Mission

Nearly all Buildings will no longer use combustions processes in 2050 with exception only for specific circumstances. Fossil Fuels, which could in the above time period increase the CO2 concentration by a factor of 4, must be reduced. It does not make sense to used them to generate heat at a mere 60°C. Biological methods and be used to directly produce the combustion fuels that are still needed.

Buildings are therefore only reliant on electricity with heat pumps having replaced all boilers.

Due to the new technologies, the power demand for the building increases. This increase can be compensated for by technologies and new building methods (evelope and systems) - the reduction in energy use is possible due to the prevalence of inefficiency today.

The Chair of Building Systems at the ETH Zurich will follow the following three axioms:

1st Buildings will not use combustion processes

2nd Net Max buliding energy demand of 700 kWh of electricity per person and year from the public grid.

3rd Buildings purchase energy from the open grid but with reliance on only CO2-free sources.

From these axioms, the content is derived for teaching, research, development, demonstration, and publications. The research and development are important foundations of this doctorine. The requirements require a much better understanding of the phyiscal construction of buildings people than was used in the past - using research, education, and development, it is possible to make the knowledge a physical reality.