Energy saving, living quality and behaviour in solar houses. The case of Landstuhl

In the Landstuhl project the energy consumption of 22 lived-in solar houses in the Federal Republic of Germany was measured and interviews with the inhabitants on living behaviour and living quality were carried out. The results show that energy conservation was mainly caused by a high insulation standard and only to a small extent by passive solar energy use. Living behaviour has a strong influence on energy consumption, above all room temperatures and ventilation habits. The most important benefit of solar houses is that they cause a high quality of living. All inhabitants appreciated the brightness, the direct solar radiation and the close contact to nature caused by the large south-faced glazings and greenhouses.