Bringing prefabrication to life in DigiFab
Within DigiFab, AEE INTEC leads the Austrian demonstration site, focused on the renovation of a 16-apartment residential building owned by Rottenmanner Siedlungsgenossenschaft gemeinnützige eGen m.b.H. (RGS) and located in Bruck an der Mur, Austria.
The building, constructed in 1976, has a gross floor area of 1,412 m² and is currently equipped with electric night-storage heaters. Its current energy efficiency class is D, based on the overall energy efficiency factor fGEE.
The renovation will upgrade the building through prefabricated façade modules, developed in combination with bio-based façade elements by Haas Fertigbau Holzbauwerk, and enhanced with the CEPA® Energy Façade solution. This system integrates external thermal component activation, allowing the building to be heated directly from the outside, without the need for radiators inside the apartments.
The façade elements will also include windows, as well as the necessary piping and wiring for the heating system.
After renovation, the building is expected to reach energy efficiency class A, demonstrating how advanced prefabrication can transform traditional renovation processes.
Planned Renovation
- Prefabricated façade elements with integrated windows, piping, wiring, and heating
- Heating via external thermal component activation
- No radiators required inside the apartments
- Insulation of the façade, base, loggias, and gable walls, plus new balcony cladding
- Two elements with insulation made from recycled cotton fabrics
- Construction of an elevator tower, roof renewal, and reinstallation of the PV system
- Removal of the existing windows after installation of the façade modules
Technology: CEPA® Energy Façade
A key innovation in the Austrian demo is the CEPA® Energy Façade, which combines insulation, heating, and energy storage in a single minimally invasive renovation step.
Building temperature regulation is achieved through a surface heating system that operates externally through the existing walls, ensuring a comfortable indoor climate. The heat emission system is already integrated into the prefabricated façade elements, upgrading both the building envelope and the heat distribution and emission system to new-building standards.
This integrated approach enables the existing building to be holistically improved from an energy, climate, and functional perspective. Since installation is carried out mostly from outside the apartments, noise, dirt, and disruption to residents are significantly reduced.
Benefits for residents
Residents benefit from a significantly more comfortable living experience, with less intervention, noise, and dirt during and after the renovation process. Without radiators inside the apartments, the interiors feel more open and uncluttered, while even heat distribution ensures a consistently pleasant indoor climate throughout every room.
The renovation is further enriched by a series of accompanying DigiFab activities designed to deepen understanding and performance. Residents are engaged through surveys conducted both before and after the renovation, and a digital twin of the building is created to support ongoing analysis. This is complemented by thorough energy and life-cycle assessments, as well as continuous monitoring of the indoor climate, energy consumption, and overall system performance.
A project built on collaboration
The Austrian demo is made possible through the collaboration of several partners with complementary roles: AEE INTEC leads the research and demonstration activities, RGS provides the pilot building and acts as building owner, while Haas Fertigbau Holzbauwerk contributes to the development of the prefabricated bio-based façade modules that integrate the CEPA® Energy Façade solution.
A blueprint for Austria’s building stock
In Austria, where many residential buildings from the 1960s and 1970s require thermal renovation, DigiFab has the potential to act as a flagship example. The solutions developed within the project could be replicated at scale, offering a practical and efficient model for upgrading existing buildings and improving their energy performance.
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