SOLTAGenergy housing[ ]

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Content 4 SOLTAG – as a source of life 6 The project 8 Energy 16 Architecture 22 Daylight 28 Products 30 Ready for the future

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SOLTAG is an energy optimised home that lives, breathes and produces quality of life for people. A healthy organism to call home. Where the rhythm keeps pace with you, 24 hours a day.

Under the sky, facing the sun, SOLTAG obtains its energy via sluices open to the heavens.

SOLTAG is a living home, designed as an energy-generating climate shield. SOLTAG is a prime can didate for a sustainable home of the future with optimum living conditions for people.

SOLTAG produces energy and a healthy indoor climate for houses and residents without "pollu-ting” its surroundings. The house is self-suffi cient in terms of energy for heating, and creates CO2-neutral heating through solar energy. The home inte racts with nature’s upper air strata via stra-tegically positioned windows, solar panels, solar cells and air ducts. Sun, daylight and fresh air are brought into the home and transformed into elec-tricity, heat, natural lighting and ventilation.

The home recharges both material and human “batteries”. It produces its own heat for domestic hot water and hot water for under-fl oor heating.It generates its own electricity for hot-air – and ventilation pumps – and combined with careful choice of materials and positioning of roof win dows, it provides a healthy indoor climate, optimum day-lighting and beautiful and functional illumination with zero power consumption. Altogether these features serve to enhance quality of life.

SOLTAG as a source of life

A SOURCE OF LIFE4

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SOLTAG is a holistic project conceived in cooperation between urban planners, architects and energy and daylight experts. The project was designed to opti-mise homes on every scale and parameter recognised by these professionals. They inspired each other and injected their synergies into the project.

SOLTAG is part of the “Demohouse” research project, which is funded under the EU’s “Sixth Framework Programme”. A research project involving research insti tutes, housing associations and manufacturers from the building sector cooperating to demonstrate energy effi ciency in buildings. The project is being con-ducted in seven European countries: Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Spain and Greece. The purpose of the project is to demonstrate energy effi cient refurbishment of existing buildings and provide examples of future housing standards.

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SOLTAG is basically intended as a roof refurbish ment solution – a housing unit that can be attached to existing 60s and 70s multi-storey housing without need ing to be connected to the building's existing energy systems. The fl at roofs can then be used as “new” building plots with upgraded roof and housing areas. However, SOLTAG is also ideal for new buildings such as terraced housing units, single-family housing in towns, out in the country and even on water as houseboats.

The idea of the energy effi cient home was realised in 2005 as a demo house. SOLTAG is a prototype deve l op-ed and produced for display and demonstration. The demo house is a 1:1 source of inspiration where visitors can experience and measure the features for them-selves.

SOLTAG encompasses a visionary plan while accom-modating the restricted perspective within the grasp of mankind today. Our ecological and economic res pon-sibilities are catered for, and careful, detailed thought has gone into the design, technology and life style the architecture off ers its users.

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“New” building plots in towns, out in the country or on water

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» SOLTAG’s prefabricated modules are manufac-tured under optimum conditions in the production hall then transported to the building site, where the modules are joined to form a housing unit.

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SOLTAG illustrates the vision that all future build-ings should be sustainable. The house stands as a landmark and an active candidate for how we can rethink buildings and building automation to support the drive for a better environment. The EU Commission’s most recent environ mental initiative has been to develop directives to limit CO2 emissions from buildings and to secure supply of energy for future citizens. The new directive de-scribes the frameworks for energy consumption in buildings. The frameworks are to be implemented in national legislation and new standards that will serve to achieve signifi cant energy savings in buildings.

In several European countries the directive has con tri buted to energy savings of 25-30% in rela-tion to former requirements. Further energy savings are expected in 2010 and further cuts in 2015. This will result in a major reduction in energy consump-tion in new buildings over 10 years. Energy con-sumption in the EU is being reduced step-by-step towards 2015 and this will bring major challenges for building sector manufacturers and consultants. The new rules will also infl uence the building com-ponents market and the use of renewable energy.

SOLTAG answers the call for zero-energy, CO2-neutral housing of the future. By use of thermal solar energy and upgrading the use of solar cells, we can achieve an energy consumption of 0 kWh/m2 for heating.

An exemplary project for the future

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Regulatory requirements to energy consumption for heating and hot water measured in kWh/m2

(*expected development in Denmark)

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SOLTAG’s energy consumption for heating and hot water measured in kWh/m2

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2006 2010* 2015* withoutsolar cells

with 3.5 m2

solar cellswith 17.5 m2

solar cells

SOLTAG implements the new energy rules in a visionary way. Heat ing insulation and ventilation have both been considered in creating this living, sustainable house. The essence of the project was to balance energy absorption, insulation capacity and air exchange. The home is an “energy station” that also features pleas ing design and a healthy indoor climate. The hi-tech energy system is well designed and integrated.

CO2-neutral housing

Heat-intakeNatural ventilation

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» The independent heating production and maintenance are achieved by harnessing solar energy, which is gen-erated by the windows’ natural propensity to heat up, and by the solar panels that produce domestic hot water and under-fl oor heating.

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SOLTAG is devised as a home that runs itself and is inde pendent of external heating systems.

The independent heating production and maintenance are achieved by harnessing solar energy, which is gen-erated by the windows’ natural propensity to heat up, and by the solar panels that produce domestic hot water and under-fl oor heating. Solar cells produce the elec-tricity to operate the pumps and ventilators.

A compact, built-in heat-recovery ventilation unit and a mechanical ventilator transfer the heat from the “spent”, heated air to new fresh air taken from outside. Ninety percent of the heat is recycled.

A solid climate screen with strategically placed low-energy windows, 350 mm of insulation in the walls and 400 mm in the roof, and an airtight construction without cold bridges keeps the heat in.

An integrated heating system

VELUX solar panel

producing domestic hot water as well as floor heating

Floor heating

Double roof

generating preheated air for heat pump

Hot-water tank

Heat pump

Ventilation unit

with heat recovery

Solar cells

generating electricity for technical installa-tions and the electric network

with supply from solar panel and heat pump

producing domestic hot water as well as floor and air heating

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Roof windows and sun screens are automatic and can be remote controlled. They are primed for intelli-gent control in the future, which helps to reduce energy consumed for fresh air, cooling etc.

The roof has an integrated innova tive air heating system, which works in combination with the air heating pump.

The solar cells produce electricity that heats the home and is distributed via the electricity grid. The 3.5 m2 solar cells generate suffi cient electri-city to run the pumps for the solar panel sys tem, the unde r-fl oor heating system, ventilators for the heat pumps and heat recovery system.

The electricity in the house is controlled by a net calcu-lation meter that draws power into the home when the sun is unable to supply the necessary energy. The solar cell system is connected to the ordinary electri city grid. When the solar cells produce surplus power, the meter counts backwards. In periods of weak sunlight, power is taken from the ordinary electricity supplies.

An extra 14 m2 of solar cells can generate enough elec-tricity to cover the entire winter energy consumption of the pumps and ventilators. This brings the annual energy balance to nil. However, the day-to-day elec-tricity consumption of domestic appliances, lighting etc. is supplied by the external electricity grid.

The roof has an integrated innovative air heating system, which works in combination with the air heating pump. The air is drawn in between the outer roofi ng panels and the layers beneath, and is heat-ed up under the surface of the roof, which is made of zinc materials with solar cells. As a by-product, this air fl ow cools down the underside of the solar cells and keeps them producing at an optimum.

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The solar cells used on the roof are amorphous thin-fi lm solar cells, which are glued onto the zinc sheets and look like a natural part of the roof.

The thermal solar panels, with an area of 2 m2, produce enough hot water for the residents. In periods of weak sunlight, the heating is supplemented by elec-tricity.

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» SOLTAG integrates optimised holistic solutions through a partnership of specialists in response to the latest legislation, urban development, human needs and products. The architecture incorporates all these aspects and gives the vision form.

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SOLTAG is based on the latest know-how in sustain-able construction. The architecture exploits the best energy-optimising building components and incorpor-ates the prefabricated elements so that the construc-tion technology is correctly applied and the elements speak the same design language. The various building components, each with its own energy function, are used to strengthen and contribute to a holistic solu-tion featuring a healthy indoor climate in contempo r-ary energy-balanced architecture built to respond to people.

SOLTAG has its own life and generates nourishment for the residents’ comfort. The 45-degree saddle roof faces south, so the thermal solar panels and solar cells on the large roof area are put to full use. The roof reaches skywards while protecting its living space below. The home naturally integrates its many energy mechanisms. SOLTAG has many sluices and energy aggregates for air and electricity intake, but this circu-lation is so unobtrusive that there is room for people. The pumps and ventilation system are at the heart of the house, assembled in a closed core area at the cen-tre of the house. The air ducts are hidden under the roof and the solar cells and panels are incorporated in the roofi ng panels. People are in focus and the home creates the setting for a good life.

The home comprises two basic modules that fi t together. One module contains the main installa-tions and kitchen, bathroom, hall and bedroom. The other module consists of dining and living area with an open loft-style area.

Two basic modules

Sustainable home units

The home is constructed from modules designed and fi tted out as prefabricated kits of high manufacturing quality. The modules are installed quickly, which mini-mises the nuisance factor for residents in the buildings where SOLTAG is built on. The modules can be con-nected to existing buildings or constructed for new buildings. The modules are custom-made and adapted for each diff erent project, with consideration for the building context and fi nancial resources.

The home comprises two basic modules that fi t to-gether. One module contains the main installations and kitchen, bathroom, hall and bedroom. The other module consists of dining and living area with an open loft-style area. The north-facing frontage has an ex-ternal gallery, which provides the most fl exible access. To the south, it has a cantilevered balcony that fully exploits the depth of the house.

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The homes are placed in a framework construction that also forms the basis for the external gallery and balconies. The underlying framework can be either inte grated into new buildings or function as a super- structure on existing houses of various depths.

The roof structure is a steel frame with timber collar beams. The kitchen and installation wall acts as room divider with built-in units.

The open saddle roof structure creates attractive spacio us rooms. Under the roof is a useful open loft-style area and at fl oor level, raised window podiums invite to play and rest. Each part of the home has its own character, view, lighting and carefully chosen mate rials.

The wood and plaster board is silicate-painted with diff usion-permitting breathable surfaces. The zinc “click roof” has vertical rebates naturally suited to roof windows, solar panels and solar cells. The zinc sheets also comprise the upper shell of the innovative roof air heating system.

SOLTAG is an important contribution that will help reintroduce saddle roofs as an architectural and techno logical asset.

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entrance hall

bedroom

living room

kitchen

living room

Built-inshelveswith stairs to the loft space

entrance area / roof terrace

roof terrace

bathroom

shower

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An 84 m2 SOLTAG housing unit.

Floor plan

The roof construction is made of steel panels, 32 mm steel battens with ventilation, 25x45 pressure-creosoted distance slats, Monarperm 800 underroof, 45x195 cross rafters from ridge to base of the roof c-c 945 mm, 195 mm insulation, 75x200 mm laminated wood/Kerto rafters 45x195 c-c 635 mm from gable to gable, 195 mm insulation, Monarfl ex vapour barrier, 45x45 battens c-c 600 mm, 45 mm insulation, 12 mm plywood and 13 mm gypsum.

Roof construction

ARCHITECTURE

» Each part of the home has its own character, view, lighting and carefully chosen materials.

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» In SOLTAG, high-level roof windows are in-stalled to let in as much daylight as possible.High-level roof windows bring more sky into the interior, giving you better daylight, and more of it.

With its 45-degree saddle roof, SOLTAG is right be-neath the sky, with direct access to sunshine and the heavens. Above the city, daylight is plentiful. And with apertures facing the sky, the house opens up and lets light and heat into the heart of the home.

The new EU energy directive forms the positive start-ing point for exploiting daylight to the maximum. The directive sets the framework for calculation of the en er gy effi ciency of buildings. Passive solar heat through windows and energy for electric light are among the parameters included in the calculations and, therefore, properties, use and place of windows are important.

The glazed area of the house is 28 percent of the total fl oorage which is above the standard percentage of normal glazed areas. The position and number of roof windows and door openings are optimised according to the new framework for buildings. The large window areas permit optimised daylighting, but are also a chal-lenge in terms of energy. Energy-effi cient material con-stellations are therefore used to match the ratio of glass to insulated surfaces, both in relation to the archi tectural style and daylighting eff ect.

In SOLTAG, high-level roof windows are installed to let in as much daylight as possible. A sloping surface lets in twice as much light as a vertical frontage – so the sloping roof areas are ideal sources of light.

The roof windows reach right up to the ridge – like bands of light sending daylight down through the house. The roof windows, which run along the inner end walls, send refl ections down across the walls which in turn act as one large refl ector in the room. The light is passed and refl ected out into the room and in under the open loft space, down to the kitchen and dining area, erasing any shadows from the loft space above.

The roof windows are integrated into the roof struc ture. Transitions between the interior building elements, in the form of glazing, frameworks, sills, openings and walls are smooth so the daylight changes gradually and is spread without causing dazzling and hard contrasts in the room. The walls and fl oors are kept as light-coloured surfaces, as this creates the best possible internal refl ections.

The house is designed with daylight in mind and is well-lit from dawn to dusk. The light inlets focus on the areas of human activity in the various zones of the home. Only when the sun has set is artifi cial lighting necessary.

SOLTAG provides light for the eyes and the brain. The room actually has a light bench where you can get your daily vitamin supplement. The large amounts of day-light in the home mean light changes as clouds drift overhead. This provides dynamic lighting to stimulate the senses.

SOLTAG’s low-level roof windows and frontage panels provide a good view out and down. For communication at head height and for checking “the lie of the land”. The roof windows facing the external gallery are raised slightly to prevent people from looking in, and let plenty of daylight into the living room area.

The largest window areas in the home face south. These south-facing roof windows are standard pro d-ucts that provide maximum access for sunlight. They provide heat as well as light. The low-energy windows used let energy into the home, but also limit heat loss.

Facing north, the passive heat from the sun is limited, so the roof windows are designed to bring light in and retain energy. The north-facing roof windows in the ridge are super low-energy windows – passive house windows with minimum heat loss. Passive house win-dows consist of an external single glass unit and with a low-insulation pane in the inner sashes. The sash is embedded deep in the frame.

The low-level north-facing roof windows are designed with vacuum-sealed panes. These roof windows are top-hinged and can be used for communication be-tween the external gallery and those inside the house. The bathroom has high-level maintenance-free roof windows designed with vacuum-sealed panes. The position of the windows gives good light, but prevents people looking in from the external gallery.

SOLTAG also introduces io-homecontrol® functions, where windows and other components either manually by remote control or pre-programmed can operate windows, accessories, light etc. The temperature can be regulated by a manual remote control that operates both the indoor Venetian blinds and the ventilation excha nge through the roof windows. Exterior roller shutters can be connected up to the same system. The light entering the home can be regulated by the inte rior Venetian blinds.

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A house designed with daylight in mind

DF % 14.062 12.187 10.312 8.437 6.562 4.687 2.812 0.937

12.7 %

0.9 %

9.7 %

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Daylight FactorThe daylight factor (the ratio between interior illu min-ance measured at a given point – to the exterior illu-minance under overcast sky conditions) is normally used to evaluate if there is sufficient daylight in a room (for a certain visual task). The spread of daylight factor (DF) values gives an indication of the variations of day-light perceived through the rooms. People prefer (ac-cording to Loe, 1997) an interior with a measure of “visual lightness” combined with “visual interest”. An average DF of 5% or more will ensure that an interior looks substantially daylit (according to the British Lighting Guide, CIBSE 1997).

The radiance simulation done for SOLTAG shows that the living room has an average DF of 12.7%, the bed- room 8.7%, the bathroom 9.7%. These DF levels will ensure generous daylight conditions and through this a high degree of desirable visual interest. The entrance hall with a DF of 0.9% will create a transition of ex-perience between the outdoor light conditions and the larger rooms of the apartment.

8.7 %

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LuminanceThe luminance corresponds to the amount of light reflected or emitted off surfaces. Establishing lumin-ance ratios between surfaces of a given room permits evaluating its daylight quality and visual comfort. Lumi nance ratios higher than 1:20 (high contrast) are considered to be potential sources of visual discom-fort (glare), whereas ratios of 1:1 (low contrast) can make a room look dull. The following luminance eva lu-ation has been made by using high dynamic range pictures taken in the demo house. The luminance output is presented in false colour with numerical luminance values.

Diffused lightThis picture was taken under inter-mediate sky conditions. At the time the light in the room was mostly dif-fused. The luminance card shows that most surfaces have luminance values within a ratio of 1:3. Sur-faces located near the openings show higher luminance values, but most surfaces remain within a rea-sonable ratio. This view presents a nice daylight distribution, uniform enough to ensure visual comfort and with a small variation procuring visual interest.

Direct sunlightThis picture was taken under inter-mediate sky conditions. At the time some direct sunlight was entering the room. Although this view pres-ents sun patches with high lumi-nance values, the luminance card shows that most surfaces stay withi n a 1:5 ratio of each other. The high amount of daylight in the room and its effi cient distribution attenu-ates the high contrast usually found between sun patches and the other surfaces of a given room. A room with a comfortable visual environ-ment with direct sunlight promotes a healthy environment.

SOLTAG combines high levels of daylight with the use of fl exible sun-screening; this gives the user a lot of freedom when using daylight and promotes optimal indoor comfort.

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Log. (cd/m2)- 1000.0- 800.0- 600.0

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Log. (cd/m2)- 6000.0

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PRODUCTS28

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io-homecontrol® provides advanced and secure radio technology that is easy to install.io-homecontrol® labelled products communicate with each other, improving comfort,security and energy savings.

www.io-homecontrol.com

Windows

White VELUX roof windows. Top hung and pivot hung versions. Models GGL, GGU and GPL. The windows mounted vertically in the facade are equipped with restrictor locks for safety.

Solar panels

VELUX solar panels for hot water supply. Model CLI.

Sunscreening products

Interior sunscreening – Venetian blinds. Electrically operated. Model PML.

Exterior sunscreening – Awning blinds. Electrically operated. Model MML.

Installation products

Pre-patinated zinc flashings for standing seam metal roof. Models EDE and EKE.

Operation system

io-homecontrol®.

VELUX creates better homes with daylight and fresh air through the roof. Our product range contains a wide range of roof windows and skylights, along with solutions for flat roofs. In addition, VELUX offers many types of decoration and sun-screening, roller shutters, installation pro ducts, products for remote control and thermal solar panels for installation in r oofs. The VELUX Group, which has manufacturing companies in 10 countries and sales companies in just under 40 countries, is one of the strongest brands in the global building materials sector and its products are sold in most parts of the world. The Group has around 9,000 em ployees, of which approx. 3,000 are based in Denmark. The VELUX Group is owned by VKR Holding. VKR Holding is a limited company wholly owned by family and foun dations. The main shareholders are the charitable VELUX foundations. For more details, visit www.velux.com.

VELUX Products used in SOLTAG

Our roofs protect us from the wind and weather, but it makes sense to harness the elements and use the energy beaming down on us. By cooperating with, understanding and learning from nature’s mechan-isms, we can construct a closed system that off ers a sustainable perspective on life.

SOLTAG demonstrates the trends and sense in cre-ating multi-disciplinary development. If we consider all the aspects of a building, there will be no di verging overlaps. Building functions will supplement each other and produce new combinations of high intelli-gence, sheer strength and quality. By harnessing the sun, light and air, we will create healthy, self-suffi cient CO2-neutral houses.

SOLTAG rethinks building design as prefabricated building elements that integrate various disciplines and can be linked to or incorporated into modern architecture.

SOLTAG off ers a contemporary take on the future. With its south-facing frontage, extra space for solar cells on the roof and its well-devised principles, the house symbolises the value of planning based on energy, climate and human vision. It demonstrates the value of thinking ahead so that new technologies can be added to the body of existing buildings to im-prove the environment.

www.soltag.net

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SOLTAG opens a window on the future

Text byLotte Raabo Larsen, Architect MAA

Photos byAdam Mørk, Architect MAA

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VELUX A/S

Ådalsvej 99

DK-2970 Hørsholm

Tel. +45 16 40 00

www.velux.com