Nachhaltigkeit im Bau
Sustainable building at Bielefeld University
In its role as the developer of the new buildings on Campus South, Bielefeld University is required to comply with specified energy standards in the building sector as part of the NRW Climate Protection Act and the associated role model function. All of Bielefeld University's new buildings under construction and in the planning stage meet the energy standard or generally exceed the minimum requirements according to the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) or the Building Energy Act (GEG) by a wide margin.
Bielefeld University is constructing the new buildings on Campus South to at least EGB 40 standard. Some buildings will even be built to the EGB 40 EE standard or the Passive House Classic standard and, if possible, the Passive House Plus standard. In addition, the R4 BNB Silver building and the planned car park on Wertherstraße will be certified according to DGNB. Photovoltaic systems will be installed on the roofs of the new buildings.
With this procedure, the university wants to fulfil its exemplary function in the area of public building. According to current news, it is not obliged to follow the energy efficiency measures of the federal government and the state government in the building sector. Nevertheless, when constructing and renovating buildings, the university must fundamentally examine whether and to what extent the installation of photovoltaic and solar thermal systems makes sense from an economic point of view. In addition, from the second quarter of 2022, the university is obliged to qualify new buildings according to BNB Silver according to the circular on the "BNB introduction North Rhine-Westphalia".
Things to know about the sustainability of our buildings
- Energy supply: Bielefeld University has been using green electricity since 2019 and has been a customer of EnerCity Hannover (certified by TÜV SÜD) since 2021. In addition, Bielefeld University is mainly supplied by district heating from Stadtwerke Bielefeld. More information at: Energy supply - Bielefeld University (uni-bielefeld.de).
- Energy generation: The university is successively installing PV systems and thus currently generates: 151.44 kWp (without building R1). More than 150 kWp are to be added through further planned PV systems in the next few years.
- Materials: New buildings (R4-R8) are predominantly constructed of CO2-reduced concrete. This means about 40% less CO2 by reducing the cement content. For the R4 building, the aim is to achieve at least BNB Silver zetrification. This includes the consideration of the life cycle assessment of the building.
- Greening: The roof and façade of the upcoming building R5 will be greened, as will the roof of the future building R7. The roof of building R2 has already been greened.
- Comments on the energy standards
- EnEV: The Energy Saving Ordinance imposes detailed regulations on building owners and property owners regarding the energy efficiency of their house: from the use of renewable energies to façade insulation and the energy certificate. Builders and homeowners must comply with these regulations. The EnEV was replaced by the GEG on 1 November 2020.
- GEG: The Building Energy Act contains requirements for the energy quality of buildings, the creation and use of energy certificates, and the use of renewable energies in buildings. The aim of the GEG is to use energy in buildings as sparingly as possible, including an increasing use of renewable energies to generate heat, cooling and electricity for building operation. The GEG brings together several laws (EnEV), the Energy Conservation Act (EnEG) and the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG) in order to standardise energy conservation law for buildings.
- EGB 40 (also known as: KFW 40, EH40, BEG 40, EG40): EGB 40 refers to buildings that meet a particularly energy-saving construction and renovation standard. These buildings require only 40 percent of the primary energy demand compared to the reference building and have comprehensive thermal insulation of the building envelope. The reference building is a "virtual auxiliary building" and has the same geometry, floor space and orientation as the building "in progress". However, the building envelope of the reference building - exterior walls, windows, doors, ceilings, roof - and its system technology are equipped as standard as prescribed by the GEG for residential buildings.
- Passive House Classic Standard and Passive House Plus: The Passive House is a low-energy building. It is highly insulated and allows very little heat to escape. It uses passive heat sources such as solar radiation, waste heat from the occupants and electrical appliances, and heat recovery from the ventilation system. The requirements for a passive house are described by the passive house energy standard. Although several limit values must be achieved at the same time, the limit value "heating demand ≤ 15 kWh/(m²a)" is usually emphasised.
- BNB Silver: The rating system Sustainable Construction for Federal Buildings of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs aims to describe and evaluate the quality of sustainability of buildings and structural facilities in their complexity. In the course of certification, the ecological, economic, socio-cultural-functional dimension as well as the technical quality, the quality of the planning and execution process and the site characteristics are taken into account. Depending on the degree of fulfilment achieved, the building receives a BNB certificate in gold (> 80%), silver (> 65%) or bronze (> 50%).
- Compilation of relevant information on the current legal situation
- Building Energy Act (GEG) § 4 Exemplary function of the public sector
- NRW Climate Protection Act § 5 Climate protection by other public bodies
- Climate Protection Report 2022 of the Federal Government of 31.08.2022
- Resolution on the Energy Efficiency Guidelines for Climate-Neutral New Buildings/Extensions and Building Renovations of the Federal Government (EEFB) of 25 August 2021
- Cabinet submission on the implementation of the Climate Neutral State Administration NRW of 29.06.2021