Quality assurance at the planning stage

Energy-optimized buildings should be planned by a planning team in which all relevant trades are represented.

In selecting the insulation system, for example, this involves taking users' wishes into account together with structural requirements, and implementing them in terms of high-quality architecture. Along with this, numerous technical and legal aspects, such as soundproofing and fire protection, and of course energy-related requirements, play a part.

Nowadays a building is fit for the future only if high-grade heat protection is provided. This involves not only a U value of at most 0.15 W/m²K, but also requirements concerning airtightness and minimizing thermal bridging, which have to be taken into account as early as the planning phase. The simpler the design of the building and the less complicated the interfaces, the more cost-effective erecting the building can be.

The target should be simple systems which are easy for skilled workers to implement and which need only a minimum of maintenance during use.