EnEV - the Energy Saving Ordinance
Every builder who wants to build a slightly larger house will come across the term EnEV at some point.
This abbreviation stands for the Energy Saving Ordinance, which was introduced by the legislator to regulate the energy requirements of new buildings and keep them as low as possible. For this purpose, the engineer not only has to calculate the statics of the house as part of the building application process, but also prepare an energy requirement calculation for the house.
a standard energy demand calculation...
… does not exist!
This calculation includes all energy-relevant factors that affect the house – i.e. number of windows and external doors, wall thicknesses, which heating system you use, whether and which renewable energies are included in the building project. For this reason, this calculation must always be prepared individually, so there is no such thing as a “standard energy requirement calculation”!
When do you need this?
The good news is: if you are only building a weekend home, you generally don’t need to worry about the EnEV.
This is normally only required if you apply for a residence, register with the police, heat the house for more than four months a year, if the house is rented out commercially, or if it is a public building or a building open to the public.
Consequences for a log house
If the log house is to be a residential building, the log alone – even in 94 mm thickness – is not sufficient. The 94 mm block plank is roughly equivalent to a 360 mm sand-lime brick, so it insulates quite well. But due to the fact that it is wood, all energy values are of course subject to strong fluctuations, as the log absorbs moisture, releases it again and does not produce one hundred percent impermeability.
For this reason, all exterior walls must be fitted with additional insulation. The roof and floor must of course also be insulated, and windows and external doors with a UG value of 1.1 or less are also required.
