Building renovation

Out of the window, over the roof or through the cellar. A lot of energy disappears from uninsulated buildings. Many old buildings in Germany consume 20 litres of heating oil or more per square metre. With 100 square metres of living space, that's at least 2000 litres per year - a real energy guzzler. By comparison, a new building uses only six litres, and a passive house only 1.5 litres.

Your house is from 1994 or older? Then it's worth looking into energy-efficient renovation. We consume the lion's share of energy in residential buildings for heating and hot water (85 percent). Only 15 percent is used for lighting and household appliances. Thermal insulation and efficient building technology - this is where enormous savings potential lies dormant. Every house is different, and every homeowner has different wishes. Some old walls keep the heat in the house better than others. Some owners want to do an all-round insulation, others want to move in first and tackle a partial renovation.

An energy consultation is always the first step towards successful energy renovation. Here, the various renovation steps are coordinated with each other, and a completely individual renovation roadmap is created for you. This building check also tells you which subsidies are available for which measures. This way you are well prepared for discussions with planners, craftsmen and financiers.

You can find tips here at the NRW consumer advice centre.

Even small changes have a big impact on the climate balance of your house:

• Cold feet on the ground floor show that heat is lost downwards through the basement ceiling. This component is easy to insulate from below. If there are cavities in the floor structure, it may make sense to blow them out from above with an insulating material.
• If the attic space is not used for living purposes and can remain cold, insulating the top floor ceiling is the most efficient and cost-effective insulation measure of all.
• Every little bit helps: It pays off to insulate the roller shutter boxes as well as floor insertion stairs and also all radiator niches.

Are there any repairs to be made to your house anyway? The façade needs to be renovated? If many costs are incurred anyway, it is often worthwhile to carry out an all-round renovation, if necessary with state subsidies. The renovation often doesn't take that long:

• Day1 to 3: Erect scaffolding
• Day 3 to 10: Replace windows and, if necessary, plan with shading devices and solar control glass. Triple glazing is standard today.
• Day3 to 30: Replace heating system. Insulate heating pipes; replace power-guzzling circulating pump; carry out hydraulic balancing.
• Day 5 to 20: Roof work. If the attic is unoccupied: only insulate the top floor ceiling. Include solar thermal and photovoltaic systems as energy sources for heat and electricity.
• Day 12 to 50: Insulate the façade. The optimal insulation thickness depends on the existing wall construction. Cavity insulation is a good compromise for double-shell masonry. A listed house requires special planning.

Further information is available from the NRW Consumer Advice Centre and the EnergyAgency.NRW. Take a look.

Today, 38,000 subsidised pellet heating systems in NRW already supply citizens with renewable heat. And a heat pump is also suitable for old buildings. Heat is extracted from the environment (air, geothermal energy or groundwater) and supplied to your house. Part of the electrical energy is best supplied by your own photovoltaic system. The subsidy is attractive: if an oil-fired heating system is replaced by a heat pump, up to 45 percent subsidy is available.

Is your house already well insulated? Are you already using renewable energies? Then as a private homeowner you can present yourself as an energy saver in NRW. You can find more information here.