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The basic principle of CasaClima

“The cleanest energy is the one not consumed; therefore we must reduce the energy requirements of our buildings by 70-90%.”

Scope for action for energy-efficient construction

“We need to close the gap between a high level of know-how and available technologies and a lack of action. As in the past, this requires bridge-building; all actors must be brought on board: the planners, the trades, the contractors, the public authorities and of course the people who will live in the buildings produced.”

“The objective is to put construction on a sustainable footing, to initiate a process that starts with change at the level of planning, makes quality a goal of construction, and includes quality assurance mechanisms for a convincing energy certificate, a comfortable indoor climate and respect for the principles of sustainability.”

“Above all we must modernise the buildings constructed in the post-war years in terms of energy consumption and build different buildings in the future. This means we have a lot of work to do for the future.”

The passive house programme

“The passive house programme is based on the principle that energy-efficient construction is affordable and that the investment pays off within a few years. The central tenet is that the buildings should require as little energy as possible to guarantee their high standard of comfort for users in winter and summer. The buildings should be built in such a way that as little energy as possible is wasted.”

The future of construction

“The first step is to achieve maximum energy-efficiency and work for zero-energy solutions. The second step is to ensure that buildings are eco-compatible, with the focus on sustainability; it is not just the result that counts but how it is achieved. And thirdly we must also include the space in which the buildings are constructed and used; the overall energy balance must be positive, and we need to rethink our approach to land as an extremely limited resource.”