On 2 October 2009 the energy-producing Solar Active House (Solar Aktivhaus) wais opened in Austria near the Swiss and Italian borders. With this step the Danish Active House concept has crossed the Danish border, thus serving as an inspiration for the development of sustainable and energy-efficient buildings throughout Europe .

The Solar Active House is the third of eight experimental houses financed by VKR Holding A/S. The first Active House, Home for Life in Aarhus, was built by VELFAC and VELUX and recently received the BO GRØN Award 2009 for being a Danish example of low energy buildings and thus serving as an inspiration for buildings of the future. The Danish house was later followed by House of the Future (Haus der Zukunft) in Germany and, on 2 October 2009 by the new Solar Active House in Klagenfurt, Austria.

”40 % of energy consumption in the industrialised nations is attributable to buildings, which makes the building industry one of the most energy-intensive industries. As a player in the industry we are under an obligation to act on this fact. Through eight experimental houses we develop CO2 neutral active houses, which are self-sufficient in energy and have a healthy and comfortable indoor climate with plenty of fresh air and daylight”, says CEO of VKR Holding, Leif Jensen.

The sun covers a family’s energy requirements
As suggested by its name, the new Austrian Solar Active House is unique: by optimum utilisation of solar energy it covers a family’s total annual energy requirements for heating, hot water and electricity – solely by solar energy. The same goes for the Active House, House of the Future, which was opened in Germany two weeks earlier. Both houses were built by SONNENKRAFT - a subsidiary of VKR Holding - which specialises in developing products and solutions within thermal solar energy.

Sustainable houses that you want to live in
This Austrian addition to the number of Active Houses was designed by the internationally recognised solar architect within sustainable architecture, Georg W. Reinberger, who says:

”The Solar Active House was designed not only to save energy. It was also the aim to develop a flexible and open architecture which ensures a high level of living comfort and optimum use of solar radiation and daylight. New technology including solar heat, solar cells, solar collectors and solar heat pumps provides us with the tools to build a “truly green” house. The Solar Active House integrates the technologies in its design and forms a beautiful and fascinating architecture without compromising on the demand for a sound indoor climate. It is a huge step forward.”

”The VKR Group’s eight experimental Active Houses will be built in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain and Denmark, each with its own distinctive character. We hope that each of them will serve as an inspiration for the long-term development of housing by contributing new knowledge of sustainable building and setting new standards – in and outside Denmark”, concludes Leif Jensen.

In the picture the key is handed over to Rupert Hasenöhrl (left), SK-A, Hubert Mattersdorfer, GSS, and Niels P. Freiesleben, S-CAP, by a real chimney sweeper of Kärnten.