New4Old - New energies for old buildings

Status

completed

Summary

The reduction of the energy demand and particularly of the use of fossil fuels in Europe’s buildings, which account for more than 40 % of the final energy consumption of the European Union, represents a key area of attention for EU sustainable energy policy. The New4Old project promotes the integration of RES (Renewable Energy Sources) and RUE (Rational Use of Energy) into historic buildings. It is focused on the retrofit and contributes to the protection of historic buildings, which all have light-house character.

The project New4Old led to reinforcement of Renewable Energy Sources and Rational Use of Energy in Europe. It initiated the creation of a network of Renewable Energy Houses (REH). These light-house buildings are central points for the sustainable energy policy discussion in the different EU Member States. They support the EU in the commercialisation of RES & RUE technologies.

During the project technical guidelines for architects, planners and developers have been compiled. Training activities in the field of building integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency into historic buildings have been carried out.

The success of the REH in Brussels laid the ground for the creation of publicly accessible buildings, which are old and worth being preserved. They serve as bases for further stimulation of the market replication and for dissemination of RES & RUE technologies in the respective countries. All REH of the network should reduce their final energy consumption down to a minimum. They featured the latest energy supply and building service technologies available. They are focal points for the communication and marketing activities in several countries.

Locating of convenient REH was the biggest challenge of the project. The originally planned REH in Belgium, France and Italy could not be realised due to political reasons. The big efforts to find appropriate buildings in Germany and Ireland also failed.

The REH in Graz, the Franciscan monastery, could be introduced and analysed during the last part of the project. It was presented to the interested public as a historic “institution” on its way to the “zero emission” target and established as a very singular showcase for the use of intelligent energy sources and technologies.

Project management

DI Armin Knotzer
AEE - Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien

Project or cooperation partner

• European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), BE/Brüssel, Coordination
• Global Renewable Energy & Conservation Trust (GRECT), BE/INT
• 3E, BE
• AEE INTEC, AT
• Institut für Thermodynamik & Wärmetechnik (USTUTT-ITW), Universität Stuttgart, DE
• National University of Ireland (NUID), Dublin, IRL
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), GR

AEE - Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien
DI Armin Knotzer
Feldgasse 19, A-8200 Gleisdorf
Tel.: +43 (3112) 5886
Fax: +43 (3112) 5886-18
E-Mail: a.knotzer@aee.at
Homepage: www.aee-intec.at