Kierling passive house - heading into the future sustainably

Status

completed

Summary

Starting point / motivation

The residential complex in Klosterneuburg-Kierling was built between 1977 and 1979 and had shown significant defects. The heating energy costs were high, as the building is insulated insufficiently and the apartments had been heated with electricity (floor heating) – the most expensive way of heating, which has reached the limit of the service life.

The only average architectural quality of the building in combination with the age of the building caused increasing marketing problems. The apartments were not accessible for disabled and elderly residents because of their location on a steep slope.

Using the example of demonstrational renovation, Kierling tests the possibilities of a renovation in passive house standard in technical, organizational and financial terms as an outstanding example of a comprehensive renovation.

Contents and objectives

• External envelope

  • The implementation of full thermal insulation on all facades and in the roof and basement areas;
  • the replacement of windows with passive-house windows;
  • the reduction of thermal bridges;
  • airtight design with passive-house quality.
• Controlled ventilation with highly efficient heat recovery (substitution of electric floor heating).
• Hot-water supply
  Solar panels and subsequent heating/auxiliary heating with a central pellet boiler with automatic feeding – energy supply for heating is 100% from renewable resources.
• Layout and comfort
  Winter gardens instead of existing balconies and installation of new lifts. All measures also form part of the energy-technological refurbishment (reduction of thermal bridges, renovation of facades).
• Addition of the loft
  The addition of the loft is a central component of the redensification of the location; at the same time, the roof is very well insulated with passive-house quality, using wood extensively as a renewable raw material.

Methods

The renovation project builds on the submitted refurbishment concept. Construction begins on 01/04/2012, completion on 31.08.2013.

Results

Implementation of the measures developed in the refurbishment plan: refurbishment to a passive house, high proportion of renewable raw materials / renewable energy sources for the supply of the required auxiliary heat / user-friendliness.

The result of the project is that passive house renovations with active use of solar energy and biomass heating (Active House) are possible even under difficult conditions. In the specific case the electric floor heating offers the execution of a thermal insulation in passive house standard and has the advantage that a heating via the ventilation system is possible and no plumbing is required in the living areas.

Basis for a quality refurbishment as in this case is planning beyond the usual level.

To keep construction costs low for residents, existing “reserves” present on the property can be used.

Prospects / Suggestions for future research

The refurbishment provides significantly higher energy savings than the new building. By conjunction with other objects (as in this case with the new building) significant synergy effects can be achieved.

Project management

Ing. Andreas Donner
BUWOG

Project or cooperation partner

• PORR AG
• Architekturbüro Reinberg ZT GmbH
• DI Thomas Zelger
  IBO - Österreichisches Institut für Baubiologie und –ökologie
• DI Bernhard Schweighofer
  IBBS ZT GmbH
• Dr. Thomas Bednar
  TU Wien, Institut für Hochbau und Technologie
• DI Helmut Schöberl
  Schöberl & Pöll GmbH
• Vasko Partner
• Österreichisches Ökologie Institut
• Energiecomfort - Energie- und Gebäudemanagement GmbH

BUWOG
Frau Eva Fleberger
Hietzinger Kai 131
Tel.: +43 (1) 878 28 1213
E-Mail: Eva.Fleberger@buwog.at
Web: www.buwog.at