ᐅ Recommended Insulation Thickness for New Construction According to the 2024 Building Energy Code – Seeking Experiences and Advice

Hello everyone,

I am currently at the very beginning of planning my single-family house and am looking into the requirements of the Building Energy Act 2024. I came across the question of how to determine the required thickness of the thermal insulation for my new build. So far, I have not found a clear table or guideline specifying recommended insulation thicknesses. Are there official sources or information that can be used as a reference for initial planning?

I am also interested in how you handled the sound and thermal protection documentation for the building permit / planning permission. Is it mandatory to hire a building physicist for these proofs, or are there architects who offer this service as part of their work? If so, should one specifically look for architects who can take care of both the thermal and sound protection documentation?

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

whitedown schrieb:

I am currently at the very beginning of planning my single-family house and am looking into the requirements of the Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz) 2024. In doing so, I came across the question of how to determine the required thickness of the thermal insulation for my new building. So far, I have not found a concrete table that provides clear specifications or recommendations for insulation thickness. Are there official sources that can be referred to for initial planning?

You will probably only like the first part of my answer: there are U-value calculators (e.g., Ubakus) for that.

However, it is best to consult an independent architect to whom you do not present any of your own draft plans, but only provide a room program and a list of must-haves, don’ts, and nice-to-haves. Including the quotation marks, you can find my "House Building Roadmap, also for you: the HOAI phase model!" by searching or also through my signature, where you will also find my 11ant Steinemantra. Building according to the Building Energy Act is definitely possible with a monolithic construction without ETICS (external thermal insulation composite system), and timber frame builders have standard recipes for their WDIS (wood-based insulation system) wall constructions for all efficiency house classes.

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For your question, I recommend the book "Richtig dämmen" by Stiftung Warentest. It includes a material overview with the required insulation thicknesses for a 0.24 U-value as well as a formula for converting to other U-values. I also find it interesting regarding the explanations of environmental properties, advantages, and disadvantages of each insulation material.

Otherwise, I agree with what 11ant says. Discuss with Ubakus and your architects to determine the best option.