Handling Different Energy Needs in the Energy Frame – Guidance for BR18 § 250 - § 298
This guidance document, issued by the Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority (Trafik-, Bygge- og Boligstyrelsen), provides official interpretations on managing diverse energy requirements within the energy frame calculations for the Danish Building Regulations (BR18). It specifically addresses the implementation of calculations within the Be18 software and supplements existing frameworks such as the Hospitalsvejledningen and SBi-anvisning 213. The document is designated as version 2, dated December 6, and incorporates technical updates as recently as July 1, 2023.
The scope of the guidance covers the categorization of energy consumption into three distinct types: Bygningsenergi (Building energy), Tillægsberettiget energi (Supplemented energy), and Energi udenfor energirammeberegningen (Energy outside the energy frame calculation). The document intentionally avoids the term procesenergi to prevent conflict with tax definitions, instead utilizing the phrase af procesmæssige hensyn (for process-related reasons) to describe energy needs driven by production or specialized activity rather than occupant comfort. This applies to high-demand environments such as operating theaters, laboratories, and industrial facilities.
The following sections detail the classification of technical installations, including heating, ventilation, lighting, and cooling, and specify when component requirements from the Building Regulations apply to specialized systems.
Categorization of Energy Needs
Energy consumption is classified into three categories to ensure a representative design of the building's energy profile:
- Bygningsenergi: The building's basic energy requirement for operation, including heating, cooling, ventilation, pumps, domestic hot water, and lighting.
- Tillægsberettiget energi: Energy requirements resulting from operating conditions that deviate from the standard, such as high lighting levels, increased ventilation, or long operating hours.
- Energi udenfor energirammeberegningen: Energy needs not included in the energy frame, such as fume hoods, servers, and retail equipment.
Component Requirements and Industrial Processes
Component requirements in the Building Regulations generally apply to Bygningsenergi and Tillægsberettiget energi. For energy outside the frame, these requirements are typically waived, with specific exceptions:
- SEL-values: Requirements for Specific Fan Power (SEL) apply to ventilation systems even if they are excluded from the energy frame calculation.
- Industrial Processes: Component requirements do not apply to systems strictly tied to industrial production. However, processes in hospitals (e.g., local exhaust ventilation with high air velocity) may be treated similarly to industrial processes.
- Unnecessary Consumption: Even when component requirements are waived, systems must be designed to avoid unnecessary energy waste.
Technical Thresholds and Classifications
The guidance establishes specific thresholds for determining which category a technical system falls into:
- Space Heating: Standard heating up to 20 °C is classified as building energy; heating above 20 °C due to process requirements is considered supplemented energy.
- Ventilation: General ventilation up to 1.2 l/s m² in occupied rooms is building energy. Comfort ventilation or process ventilation exceeding this limit is supplemented energy.
- Lighting: General lighting up to 300 lux is building energy. Lighting exceeding 300 lux due to requirements in DS/EN 12464-1 or process needs (e.g., operating lamps) is supplemented energy.
- Equipment: Computers, servers, elevators for goods, and medical apparatus (CT or MR scanners) are classified as energy outside the energy frame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are server rooms included in the energy frame calculation?
No, energy for servers and the cooling of server rooms (EDB-udstyr, krydsfelter, og EDB-servere) is classified as energy outside the energy frame calculation.
What is the threshold for ventilation in occupied rooms regarding building energy?
Ventilation up to 1.2 l/s per m² in all rooms with human occupancy is classified as standard building energy (Bygningsenergi).
How is lighting above 300 lux handled?
General lighting exceeding 300 lux is classified as supplemented energy (Tillægsberettiget energi) if it is required by DS/EN 12464-1 or due to process needs.
Do component requirements apply to laboratory fume hoods?
Fume hoods are categorized as energy outside the energy frame, and while general component requirements may be waived, SEL-value requirements for ventilation still apply.
Is heating for process requirements included in the base energy frame?
No, heating above 20 °C resulting from process requirements is categorized as supplemented energy, not standard building energy.
Are elevators included in the energy frame?
Elevators for passenger transport and goods are classified as energy outside the energy frame calculation.
