[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/5844\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESustainable buildings should differ across Europe\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENu-Office, a highly energy-efficient building in Munich, has small, triple-glazed windows and thick, insulated walls to keep out the winter cold. Another new sustainable building, CARTIF III, is in Valladolid, central Spain; it has glass walls and louvre blinds that manage the sunlight to maintain a comfortable temperature. In northern Italy, a third such building, the New Technology Park,\u0026nbsp;will take advantage of the underground hot water available locally in\u0026nbsp;the city of Bolzano.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe different features of the three buildings, each part of the co-EU-funded project DIRECTION, demonstrate an important point about low-energy buildings. While they will pool a lot of basic techniques, they are likely to be carefully adapted to local conditions, from the weather to local energy supply.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese factors will influence three crucial aspects that make the building sustainable: insulation and use of sunlight; energy generation, as far as possible from locally available sources and renewables such as solar panels and biomass; and system control, permitting the smart management of energy needs, including heating and cooling systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There is no single technology that enables sustainable buildings,\u2019 said Sergio Sanz, Deputy Manager of the Energy Division at CARTIF, a technology centre, and the coordinator of the DIRECTION project. \u2018Instead we have to combine three different pillars in the best way for the conditions. The main key is an integrated approach.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor much of the t\u003Cspan class=\u0022exampleGroup exGrBreak\u0022\u003Ewentieth-century\u003C\/span\u003E, energy was abundant and climate change was not yet a concern, so low power use was not a major part of building design. But use of natural light did play a part in designing some of New York\u0027s early skyscrapers: artificial lighting was primitive, so architects made buildings with large windows and tall ceilings to allow sunlight to reach deep inside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENu-Office, which was completed in November 2012, also gets as much natural light as possible despite its small windows. An inner courtyard provides more sunlight and also creates natural breezes. The roof is covered partly with solar panels to generate electricity, and partly with plants, which provide insulation. Groundwater is pumped through a heat exchanger, cooling the building in the summer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the basement, a control system coordinates the building\u0027s heating, cooling and lighting, and is linked to Munich\u0027s district heating system. This feeds in heat produced by electricity generation via a city-wide network, which should by 2040 run solely on renewable sources, in particular a hot water reservoir three kilometres underground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn from the start\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key to the radical design: inviting energy experts \u2013 in this case the German Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) \u2013 to participate at an early stage. Though many new buildings are completely glass on the outside, which is a fashionable, modern look, the IBP proposed just 30 to 40 % glass fa\u00e7ade, and strong insulation. Then it had to find a way to let more daylight into the building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018You need to find a compromise between natural light and insulation requirements,\u2019 said Michael Krause, Group Manager of Systems Engineering at the Department for Energy Systems at IBP. \u2018This is not possible if your ideas are integrated too late in the planning process. It needs investors who are open to the idea of efficiency and interested in getting energy problems involved early in the process.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E90 % energy saving\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENu-Office itself could consume a mere 30 kW hours per square metre per year in heating, cooling and lighting costs, said Krause, adding that he is still monitoring the performance. That would compare to the average of 100 to 150 kW hours in a typical new building, and would be an energy saving of up to 90 % compared to older offices. This expected performance won Nu-Office a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certificate with a score that made it one of the world\u0027s most energy-efficient office buildings.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u0026#039;You have to consider the position of the sun when you consider the use of natural light.\u0026#039;\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EMichael Krause, Group Manager of Systems Engineering at the Department for Energy Systems Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, Germany \u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA building like Nu-Office is more expensive to build than a conventional one, and that cost will be passed on to clients. If they can\u0027t see the long-term benefits of lower energy bills, then they won\u0027t move in, said Julia Vicente, a member of DIRECTION\u0027s coordination team at CARTIF. \u2018The user has to be convinced that it is worth paying a little more,\u2019 she said. \u2018You need public awareness of the benefits of extra investment in buildings.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Munich, energy costs have risen by more than 50 % in the past 10 years. The hoped-for 90 % reduction in energy use for Nu-Office does not translate into total energy bills one tenth cheaper, because other devices running on electricity - such as copiers, computers, and coffee machines - use the same amount as anywhere else. But the owners think the overall consumption will still be significantly less.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThanks to the lower energy use, they have fixed a flat rate of EUR 2.50 per square metre each month in overheads, compared with a going rate of around EUR 3.30 per square metre for comparable buildings in Munich, said Michael Lentrodt, company representative of Nu-Office developers FACIT GmbH. In addition, the layout means that tenants need about 15 % less office space than usual.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The tenants benefit from considerable savings potential,\u2019 said Lentrodt. \u2018It\u0027s not about sustainability in itself. No one rents or buys from us just because we\u0027ve received a certificate. People come to us because they understand the advantages.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy costs are rising, and by 2020 the EU wants to achieve a 20 % increase in energy efficiency in part by improving the efficiency of buildings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy then, EU Member States must\u0026nbsp;ensure that all new buidings are close to zero energy. While countries can opt-out in specific cases, the rule means that sustainable offices are likely to spring up all over Europe in the coming years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf they do, they\u2019ll have to pay close attention to local conditions. \u2018You have to consider the position of the sun when you consider the use of natural light,\u2019 said Krause of the IBP. \u2018In southern Spain, the sun is high so less natural light will get through windows. In Sweden, the sun is relatively low on the horizon.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-rztigcbi3pomeg73ydph8mutdr871094wnzkr70qmfq\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-RztigcBi3POMEg73yDph8mUTDR871094wnzKR70QmfQ\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]