The new Campus Handwerk is the only vocational training and technology centre in Germany to date that has been built to the highly energy-efficient passive house standard. In has set the climate protection standard for follow-up projects.
- 15 December 2021
“By promoting apprenticeships and master training, the Trier Chamber of Skilled Crafts sees itself as a multiplier for green craftsmanship.”
The centre, partly funded by the ERDF, was built for the Trier Chamber of Skilled Crafts (HwK). The Campus Handwerk functions as a demonstration site where the building envelope and the technical building equipment serve as learning material. This is particularly interesting for apprentices and prospective master craftsmen in the building and finishing trades. In addition to the main topic of energy-efficient building, new craft areas such as renewable energies or electromobility are also gaining importance.
Opened on 16 March 2018, the centre features modern educational and training facilities, along with administrative offices for HwK. With total of 26 workshops or theory rooms, the Campus Handwerk thus has 400 practical and 180 theoretical places.
The forward-looking facility is the first in Germany to specialise in passive house construction.
Filling the skills gap
According to EU regulations on the energy consumption of buildings, all new buildings had to be nearly-zero energy (NZEB) by the end of 2020. All new public buildings had to meet the criteria by the end of 2018. These are buildings with good insulation and efficient appliances with a low energy demand that is largely covered by renewable sources, such as solar power.
The challenge is that building and maintaining them requires qualified professionals – something the construction sector lacks. The Trier centre helps fills this gap.
The next step: passive houses
Passive houses go one step further than NZEBs by being even more energy efficient. Whereas the NZEB regulation requires that buildings not consume more than 40-86 kWh/m2 of energy per year for heating and cooling (the exact amount depends on the building’s location), a certified passive house cannot exceed 15 kWh/m2, regardless of its location.
A building designed and built in accordance with the more stringent passive house standard has a much smaller energy footprint than an NZEB. Some studies conclude that the difference in energy consumption of a passive house building and an NZEB-certified one can be as much as 85 %.
Practicing what it preaches
The Trier centre was built in accordance with passive house standards. Thanks to its insulation and design, it boasts a 90 % reduction in heating energy use compared with the old centre. Furthermore, it is estimated that the centre uses 75 % less energy for heating than a building constructed using conventional methods.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of the BTZ of the HWK Trier in passive house construction” is EUR 31 912 132, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 9 493 859 through the “Rheinland-Pfalz - ERDF” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.