This study presents 32 pilot projects of energy-efficient buildings in the different EU Member States.  The parameters that can be derived from these constructions make an important argument to the relevance of NZEBs towards a sustainable world.

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The composition of buildings is made by a mix of residential, non-residential and public buildings.   These building samples provide us with information such as, what kind of NZEB-like buildings already exist across the different Member States, what type of technology are they using to achieve a low energy usage efficiency ratio, and what type of renewable energy sources (RES) are implemented.

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To summarize the most important lessons learned from this study are:

• The U-value is very low in almost all buildings regardless of the country and materials they were built with

• The buildings in the sample are 74% more energy efficient when compared to current national requirements.

• NZEBs can be build at an affordable price

• Owner satisfaction was very high
   

The NZEB concept is already a reality, this study attests to the different initiatives to disseminate and market to developers the feasibility of this technology at acceptable costs.

Abstract of Selected Examples of Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings by Hans Erhorn and Heike Erhorn-Kluttig. Click here and read or download the original document.