Primary Energy Balance and Energy Pay-back Time after Insulating an Outer Wall – Comparing Northern Europeand the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Abstract

Taking for buildings a specific annual heat demand of 70 kWh/(m2*a) for heating plus 12.5 kWh/(m2*a) for hot water into account, by the measures of “Rational Use of Energy” the German fi nal energy demand in the private sector could be reduced by 300 TWh annually (same as up to hundred Mtons of CO2) (a = year). This paper will summarize some data for Germany compared to Turkey and evaluate the ecological feasibility of a 10 cm thick rockwool insulation of an outer building wall. The energy pay-back time for the locations Potsdam/Germany and Izmir/Turkey will be calculated and interpreted. Furthermore, this paper is to propagate energy conservation as an important tool (i) to save primary energy consumption, in order (ii) to reduce the import of fossil fuels and thus to strengthen the domestic economy, and (iii) to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 and thus to decrease the climatic effect.