Energy Neutral House – The Danish House+ Concept

Panel: Panel 7. Innovative buildings technologies

Author:
Poul Erik Pedersen, Project Manager, The Danish Electricity Saving Trust, Denmark

Abstract

An international project contest is running from February 2009 until June 2009.
44 innovative teams expressed an interest in the pre-qualification to participate in the project contest. In January 2009, 5 teams were selected to participate in the project contest.

The project contest nominates the best conceptual House+ project.
The House+ concept (called Bolig+ in Danish) is developed in cooperation with many different parties in the building sector.

The House+ is an attractive house - beautiful, functional and inspiring. The House+ is very energy efficient and it is energy neutral (year-to-year), which means that it produces the same amount of energy as it consumes.
The House+ dogmas are:

energy neutral on an annual basis (Low energy class 1 - min. 50% better than the demand in the Danish Building Regulations (BR), 2008)
intelligent and user-friendly
flexible – in use and over time
pleasant and healthy indoor climate
adaptable to local surroundings.

An international contest (project contest) is running during spring 2009. A jury will evaluate the proposals according to the House+ dogmas.

The winning House+ projects (category: Block of flats – other categories expected to follow) will be published as “freeware” on the Internet.

The project competition process has included team-formation workshops, team pre-qualification and special team-member workshops to ensure innovative use of well-known technology solutions.

The winning project will be built in 2010-2011 in Aalborg, Jutland of a high quality, technically, functionally, aesthetically and environmentally.

A comprehensive programme for measuring and evaluating the indoor climate and the energy consumption will be implemented in the flats.

Measurements will be performed with measuring devices communicating through an open and wireless standard, which means that installation of sensors and data collection will be very simple and affordable.

The measuring and evaluation results from the House+ buildings will be promoted widely and the public will be invited to visit the houses.

The Residential House+ initiative is expected to highlight the next generation of residential houses.
Results will be published as freeware on the Internet.