Energy self-sufficient apartment building: Positive balance after first winter
The first energy self-sufficient apartment building in Brütten survived the harsh winter without any problems: The residents always had light, electricity and heat.
The world's first energy self-sufficient apartment building in Brütten (Canton of Zurich), which manages completely without external energy connections, passed its first endurance test in the form of the coldest winter with the least sunshine in several decades without a hitch. The simulations correspond to reality. The results achieved met the predicted values for both energy production and consumption. For example, the residents of the nine-family house, who were selected in a casting, required only half as much energy (2,200 kWh) instead of the 4,400 kWh per apartment/year that is usual in Switzerland, without having to accept any loss of comfort. And this despite the fact that more energy was initially consumed due to the usual house humidity in new buildings.
Problems with fuel cell solved
Only the reliability of the fuel cell, which produces electricity and heat again from the hydrogen generated with solar energy in summer, proved to be insufficient at the beginning of the cold season. With appropriate adjustments and new software programming, the problem was solved. The balance sheet after the first winter shows that - as calculated - there is only a power shortfall of 10 percent, which can be covered in the energy-autonomous multi-family house with the self-produced hydrogen.
The experts also see additional potential in the thermal water tank (long-term storage), which - in order to reduce cooling by passing groundwater - is to be insulated even more.
With the Lighthouse project "Energy self-sufficient apartment building", Umwelt Arena and its participating partners are demonstrating what is possible with the technology already available today. The project serves as a role model and attracts considerable interest from the media and the general public. The special tours of the world's first energy-autonomous apartment building organized by the Umwelt Arena are correspondingly well attended. The exhibition shows the technical structure of the building, current energy data and presents the technical solutions used in the project.
Text: Environment arena
