Heat Balances and Energy Optimization

A heat balance determines the heat requirements for heating a building and provides an overall energy perspective. It is necessary when applying for a building permit.

The heat balance of a building must comply with federal and cantonal energy laws and regulations, as well as SIA standards, including SIA Standard 180 for thermal insulation and moisture protection in buildings, and SIA Standard 380/1 for thermal energy in buildings, among other cantonal laws.

The calculation takes into account various elements such as exposure, insulation, wall surface, geographical location, solar radiation, air exchange, and heating method, among others.

The heat balance will assist you in making informed choices, improving the energy performance of your building, and saving energy.

Building Physics

Demands placed on buildings are continually increasing. Sustainable construction and renovation involve an integrated planning process to optimize energy efficiency, indoor climate (temperature, air quality, lighting, and acoustics), resource consumption, and sustainability.

To meet these challenges, the principles of building physics must be understood and applied both within and around the building, often using approximate solutions.

Our building physics services include:

  • Compliance with building laws and energy optimization
  • Application of various SIA standards
  • Simulation of thermal comfort
  • Addressing specific issues such as thermal bridges, mold, condensation, and natural ventilation.

AMO Vaud for Building Renovation

We are an AMO (Assistant Project Manager) accredited by the State of Vaud. We provide advice and support to clients in implementing energy renovations for their buildings from project inception to completion.

We support the owner in defining the renovation project, in the choice and coordination of the parties involved, in the planning and in the administrative procedures related to the energy measures.

Our services as an accredited AMO are subsidised by the State of Vaud.

    Building permit application files

    Building permit application files are difficult and complex to put together. They have to comply with different points depending on the municipality or canton in which you are planning to build. That is why we offer the possibility to take care of the energy dossier in order to save you time and energy, and to ensure you have a better chance of obtaining the building permit in the shortest possible time.

    Control of the investigation files for the municipalities

    In the same way as for the construction of the enquiry file. We offer the communes the service of checking the conformity of the investigation files with the laws and standards in force.

      Infrared thermography

      Infrared thermography is a diagnostic tool that allows the detection of disorders invisible to the naked eye.

      It allows, with an image taken as close as possible, to detect local thermal variations, and thus to visualise and highlight insulation defects not previously suspected. Conversely, it can demonstrate the presence of defects that are suspected. In existing buildings, it can highlight the major defects to be treated as a priority.

      In new buildings, it can be a powerful tool for measuring the quality of a project. There are many applications:

      • building (terrestrial and aerial TIR)
        industry
        human and veterinary medicine
        aeronautics / aerospace
        Non Destructive Testing (NDT)
        military
        scientific research

      Thermography in the field provides a high level of accuracy on the whole building regarding its energy performance. Detection and analysis of numerous building pathologies:

      • Diagnosis of structures and certain weak points in buildings
      • Analysis and research into the causes of leaks
      • Humidity – InfiltrationOptimisation of energy performance
      • Quality control of insulation work
      • Detection of fluid networks
      • Detection of electrical anomalies

      Minergie certification

      Minergie is a Swiss construction label for new or renovated buildings. The label is supported by the business community, the cantons and the federal government. It is also protected against abuse.

      The focus of the label is on comfort – in terms of living and working – for the users of the building. This comfort is guaranteed by a good quality building envelope and systematic air exchange.

      Minergie buildings are also characterised by very low energy requirements and the highest possible use of renewable energy.

      The standardised certification procedure is the core of quality assurance. Completion of the building is a prerequisite for obtaining the Minergie certificate. A provisional Minergie certificate allows for a better acceptance of building projects by the cantons.

      Our office as a Minergie specialist partner supports its clients throughout the certification process. From the preparation of the application for the label to obtaining the final certificate.

      Calculation and simulation

      There is no better way than a simulation to see how much you can save by improving your building. Our calculations will show you the effective loss of your buildings, the weaknesses, and on the contrary, the financial and energy gain that you can benefit from when changing your building.

      Whether it is for solar panels, thermal energy or building optimisation, we are able to simulate the different scenarios in a consistent and reliable way.

        Energy audit  

        The energy audit establishes the energy label of your building and identifies how to reduce your consumption. This audit is a key step for any owner undertaking an energy management process.

        Easy to implement and affordable, this approach allows you to reduce your main energy costs: heating, lighting, hot water and electricity.

        The advantages of an energy audit are numerous. They allow you to target and prioritise your energy renovation work, to make significant energy savings and therefore reduce unnecessary financial expenditure, and in the long term, to increase the value of your property.

        There are several measures that can be used to measure the energy expenditure of your buildings; from the estimate to the more detailed measurement that allows you to highlight, with the help of precise figures, the weak points of your building and thus to remedy the problem in a targeted manner.

        Territorial energy planning 

        Energy planning, which is compulsory in some Swiss cantons, aims to facilitate the integration of renewable energy and the creation of the necessary infrastructure for its use and distribution. It also aims to optimise the energy efficiency of buildings through spatial planning measures, such as the orientation of buildings and their proximity to renewable resources or waste heat.

        Carried out at the level of a district, a municipality, a canton or an entire region, “territorial energy planning” aims to reduce energy requirements. Municipalities can benefit from subsidies for these studies. The subsidised amounts can reach 50% of the study costs.

          CECB certification

          We are qualified CECB experts and are authorised to issue energy certificates for buildings. We have extensive know-how in the field of energy audits of buildings and related optimisation measures. The revision of the Energy Act introduced the obligation to carry out an energy audit, in the form of the cantonal energy certificate for buildings (CECB) and at the owner’s expense, when a residential building is sold. An energy audit, again in the form of a CECB, must also be carried out when replacing a heating system with oil or gas.

          In several cantons it is also compulsory to carry out an CECB Plus in order to obtain state subsidies under the Building Programme.

          The cantonal energy certificate for buildings indicates how much energy a residential building, a simple administrative building or a school consumes in standard use, in terms of heating, domestic hot water, lighting and other electrical consumers. It allows a comparison with other buildings and suggests measures for optimisation.