Building with minimal CO₂ emissions (German only)

In his contribution to the Swiss Energy Handbook 2024, Benedikt Vogel, on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, presents approaches to reducing embodied energy in the construction industry. These approaches were developed as part of the ZeroStrat project, with the involvement of intep.

The article highlights the objectives and the methodology of the study, which was carried out by experts from intep and ETH Zurich and financially supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). Based on the testing of around 100 materials and the analysis of planning approaches, the researchers discuss how the use of ecological building materials and the optimization of construction processes can minimize the embodied energy associated with the (re)construction of buildings.

The study shows that a conscious choice of materials can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in new buildings and renovations by 40 percent or more, making an important contribution to achieving net zero targets. It also presents a series of planning guidelines that should be adhered to, to meet climate targets.