The revised EPBD published in June 2018 demands, amongst other things, the definition of a “Lowest energy building standard” and the realization of an almost climate-neutral housing stock all over Europe by the year 2050.

This demand places the Federal German government before formidable challenges, which must be met in the form of national legislation. For this reason, revision of Germany’s Building Energy Act, which was last published as a draft bill in January 2017, is being expedited. Against this background, in the building sector, the focus is on the thermal building envelope. The energetic quality of the building envelope is, however, not only crucially influenced by the heat transfer of the flat building components, but, with increasing U value, also with the formation of thermal bridges. For the planning and formation of thermal bridges, DIN 4108-Bbl.2, which in the version dated 2006 no longer corresponds to the state of the art, is therefore being comprehensively revised. The main content and changes are presented briefly and the most important new aspects as well as their importance for the clay brick and tile industry are discussed.

Dipl.-Ing. Juliane Nisse, Federal German Association of the Brick and Tile Industry Regd