Aluminium will continue to be an important metal for the future, because of its strength, low weight and good potential for recycling.
Did you know that buildings consume around 40 percent of the world’s energy demands? It is therefore crucial to create more energy efficient building systems to meet the climate challenges.
Aluminium can be exploited to make buildings with low energy demand - and even buildings that produce energy.
Aluminuim based façades have functions like sun shading and energy production.
Energy positive buildings
By using aluminium as construction material, we can create innovative buildings that reduce energy demand and make energy production and energy recovery possible.
This building produces more energy than it uses. Hydro’s demonstration building in Bellenberg, Germany produced 108 MWh by solar panels from April 2010 to July 2012, while its consumption during the same period was only 79MWh.
Hydro is part of the Powerhouse project, which aims to create an energy positive office building in Trondheim, Norway. This location will make it the northernmost energy positive building in the world!
When we construct an aluminium-based building, the energy need is high compared to other materials. However, the energy we put in is small compared to the amount of energy that can be saved during the life-time of the building.
And almost all the aluminium from a building can be reused at the end of its useful life.
