ᐅ Is it possible to build a house without solar or renewable energy systems?

Hello,
I am planning to build next year. Is it still possible under the current energy saving regulations to build without solar panels?
Some construction companies offer the option to compensate with additional insulation instead of using renewable energy.
However, my builder says that this is not possible.

Regards,
Hartmut

So, our house will not have solar or photovoltaic panels. Thanks to a high-quality masonry unit, the walls do not require insulation. We are using an air-to-water heat pump. This is more than sufficient to meet the requirements for KfW70.

schroedi75 schrieb:
Hello,
I plan to build next year. Is it still possible under the current Energy Saving Ordinance to build without solar panels?
Some construction companies offer the option to forego renewable energy by increasing insulation.
However, my builder says this is not possible.

Regards

Hartmut

Your builder’s statement is simply incorrect!

For us: officially KfW 70, practically around KfW 55
How achieved: without solar, but with geothermal energy, controlled mechanical ventilation, highly insulated building envelope

As an additional note: Of course, an air-to-water heat pump also uses renewable energy (heat from the ambient air), but I assume your post was more about solar and photovoltaic systems, right?

Hello,
No, I mean without an air-to-water heat pump or anything like that. Just a standard condensing boiler and nothing else. Maybe it’s also important how I plan to build.
It will be a bungalow with brick cladding, 90 sqm (970 sq ft) of living space and a 50 sqm (540 sq ft) garage directly attached to the bungalow.
Given the small living area, I don’t think an air-to-water heat pump or similar system is worthwhile. You simply can’t save enough energy for it to pay off eventually.
I also want to avoid solar panels since my hot water demand is minimal.

Regards,
Hartmut

Well, with a well-insulated building envelope and a gas condensing boiler, meeting energy-saving regulations should not be a problem – economically speaking, it’s not necessarily worth installing an unprofitable solar thermal system on the roof. Only in case of a future resale might, for example, a KfW 70 standard perform somewhat better.

Ultimately, it depends on your actual consumption – and the gas boiler can easily handle domestic hot water preparation in summer on its own ;-)

Alternatively, an air-to-water heat pump could be an option, provided the conditions are suitable (get a calculation done).