you called "enterprise technology," controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (also called controlled ventilation), is a logical next step based on what I have explained here. Ventilating often works against comfort temperatures under many conditions, but moisture must always be removed from the building as it has always been. The solution: a machine does this with heat recovery when needed.

You don’t have to like or use it, but it is logical. Even with such a system, you can keep the terrace door open to entertain your barbecue guests at the dining table.

I hope I’ve given you some “food for thought”; you seem to still be learning.

Finally, about the subjective indoor climate you perceive: Here I also see confirmation bias at work. With a skeptical attitude toward insulation, you visited houses, felt uncomfortable, and what was to blame? Logically, the insulation!

Your discomfort could have hundreds of other causes. Too bright, too dark, too much echo, ceilings too low or too high, wrong colors, unsuitable materials, an unfamiliar smell (nothing affects our emotional center like smell!), no lake view outside the window, unpleasant outdoor noise, and so on.

Especially in very old houses with original windows, there is constant air exchange with the outside. This affects, for example, the smell and may create a sensation of moving air. Those who find this comfortable must not forget: In winter, this means constant heating. And that does not only mean costs, but also heating the constantly dry outside winter air inside—the indoors then become warm AND very dry. After a few weeks, your eyes and mucous membranes will tell you what they think of this comfort climate.

77.willo schrieb:
The primary goal is not your wallet but climate protection.

Will you answer my questions now?

Climate protection, yeah right...
Here in Germany, with a few thousand new energy-efficient houses, we are supposed to save the world.
I’m all for saving energy (I only use 6.5 L per 100 km (36 mpg) when necessary), but the trend in recent years has become absurd...

This is your personal opinion, which I do not share at all. The discussion here was about the intention of the legislator.

As I said, in general, I think saving energy and doing something for the environment is good and important. However, efforts would be better focused on the countries that produce the most waste and pollution, rather than continuing to insulate and regulate the already strict standards and energy-efficient houses here in Germany. These increasingly strict regulations are making simple home construction almost unaffordable for people with average incomes.

Modern houses often have a.... it feels too warm. And there is somehow a stuffy feeling. A solution can be radiators instead of underfloor heating. Use mold-resistant, breathable wall paints. Avoid gypsum plaster; instead, use consistent lime-cement or even clay plaster. Windows with forced ventilation. Karsten

Why are radiators considered a solution for rooms that are too warm compared to underfloor heating? You can simply turn them down if they are set too high.