The energy-saving house from Town & Country

The topics of climate protection and energy saving have become an integral part of our everyday lives. The energy saving requirements for building owners have been becoming increasingly stricter for several years now. These requirements are regulated in the Building Energy Act (GEG), passed in 2020, which replaces the Energy Saving Ordinance of 2016 (EnEV).

The Building Energy Act, which came into force on November 1, 2020, combines three previously applicable regulations: the Energy Saving Act (EnEG), the Energy Saving Ordinance and the Renewable Energy Heat Act (EWärmeG). They all relate to the same subject – the energy efficiency of buildings and the use of renewable energies.

Like the EnEV, the GEG requires that a certain part of a house's thermal energy be generated from renewable energies. From 2020, electricity generated close to buildings from renewable energies will also be counted towards the annual primary energy requirement. The obligation to use renewable energies can therefore be fulfilled by a photovoltaic system. The size of the system is decisive here. Oil heaters, on the other hand, should disappear completely from boiler rooms; from 2026 there will be a ban on installing oil heaters.

In order to assess the ecological balance of energy-saving houses, in addition to the building envelope, the system technology used in the house, including the losses that occur during the generation, distribution, storage and transfer of heat, is evaluated. In addition, the efficiency of the energy source is also taken into account in the energy balance. The specified maximum values are based on the consumption values of a reference building.

The main requirement of the GEG is the annual primary energy requirement, which describes the total energy requirement for heating, hot water, ventilation and cooling of an energy-saving house and at the same time also takes into account the efficiency of the energy source.

• Independence from price fluctuations and increases on the market
  Rising energy prices can be a real test for owners of poorly insulated houses or houses with outdated technology. The market trends in recent years have only shown an upward trend when it comes to price. Owners of energy-saving houses can become independent of this and can cope with price increases much more easily.
  
  
• High resale values - especially for solid houses
  Houses that are well built in terms of energy efficiency can usually be sold for significantly higher values and offer their residents security for the future. Buyers usually not only see the purchase price of a used property, but also the high renovation costs. Energy-saving houses are therefore very popular with interested parties.

• Low maintenance costs thanks to lower consumption and calculable values
  Old houses built between 1950 and 1970 often use more than 300 kilowatt hours per year per square meter of heating energy. This corresponds to costs of more than 3,000 euros for a house with 150 square meters. For solid houses that are planned to save energy, the costs are only a fraction of this. All Town & Country houses always meet the current energy saving regulations - the amount of possible energy savings depends on the efficiency equipment chosen by the customer.
  
  
• Good living environment as standard
  Old houses promote the formation of mold in the house due to poor or inadequate insulation. Because air moisture can settle on the cold outside walls. High-energy houses have a similar problem, which is caused by the insulation on the house being “too dense”. Controlled living space ventilation with heat recovery can help here. At Town & Country Haus, this is already included in the price of every solid house and therefore does not result in any expensive extra costs.
  

Climate and environmental protection means much more than just building a well-insulated energy-saving house with an efficient heating system and perhaps a solar panel on the roof. “With each house we take a piece of free space from nature and compact the soil. With our commitment to sustainability projects, we want to give back some of what we take from nature,” says Jürgen Dawo.



For example, Town & Country Haus supports tree planting campaigns as part of the “We are planting the future” campaign. As part of this campaign, so-called trees of the future, i.e. trees that are particularly resistant to future climate developments, are planted. Town & Country Haus partners also promote environmental education and nature conservation projects for children and young people as part of the “Water Worlds” and “Bird Worlds” campaigns of the Natur Network.