energydesign (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., coming originally from Germany, is an engineering and consulting firm for low-energy, high functionality and optimal cost solutions in the built environment. We work as engineers and specialized design consultants in collaboration with professional design teams for our clients. We provide services towards low carbon solutions with high functional performance and with optimized cost on a high level of sustainability.

energydesign has pioneered European advanced technologies and approaches towards sustainable design, buildings and urban development, such as German DGNB certification, passive house design, and holistic energy concepts, in China. At present, we are advancing the latest generation of building concept in Germany – EnergyPLUS Building to be implemented in China.

EnergyPLUS is a rather new and advanced building standard developed by Prof. Dr. M. Norbert Fisch in Germany, a world-leading expert on solar technology and building physics, and a founder partner of energydesign (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

The concept represents the future in the evolution of sustainable buildings, after the Passive House concept (developed in the 1990s) and Active House concepts were known. EnergyPLUS buildings do not only focus on the building performance itself (passive energy savings, active energy generation), but analyze the users’ energy generation and activity characteristics in details. The advantage beyond Passive House buildings is, that in terms of the building use, a surplus energy balance of the building is targeted and strategic, which covers not only the building’s energy demand but also the building users’demand.

Through public grid connection, the EnergyPLUS building is not only a self-sufficient building but realizes supply and demand over a longer period of time, so that an annual surplus is generated through exchange with the public grid. In the EnergyPLUS concept, high flexibility is given towards design and the use of materials, compared to passive houses. On the other side, advanced technical equipment is required to achieve the annual energy surplus, incl. PV systems, ground source heat pump, battery storage systems, smart metering systems, advanced building management system (BMS), etc.

The first EnergyPLUS buildings were developed in 2009 and 2010, starting with single-family houses, but quickly expanding to production facilities, apartment buildings, and medium/high-rise buildings.

Detailed research has been conducted by Prof. Fisch and energydesign for the application of EnergyPLUS concepts in China. Research demonstrates that the successful realization of EnergyPLUS in China is fesible. However, the concept is so far limited to certain building types, e.g. smaller residential buildings, however, high-rises or production facilities with massive process loads are not eligible.