Retrofitting and Energy Assistant

Retrofitting of apartment buildings Two housing associations, Spar- und Bauverein eG (www.spar-undbauverein.de) and Gundlach (www.gundlach-wohnen.de), are renovating apartment buildings to meet the statutory standards for new buildings. Additionally, the residential buildings are being connected to the district heating network; the heat is generated from biomass at the Stöcken power station. To save even more energy, tenants are being supported with electricity saving advice service.

Not all the property companies have yet been found for the programme, which also offers opportunities for owners of semi-detached houses, owners of apartment houses and housing associations. To attract more property owners, Hannover City Council in collaboration with Hannover Region Climate Protection Agency (www.klimaschutzagentur.de) and proKlima – enercity fund (www.proklima-hannover.de)  is running a door-to-door campaign in the model districts. Energy advisers visit owners of detached and two-family houses and offer free advice on the possibilities of energy efficiency retrofitting and the use of renewable energy sources.

To make this as straightforward as possible for house owners the ‘Energy Assistant’ scheme has been set up to offer support with planning, grant applications and quality assurance monitoring. The ‘Energy Assistant’ is financed by the ‘proKlima’ fund. In 2007 the focus will be increasingly on finding owners of multiple-occupancy houses, parish associations and housing associations that would like to participate in the project.

In Vahrenwald, Hannover, the housing and construction companies Gundlach & Co. Wohnungsunternehmen and Spar- und Bauverein eG have completed extensive modernisation work in their Ernst-Eiselenstrasse, Linsingenstrasse, Hirtenweg and Auf dem Hollen properties. The work was coordinated by GMW GmbH (www.gmw-ingenieurbuero.de).


Apartment blocks dating from the 1950s and '60s were insulated to new-build standard as set by the German energy-saving regulations (EnEV) and connected to the district heating network. One particular challenge for Gundlach and Spar- und Bauverein was to retrofit apartments while they were occupied; replacing windows, partial alterations to balconies and connection to district heating all caused considerable discomfort and inconvenience to tenants, and so both companies contracted special representatives to support and liaise with tenants, to solve problems fast and keep the nuisance to a minimum.

The City of Hannover has commissioned a tenant survey for the Concerto/act2 measures, enquiring, about comfort standards before and after retrofitting and other aspects. Findings will be available in the autumn of 2007.

Get detailed information on the project