113 Architecture questions - How can renewable energy sources be sustainably planned into a building project?
How can renewable energy sources be sustainably planned into a construction project?
Renewable energies come from sources that either renew themselves in the short term or whose utilisation does not exhaust their source.
As the sustainable generation of energy is often subject to fluctuations and storage is still technically difficult or expensive (e.g. batteries), production communities have formed so-called renewable energy communities (EEG). The idea is to give different players the opportunity to generate, store, consume and sell energy themselves. In addition, energy communities do not have to pay a renewable energy subsidy or electricity levy.
The most versatile use of solar energy is in the design of buildings. Currently, photovoltaic systems are most commonly used to generate electricity. Solar thermal systems utilise the sun's thermal energy, which is transported away through water hoses and can be used to heat water or preheat other heating systems.
However, direct gains from solar power can also be achieved by cleverly orientating glass façades or transparent thermal insulation, taking into account the angle of the sun's rays. The higher the energy gains, the more important it is to think about overheating and shading in summer. Storage masses play an important role here. These can compensate for temperature fluctuations and ensure continuous heat.
Not only the supply of energy into a building, but also the dissipation or avoidance of excess energy is becoming more and more of an issue, particularly due to rising temperatures. One of the best-known systems that utilise the wind are wind towers, which use the chimney effect to extract warm air and draw in cool air. To extract energy from the fresh wind, it is channelled through ground collectors or water surfaces. This technology requires an integral building design but, in contrast to alternatives, is low-maintenance and generates no running costs.
The utilisation of geothermal energy has also been successfully used in Hawlik Gerginski projects for years. For example, in the single-family house K at Lohnsteinstraße 9 in Perchtoldsdorf, as well as in the Dehnegasse 54 residential complex in Vienna and in the ongoing planning for the projects at Groß-Enzersdorfer-Straße 60-62 and Thimiggasse 54.
