Environment and Climate
Energiesprong: Serial “Green” Refurbishment
In the search for innovative solutions, Vonovia is leading by example. At the end of 2021, in cooperation with the Fischbach Group, the company launched the first carbon-neutral refurbishment in series construction in Bochum-Mitte in line with the Energiesprong principle, which is still in its infancy.
Bochum-Mitte: A series-produced Energiesprong element being carried onto the construction site.
Three residential buildings with a total of 24 apartments are being refurbished in series. The buildings date from the 1950s and will be brought up to a carbon-neutral standard through the Energiesprong refurbishment project. As part of this process, timber-frame facade elements made of sustainable building materials are prefabricated to the precise millimeter. The elements are then simply joined together at the construction site. Due to the high degree of prefabrication, serial refurbishment offers great potential for facilitating the implementation of the energy revolution in the portfolio despite the shortage of skilled workers. In addition, this construction method produces significantly less noise than conventional construction sites. The heating, water and air supply system technology, which has also been completely renewed, is powered by the building’s own photovoltaic system on the roof. The carbon emissions caused by the operation of the building will be reduced to zero over one year of operation through the use of 100% renewable energies. Over the course of a year, the building generates exactly as much energy as it consumes (net zero). Another goal of the Energiesprong approach is to achieve a neutral impact at the level of rent including ancillary expenses. Tenants pay exactly the same amount for rent, heating and electricity as they did before the modernizations thanks to the improved energy efficiency.
The energy revolution has top priority at Vonovia, but this should not financially overburden the tenants of our buildings. Thanks to cost-saving series construction and the generation and use of green energy in the neighborhood, the Energiesprong principle will go a long way toward ensuring that refurbishments can be carried out over the long term without additional charges to the tenants.