A

Annual heating demand

Constructed heating demand, which is required to maintain a certain average room temperature. This value is also known as net-heating demand.

Annual primary energy demand

The most important threshold value of the EnEV. It represents the result of a comprehensive calculation of the energy standards of building envelopes and engineering systems.

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B

Blower Door Test

With the blower door test the air tightness of a building is measured. The procedure is used to detect leaks in the building envelope and to determine the air change rate. Due to the pressure differences, a constant wind load on the building is simulated in order to be measured. The goal of every construction project should be to achieve optimal living comfort and to minimize the energy used for this purpose. Therefore it is necessary to provide a relatively air-tight outer shell for each building.

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C

Capillarity

Capillarity action or capillarity, is a phenomenon where liquid spontaneously rises in a narrow space such as a thin tube, crevices, or in porous materials.

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D

Dry fill

Dry fills used for heat and sound insulation of building components are primarily applied in wood-beamed ceilings, under screed floor boards and for the backfilling of inaccessible cavities. They are loosely filled or compacted, in inaccessible attics, they are also used as insulation between trusses and exposed beams. Leveling fills can level uneven unfinished and old wooden floors. High pressure bearing fills serve as a base for dry screed.

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E

EIFS (exterior insulation finishing system)

An exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS abbreviated) is an insulation system for exterior building walls. The entire facade of the building is also referred to as a thermal insulation facade. Colloquially, the names thermal skin and upgraded insulation can be used.

EnEV (Energy Conservation Regulation)

The Energy Conservation Regulation (EnEV) is part of the German building law. Therein, the legislator prescribes, on the basis of the legal authorization by the Energy Saving Act (Energy Conservation Code) builder requirements of civil engineering standards for the efficient operating energy consumption of their building or construction project. It applies to residential buildings, office buildings and some farm buildings.

Expanded Silicate

Expanded Silicate (also: Pumice) is a porous glassy volcanic rock, who's density is lower than that of water because of the pores. Its color can vary greatly; expanded silicate made of basaltic lava with large bubbles is almost black and is known as rock foam, with increasing air content and decreasing bubble size, the color becomes lighter, so that almost white expanded silicate is possible (like in the north of Lipari or on Stromboli ), as well as all the nuances in between (such as yellow-gray). In the pores (even colored) deposits such as volcanic glass and crystals can occur.

Expenditure factor

Describes the efficiency of the system equipment such as heating and hot water production. This includes all losses from production to delivery. The higher the efficiency of an energy system, the lower the system expenditure factor.

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F

Foundation stone laying

The laying of the foundation stone is often the celebratory start in the construction of a building. Often, a special foundation stone is used. These foundation blocks are sometimes hollow and will be filled with period artifacts, e.g. current newspapers and other symbolic objects. This is also called laying a time capsule. Foundation stones bear often inscriptions

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H

Hollow block

Hollow blocks are large-sized building blocks for walls made of concrete or lightweight concrete with air chambers perpendicular to the bearing surface. These air chambers improve the thermal insulation of the blocks. The air chambers of concrete blocks are generally rectangular shaped. The air chambers are closed at the top, so that the stones connecting mortar do not fall through. The bottom of the air chambers are open, so that the mortar penetrates into the chambers when placing the blocks.

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K

KfW Efficiency House 40 (EnEV 2009)

The annual primary energy demand can-not exceed 40% and the transmission heat loss may reach 55% of the maximum permissible values according to the EnEV 2009. This is currently the subsidy standard with the highest requirements. The repayment subsidy for new buildings is currently 10% of the loan.

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N

Naturally expanded silicate

see Expanded silicate

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T

Transmission heat loss

It represents the heat losses of the building envelope. Since H'T is directly related to1 m_  of heat transmitting envelope surface, it can also be referred to as the average U-value.

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U

U-value (thermal transmittance)

The heat transfer coefficient U (aka. thermal insulation value, U-value, formerly k-value) is a measure of the heat flow passing through a one-or multi-layer material, if there is a temperature differential on both sides. It indicates the amount of energy per unit time, which flows through an area of 1 m², when the difference between the outside and inside air temperatures differ by a stationary 1 K. Its SI unit is therefore W / (m² * K) (watts per square meter and Kelvin).

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Y

Year-end energy consumption

Amount of energy that is needed for a building under standardized conditions for its heating and hot water supply. 10 kWh of final energy correspond to about 1 liter of fuel oil or 1 m³ of natural gas. 

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