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PERFECT CLIMATE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Thermal and hygric building physics deals with energy efficiency, thermal insulation and moisture protection of buildings. Translated into benefits, these "dry" facts mean: comfort and sense of well-being in both the summer and winter – plus energy savings!

Our planning and consulting ensure perfect thermal insulation with the matching building services. We verify the design with regard to thermal bridges, condensation protection and airtightness by calculating the moisture distribution in the materials and structural designs and planning measures to ensure dry buildings.

We provide support with structural physics in new construction, renovation and restoration projects. We also assist you in determining the cause in case of damage.

ENERGY DESIGN AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES

We plan energy efficiency concepts for both new and existing buildings, for residential buildings and non-residential buildings.

We take everything into account from the individual goals to the global objectives by deriving technical and economic energy efficiency measures that help to save energy, cut energy costs, conserve resources, protect the environment, support the regional economy and ensure comfort, health and safety.

We use energy design and integral planning of energy efficiency in which we consider not only the building and building services but also the users and building climate to: develop energy concepts for new buildings and building renovation projects, verify actions using simulation calculations, plan and monitor the actions, create proof certificates according to the latest rules and regulations, prepare application documents for funding programs and create energy performance certificates.

We are specialists in the following areas:

  • Energy design of non-residential and residential buildings
  • Planning of energy concepts with technical and economic optimization
  • Inventory of energy consumption, analyses and calculation of the energy requirement as a basis for the development of energy-saving measures in existing buildings
  • Forecast calculations to optimize the building envelope and building services, taking into account user conditions and climate zones
  • Preparation of documentation and creation of energy performance certificates based on the latest rules and regulations, in particular in accordance with DIN 18599

MOISTURE PROTECTION

Our thermal and hygric building physics tasks include preventing moisture damage and determining the causes of defects in the moisture protection.

Modern buildings with very good thermal insulation and high airtightness require detailed planning of the thermal and moisture protection to prevent water vapor condensation, mold formation and energy loss due to thermal bridges.

We use special planning tools as part of our integral consulting services to optimize the structural components and geometries down to the last detail to ensure effective moisture protection of the building.

We are specialists in the following areas:

  • We use the finite element method to perform two and three-dimensional transient and intransient thermal bridge calculations. Air gaps are realistically estimated taking into account the radiation and convection processes in the air gap. Any geometries can be considered in two-dimensional calculations.
  • We perform transient calculations on moisture protection to assess the risk of condensation in structural element cross sections. We consider not only diffusion processes but also effects such as capillary behavior and moisture storage to ensure an integral view of the structural element’s hygrothermal behavior.

WOOD PROTECTION

Wood is a natural and renewable resource that will continue to gain significance as a building material.

As demands in the construction industry grow, e.g. in the area of thermal and sound insulation, and the desire to avoid the use of chemicals to preserve wood increases, it will be essential in the future to focus more on the analysis of correlations in structural physics and to implement these in concrete plans.

This also applies to the construction of new and the renovation of existing buildings. The advantageous material and technical properties of wood are ideal for this and can be used to prevent damage in the long term.

According to DIN 68800, the intention is to avoid the use of chemical preservatives in preventive wood protection. It is therefore necessary to incorporate constructive wood protection in the early stages of planning in order to reliably avoid damage to the wood building materials.

The layered structure of the components must be examined in terms of the moisture balance. Transient calculations support the development of structural components as part of innovative solutions and make it possible to forecast the hygrothermal behavior, e.g. of flat roof constructions, in real weather conditions many years into the future.

In addition to standard structures, detailed design is of particular importance in timber construction. Measures are developed here to ensure absolute air tightness and to derive details for constructive wood protection. Additional factors must be considered in the renovation of old buildings such as possible preexisting damage and the effects of modernization measures.

The necessary renovations in terms of thermal insulation have a profound effect on structures that have functioned well for many years. For instance, beam ends in wood-beamed ceilings can be exposed to harmful moisture build-up after interior insulation work has been completed.

To meet this challenge, it is necessary to examine the existing building using largely non-destructive examination methods such as drill resistance measurements or endoscopic techniques. If there is damage to the structures, e.g. due to harmful mold such as true dry-rot fungus or insects, this can be determined and appropriate targeted restoration measures can be developed.

We are specialists in the following areas:

  • Constructive wood protection in the early stages of planning
  • Determination of the hazard or use classes (use of chemical wood preservatives)
  • Proof of new structures in new and existing buildings using simulation calculations
  • Examination of wooden structures in existing buildings with regard to wood damage due to mold and insects
  • Use of largely non-destructive examination methods such as drill resistance measurements and endoscopic techniques
  • Development of restoration concepts in accordance with DIN 68800
  • Verification of the execution quality, e.g. using airtightness measurements

ENERGY AUDITING ACCORDING TO THE ENERGY SERVICES ACT (EDL-G)

With the entry into force of the German law on energy services and other energy efficiency measures (Energy Services Act (EDL-G)), large companies (non-SMEs), small and medium-sized enterprises that are closely linked to large companies or dependent on them, and also branch companies are required to document and evaluate energy consumption every four years.

This includes an analysis and evaluation of all of the company’s energy consuming equipment and processes in terms of quality and potential for reducing energy consumption as well as consultation on which actions can be taken to ensure efficient and economic implementation of the energy-related optimizations.

As an independent service provider we are happy to take care of the complete audit process for you or support your energy managers in performing the audit.

We are specialists in the following areas:

  • Support of our clients in verifying the non-SME status
  • Holistic implementation of the energy audit based on DIN EN 16247
  • Manufacturer, vendor and sales-neutral handling by BAFA-certified energy consultants
  • Measurements to record energy intensity and preparation of measuring point diagrams and measurement concepts
  • Expansion of the energy audit with an in-depth evaluation of the building envelope (DIN EN 16247-2)
  • Preparation of economic measures to reduce energy costs

PASSIVE AND ENERGY-PLUS HOUSES

No classic heating system, a comfortable living or working environment plus energy production?
Passive and energy-plus houses take advantage of state-of-the-art structural and technical concepts to achieve the highest possible energy efficiency and even energy surpluses.

In addition to energy optimization, a special focus is placed on exceptional comfort and the experience for people inside the building. This is the only way these still very unconventional building concepts will gain broad acceptance.

But what about cost effectiveness? It can be proven. This requires consistent planning of all building and system components taking into account energy-related factors from the first stage of planning all the way to the final acceptance.

We realize these exciting building concepts together with our ambitious clients. We get the entire planning team involved and act as a motivator to ensure implementation of maximum energy efficiency down to the last detail.

We also gladly and successfully accept the challenge of project planning for passive and energy-plus buildings for office complexes, schools and special structures. The experience gained from numerous completed projects such as the first passive house design for a police department in Bavaria makes us the ideal partner for your project.

We are specialists in the following areas:

  • Creating awareness among the planning team for the objective of passive or energy-plus house design
  • Evaluation of the initial rough concepts all the way to individual variants
  • Optimization of planning parameters as an overall concept comprising structural and technical measures
  • Analytical verification using Passivhausinstitut tools all the way to overall building simulation
  • Planning, testing and optimization of planning down to the last detail
  • Support of site management in inspecting the construction work
  • Continuous recording of verification measures
  • Metrological proof of execution quality (e.g. airtightness measurements, building thermography)
  • Support of certification processes