It gets technical again

Since 01st October 2007 a new edition of the energy saving order is valid. Essential innovation is the introduction of a certificate of energy consumption, which will have to be presented to the tenant or buyer of a real estate. For residential buildings that were finished till 1965 , the certificate will become duty from 1st July 2008. For later residential buildings it will be the 1st January 2009 and for non-residential building the 1st July 2009. Thus the state intervenes in the property of house and apartment owners. Up to now the technical standard of a real estate in financial regards has only been recordet in blurred comparative values. Now it can be expected that the technical standard becomes increasingly an autonomous topic within the sales process. For the buyer of an inventory real estate otherwise would be made to take over a risk inestimable from him.

A so-called certificate of energy consumption can give information about the range of the necessary measures. In future, it will become compulsory with the sales. I can provide the necessary calculations, which for an appraiser is not naturally. Beyond that, as an architect I can plan the architectural measures which become possibly necessary. However, by the commercially oriented main focus of my activity I can give information on the expenses to be expected.

Above all, in concerns of the conservation of monuments and historic buildings, this combination of technical and business ability can become important. In the end, exceptions are possible according to EnEV §25: " if the necessary expenditure.... cannot be gained by the incoming savings within the usual time of use"

Already since the 2/1/2004 EnEV has to be applied, according which up to the 12/31/2006 the following requirements should have been fulfilled:

boilers that were installed before the 11/1/1978 should have been shut down
not isolated plumbing and armatures in not heated rooms should have been retrofitted,
the uppermost floor covers must be isolated so that a heat transfer coefficient of 0.30 W / m²K should have been reached.

Also further regulations for the future already have been valid before this years edition, such as EnEV §9 according which up to the 12/31/2008

boilers that were installed after the 11/1/1996 have to be shut down.

Unless they fulfill to the legally regulated demands of a so called low temperature boiler or condensing boiler. Besides, it has to be noticed that these boilers often were installed because other measures necessary for the use of the low temperature technology seemed uneconomical.

In order to the rising requirements more and more buyers insist on detailed information about the energy efficiency of a building. In the end, it is to be expected:

that with a legal entitlement of a tenant to indication about the energy efficiency of a building the tenant also will raise claims,
that on account of the goals to the climate protection the process of rising legal requirements will not be changed ,
that the energy prices will rise further

Bert Kirchner, architect, independent appraiser, Baumeisterstraße 7, 12159 Berlin

registered at the chamber of architects of Berlin Nr.: 11793

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It gets technical again