Buildings and construction
It appears from the Agenda 21 plan that Herning municipality since the 90s has made green accounts for the consumption of electricity, heat and water in many of their own buildings, because of obligations to comply with the environmental charter. Herning has partnered with 6 municipalities in west Jutland (Holstebro, Ikast, Silkeborg, Skive, Viborg and Videbæk) on preparation of an annual report with green key figures. Today, energy management is in place in all institutions. Energy labeling is planned for all buildings. A building manual has been prepared containing instructions for environmentally friendly design applying to own construction.
In connection to Agenda-21, urban regeneration projects have been carried out in two neighborhoods. A rundown industrial area is sought transformed into an ecologically sustainable neighborhood. An urban ecological project with 48 public housing units at Ydunsvej has been build and a further 26 units are under construction. And in Gullestrup a residential area zoned with the opportunity to plan and design the area according to sustainable principles. A project to renovate the city center with incorporation of sustainability has been supported by the Danish Ministry of Welfare.
An extremely interesting new building has just been finished, the H2-college, which is a low-energy building located by Birk with 66 units for youth housing. Photovoltaic cells and a hydrogen plant have been installed. Some of the houses are built as passive houses, which means that energy consumption is minimized through increased insulation and high efficiency heat recovery systems, relinquishing the need for a heat supply, see H2-College.
It is constructed by the housing association Fruehøjgård, which was established in 1950 and has built 1300 houses in the municipality, hereof some with elements of sustainable construction. which was established in 1950 and has built 1300 houses in the municipality, hereof some with elements of sustainable construction.
The construction sector is not a big part of the process
New buildings and construction processes has not had a strong focus in the municipality's Agenda 21 work, and there are only a few representatives from the construction industry in the different networks. However, the Danish Construction Association, an architect firm and consulting firms are represented in the climate network.
When Fruehøjgård wanted to build according to passive house standards, there were no local firms that could deliver the elements to the price relating to college housing. All the elements are supplied by German companies - and the price per square meter is overall lower than the surrounding equivalent college buildings, constructed as low energy houses!
It is planned to summon local craftsmen and try to get them to provide offers on standard solutions, making it easy and visible to initiate the recommended energy renovation projects - and the craftsmen obtain knowledge about new techniques and solutions.