The newly built energy-independent apartment building is located in Brütten in the canton of Zurich. It is the first apartment building in the world that does not require an external connection for electricity, oil or natural gas, writes the Umweltarena Spreitenbach in a statement. Federal councillor Doris Leuthard inaugurated the building on Monday in front of 200 guests from business, politics and education. “The newly inaugurated building demonstrates that energy-independent building is possible without sacrificing comfort,” said Leuthard in her speech.
All of the components such as the building envelope, building technology and energy concept push the boundaries of what is technically possible. It also features the most energy-efficient household appliances on the market. In total, energy consumption can be halved from 4,400 kilowatt hours per apartment per year to 2,200 kilowatt hours without sacrificing the comfort of the residents.
Although the building is in many respects its own power plant, it is not lacking in aesthetics. Solar panels have been specially adjusted for use in an architectural design-related aesthetic field. For instance, the photovoltaic panels on the façade are matt, glare-free and used as building slabs.
Residents will have access to a common electric vehicle and biogas vehicle. The gas for the biogas vehicle is derived from the biological waste of the residents by means of a Kompogas process.