Climate protection is undoubtedly one of the most important topics of the 21st century. But how is this compatible with energy concepts for heritage-protected real estate? „Historical monuments have a very special charm, but at first sight, this is often mitigated by high heating and energy costs.“
Since the energetic refurbishment of monuments is not always perfectly compatible with the applicable monument protection regulations, special expertise is required to present the current KfW Standard, „says monument expert Charles Smethurst from project developer Dolphin Trust.
In the conservation laws of the countries is clearly defined which real estate is valued as a historical monument. These are real estate that is classified as a cultural monument because of its urban-planning, historical or artistic significance. Whether old villas, half-timbered houses, historic buildings or restored factories, through innovative, modern techniques today it is possible to combine monument protection and climate protection goals equally well and to reconcile them perfectly.
Renovate listed property professionally
Property developers are faced with a particular challenge when it comes to the energy-efficient renovation of heritage-protected real estate, even for supposedly simple and cost-effective solutions such as facade insulation.
Half-timbered, stucco or historic historic facades would disappear if an insulating thermal insulation composite system were simply applied from the outside. As an alternative to external insulation, therefore, only the technically and physically much more demanding interior insulation is often considered for these structures.
At the same time, the windows should be looked at with the utmost care. There, the preservation order often demands a faithful replica of the existing window look, because it is precisely this that characterizes the special charm and character of a historic, listed building.
The roof insulation usually presents no problem with an energetic refurbishment with state-of-the-art standards. It is mounted below the visible roof surface and is thus invisible. As a rule, the insulation of the cellar ceiling, the basement exterior walls and the installation of efficient building services are also no problem. „In addition to the building-side optimization, the modernization of home and building technology can open up great energy-saving potential.
For large buildings, for example, a mini combined heat and power plant is available that produces both electricity and heat. But even modern pellet heating systems or invisibly installed solar cells on the roof demonstrably avoid high energy costs, „says Smethurst.
Intelligent, modern energy efficiency concepts that reduce the building’s CO2 emissions, reduce energy costs in the long term, and ensure the use and thus the preservation of the building for the next generations, are also in demand in the future.
