Dossier

Dossier

Energy-efficient construction and refurbishment

Heating, hot water, light and cooling: buildings account for 35 per cent of total energy consumption in Germany. Energy-efficient windows, modern heating, new cooling systems and LED lighting all contribute to saving energy and money. This Special highlights particularly smart solutions. The German Energy Efficiency House has also made its way to other countries.

Image-Reference

On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

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Woman walking in the streets in Potsdam-Drewitz

An international role model

After starting life as prefabricated high rise blocks in the final days of East Germany, this neighbourhood soon fell into drab disrepair. Thanks to a brave project developer, it has now found a new lease of life as a low-emission garden village: Potsdam-Drewitz.

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Energy transition 2.0

Rita Feinkohl and Ludger Sens can both supply and receive mains power. They live in a KfW Efficiency Houses 40 Plus. Thanks to their digital connections, they are already equipped for swarming – one of the most important concepts for the future.

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Mexican residential neighbourhood

Mexican Efficiency House

The EcoCasa programme from Mexico received an international special award at the 2017 KfW Construction Award. You can read this article in English and Spanish. Con motivo de la entrega del Premio KfW de Construcción se concedió, por primera vez, un Premio especial internacional. Presentamos aquí el proyecto galardonado «EcoCasa» de México en inglés y en español.

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Carsten Jasper on the rooftop of the climate-friendly complex with ice storage heating in Cologne

Heat from ice

Generating heat from ice, is that really possible? Sternenberger Hof is proving that it is: the climate-friendly complex in the Porz district of Cologne uses an underground ice storage system for its heat.

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Leading the charge

The special international prize was awarded to a social housing building that meets passive house energy efficiency standards in the French town of Malaunay. Le prix spécial international a été décerné à unbâtiment de logements sociaux en construction passive, situé à Malaunay.

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Green living in Mexico

More affordable, energy-efficient living quarters become more and more important. Mexico is no exception. With DEG's, support, Mexico-based Vinte is building nearly 2,000 eco-friendly houses and flats for low and middle-income earners.

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Successful IPO

High-tech company va-Q-tec produces very effective insulation material. Its business founders, two physicists, develop new solutions for challenges of the energy transition. KfW has been there from day one. And with great success too: the start-up has become a listed company.

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Landscape with power poles and wind wheels

Smart grids

Unfortunately, green electricity is only produced when the wind blows or the sun shines. This means power consumers need to adjust. With the help of price signals, new intelligent data networks can help to use energy when it is created.

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Germany needs a heating energy transition

The energy transition can only be accomplished if we stop wasting heating energy in our homes, offices and factories. High time to rethink things in Germany.

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