Climate change adaptation measures for single-family houses

Summary

Many old single-family and two-family houses were constructed before the first German Thermal Insulation Ordinance of 1977 and thus paid no special attention to thermal insulation or energy consumption.  Since many of these buildings now await their next redevelopment phase, there is an urgent need for action to adapt these sensibly to future requirements.
The focus of the project was on climate protection and climate change adaptation measures of households in the areas buildings/houses and mobility. In one of the model projects, the costs for adapting to climate change were estimated for a two-story single-family house. The house was constructed in the Bauhaus style and was situated right next to the river Aar, the longest river in Switzerland. Due to climate change, the house is expected to be frequently and strongly impacted by distinct seasonal temperature extremes such as high-tide, hail and storm.

Results:

• To protect the house from temperature extremes, the insulation of the façade was stepped up, existing windows were replaced with more modern ones, and a floor insulation was added to the cellar rooms and to the attic (71,500 €).
• Due to the risk of high tide, the building has to be bound by a wall. In case of emergencies, the advance warning time allows for the implementation of temporary measures for several hours, such as closing the garage and house entrances with stop-logs. The pipes into the building are provided with backflow traps in order to prevent a backflow from sewers (24,000 €).
• To protect against hail and storm, the terrace should be secured with a new sealing sheet, a layer of gravel, and a stone slab. The additional insulation offers protection from from temperature extremes (26,500 €).
• For the model house, the costs for structural changes amounted to 122,000 €.
• These and other results of the joint project can be found in the "Kyoto-Navigator" guide.

Project Participants

Implementing Institutions

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg - Institut für BWL und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Cooperation Partner

Universität Kassel - Institut für Psychologie

Promotion

Promoting Institutions

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Promotional Program

Klimazwei

More Project Information

Project title:
Verbundprojekt ErKlim: Erfolgsfaktoren für Klimaschutz & Klimaanpassung: Kommunikationsstrategien für Klimaschutz und Schutz vor Klimawirkungen in Bauen/Wohnen und Mobilität

Project number: 01LS05112

Project period: 2006 - 2008

Project region:
Germany (Lower Saxony), Switzerland

Project contact::

Herr Prof. Dr. Siebenhüner

+49 (0)441 / 798-4366