A building (home, office, school, etc.) that combines the need for living with respect for the environment, made for the well-being of those who live there, who consume little energy and save money.
The basic principle is to minimize energy requirements and cover the remaining, minimum requirements, with renewable energy.
CasaClima is synonymous with comfortable and very low energy consumption buildings.
It does not indicate an architectural style but an energy category. Everyone can choose the style and construction system they prefer, they can make a CasaClima in masonry, wood or with a reinforced concrete and brick structure.
The PRINCIPLES of a KlimaHaus:
There are the following Classes that express the energy consumption of a building (remember that to be a KlimaHaus minimum of one Class B is required):
The construction must have a very isolated building envelope: in the vertical walls, on the roof and towards the ground, because otherwise the heat disperses and because the “hot” surfaces of the building envelope that surround us increase the living comfort. Thermal bridges must be eliminated, causing heat dispersions and condensation and mold problems on the internal surfaces.
Another weak point of the construction are the fixtures, one must use athermic glasses, which manage to store solar energy. The house begins to save energy when we design it: exposure and shape are important aspects, the sun and its heat are part of the building concept of these homes.
With regards to thermal plants, we are witnessing a real revolution, they lose power and acquire intelligence, that is, capacity for integration with various forms of renewable energy (solar, geothermal, etc.).
What distinguishes a CasaClima from other buildings is that it is a building that is controlled and certified by an Independent Public Body: the CasaClima Agency, which refers to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. More and more people are turning to it, even from other regions of Italy, for the seriousness of the certification that is considered a quality mark. The certification is a guarantee for the end user, only at the end of the checks will the building obtain the certificate and the plate. It is a source of pride for us designers to be able to certify our Works with this system, because the quality of our work is also proven.
Anyone, the builder, designer or end user can decide to build and then certify its construction.
The certification process is a construction quality process, it is the only certification system that provides for the control of all the buildings, one by one, with the verification of the Project but above all of the construction site. For these reasons, this model born in the Province of Bolzano, has spread to the rest of Italy and is increasingly appreciated by professionals, including construction companies that want to focus a lot on quality, but also on the part of citizens who can make use of a
valid control tool that protects their investment in the home.
The energy certificate and the KlimaHaus plate are the cornerstones of the certification system, while the positive image connected with the CasaClima concept attracts more and more manufacturers and owners.
Among the building certifications, the energy one, issued by an authorized independent office, has a particular function, as it is a document with a quality mark. Particularly important is the fact that the energy classification of the building takes
place following an investigation of the same throughout the entire implementation process, and not only on the basis of a simple project. The energy certificate immediately shows the extent of a building’s heat requirements, and presents two energy classifications: the first concerns the building’s thermal insulation class, the second the quality of the plant. With the help of a table divided into colored boxes, from green (low energy requirement) to red (high demand), even beginners can understand if a building consumes much or little energy. The thermal heat index is determined on the basis of factors relevant from the energy point of view, through a unitary calculation procedure. In this way, the clients can calculate the average heating and energy needs of a building, and make a comparison between different buildings.
