Deutsche Welle: Energy Reporting strong

For readers from abroad, it can sometimes be difficult to get a balanced view of the direction that the new energy economy in Germany is taking. It has to be pointed out that good old Deutsche Welle, once considered merely a colorful window into German culture, has taken energy and environmental reporting to a new level. Coverage includes reports about the expansion of renewable energies, the impact of the financial crisis on this industry, the attempts of German energy companies to build new nuclear power stations outside of the country, consumer action that is taken to reduce energy consumption, and much more — with lots of diverging viewpoints and intriguing interview sources. [mehr...]

Haas Prefab Houses: Green Homes with smart energy solutions

Wood is one of the oldest construction materials, and it is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance in Germany. A low carbon footprint during construction, affordable material costs and an excellent energy efficiency make wooden houses a major champion in the new green consumer market. An interesting player in the wood house business is the Haas Group, a company which is [mehr...]


At present, however, it is elder affluent consumers who dominate the market. They are customers who in the majority of cases already own a house and who are affluent enough to purchase an energy-plus home, which costs more than regular houses. However, the Haas Group is already working on an offering for the mass-market which will be based upon the latest ecological standards and which will be afforable to a broader audience.

While Germany is a key market for the Haas Group, its efforts to market energy-positive houses don’t stop here. “In many cases, we test the product in Germany and then move into other markets. We have launched similar concepts in Swizerland and in Italy.” Other target markets include France, England, Austria, the Tschech Republic, Poland, and increasingly Russland, says Stranzinger.

One of the future key markets is Scottland, where houses are by tradition built in a light-weight manner that consumes large amounts of energy for construction and heating. In the face of the European climate protection goals and rising energy prices, Scottish house buyers are increasingly intersted in construction methods that are low-carbon and energy efficient.

Like most capital-intensive businesses, the enthusiasm of the construction business has been dampered by the financial crisis. However, the revision of the Energy Efficiency Law (EneV) in 2009 gives reason to hope for new momentum, especially in the green building business. The law says that until 2012, energy efficiency in the building sector will need to grow to another 30%. If this legislation is supported by government benefits to house builders, chances are that green building will become the new standard.

The Haas Group will be exhibiting at the Heim & Handwerk trade show in Munich (Hall B3.330/334) from November 27 to December 7, 2008.

- Birte Pampel