Climate-Friendly New Build (KFN)

The life cycle assessment for houses – climate-friendly new build – evaluates the environmental impact of a building over its entire life cycle, from the construction phase and the use phase through to deconstruction. In the construction phase, the impact of the materials used, of transport and of energy production is taken into account. Sustainable materials and resource-saving construction methods can have a positive effect on the assessment.

In the use phase, energy consumption – especially for heating, cooling and electricity – plays an important role. Efficient heating systems, renewable energy and good insulation minimise the environmental impact.

At the end of the life cycle, the recyclability of materials is crucial. A sustainable life cycle assessment takes into account both the use of resources and disposal.

The life cycle assessment is becoming increasingly important: it is already a prerequisite for the KfW funding programme “Klimafreundlicher Neubau” (Climate-Friendly New Build; Efficiency House 40, a maximum of 24 kg CO₂ equivalent per m² per year). Under the Building Modernisation Act (Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz), new buildings over 1,000 m² from 2028 and all new buildings from 2030 must determine their greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle and state them in the energy performance certificate.