Minimal energy expenses, inexpensive building fees - 3D-printed house reduces costs and emissions.
"Bastian Gierull, the Head of Octopus Energy Germany, shares that if you begin with this approach, you'll have a significant advantage," says Bastian Gierull.
This company, like others in the sector, is working on projects to reduce emissions and costs in this area.
The zero-energy-expense home (zero-bills home)
The idea: zero-energy-expense homes. This idea suggests that it's feasible to live without spending money on electricity and heating costs from renewable sources for at least five years.
The crucial element: the buildings are equipped with green technology such as solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps. "The platform we employ underneath allows us to smartly manage and optimize the consumption of the zero-energy-expense home."
Essentially, the company tracks how much energy the house produces, stores, buys, and sells.
Post five years, in the worst-case scenario, the situation would continue as with a standard electricity agreement. Bastian Gierull believes it's more likely that adapted models will ensure a zero-euro bill beyond that.
In theory, it's also possible to achieve profits by selling your own electricity. "The question is how high it would be and how it would relate to the risk and work involved."
House from the 3D printer
Germany's first 3D-printed home has been standing in Beckum (NRW) since 2021. With the use of a concrete mixture, a ten-meter-tall gantry printer placed the walls layer by layer. The façade has a thickness of only 6 cm, while the load-bearing exterior and interior walls measure 12 cm. The houses, however, are insulated to prevent energy loss.
This new technique reduces labor (2-3 people instead of 4), materials (max. 12 cm instead of approx. 24 cm), and in the future, time and expenses. It's also more environmentally friendly than traditional buildings.
Beckum's printed home was ready for occupancy within ten months. Conventional construction methods can take up to twelve months. "This demonstrates the potential for reducing costs. Five to six months of construction time can be realistic with the printer," says Waldemar Korte, an architect at "Mense-Korte ingenieure + architekten."
There's room for improvement in terms of expenses. A standard building costs between 2,700 and 4,000 euros per square meter. The prototype was 10-12% more expensive. But it's still a step in the right direction!
"Mense-Korte" is planning to enable low-cost construction with impeccable quality. "Eventually, we'll be able to construct buildings for around 2,800 euros per m2 of living space," says Korte. With a downward trend to 2,500 euros.
The project is also sustainable. "Although we're currently still building with cement, we're using less of it and cutting down our carbon footprint. We also work with suppliers who produce more sustainably. Ultimately, we aim to utilize cement-free pressure mortar."
The building is designed in a way that it can be easily repurposed and dismantled. "The houses have a long lifecycle, and the cycle of materials is maintained," explains the architect.
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Source: symclub.org
