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 known among German consumers for its prefabricated houses. The clou: each house comes packaged with a built-in renewable energy system.

The Haas Group has been active in the prefab home building business since the 1970s. In 2002, the company began offerning prefab houses with alternative energy solutions, starting with an integrated pellet heating systems. The system has become a standard offering by now and is enjoying great popularity especially in the South of Germany, which has ample wood pellet resources. Two years later, Haas offered an additional renewable energy option to house buyers, geothermal heat pumps. The deal included the consultation, the planning process, drilling and installation of the system complete with the (in Germany often extensive) paperwork. The company’s latest offer is the “Plus Energy House”, a solar-powered home which generates more revenue through power production than is needed to cover heating costs.

While the concept of an energy-neutral house is not new in Germany (the concept started out under the much less marketing-friendly name “Passive House”), the idea that houses can not only save energy, but actually produce it is quite revolutionary in the private home sector.

Helmut Stranzinger, responsible for international house construction, summarizes:

“Ten years ago, house buyers had only one question when they thought about energy: whether to choose oil or gas heating. Since a few years, however, it is almost standard for buyers to ask for smart energy solutions”. The concept has hit home with consumers in Germany: 90% of Haas Group’s clients buy homes with alternative energy solutions. Numerous stars have followed suit, including Germany’s national cross-country ski trainer Jochen Behle.

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

Tags: Fertigbau, Fertighaus, grünes Bauen, Holzhäuser, ökologisches Bauen, pelletheizung, Renewable energy, Wärmepumpe

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