Austria’s Climate Protection Supermarket Produces More Energy Than It Uses

We bet your local market doesn't hold a candle to <a href="http://www.love-home.com/" target="_blank">LOVE Architecture's </a> super slick supermarket in Austria, which is not only totally self-sufficient, but produces more energy than it actually uses. On the inside, the store promotes organic and healthy foods, and on the outside it walks the walk with a highly insulated envelope, energy efficient lighting, solar pv system, mini hydro turbine, green roof and non-toxic materials that can easily be recycled at the end of their life. And if that isn't enough, The Climate Protection Supermarket in Graz, Austria also holds a gold certification from the <a href="http://www.ogni.at/" target="_blank">ÖGNI (Austrian Green Building Council)</a>.

The <a href="http://www.love-home.com/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&amp;cntnt01articleid=192&amp;cntnt01returnid=60" target="_blank">Climate Protection Supermarket</a> by <a href="http://www.love-home.com/" target="_blank">LOVE Architecture</a> is self-sufficient in terms of energy production and actually produces more than the store uses.

This is Austria's first energy self-sufficient supermarket.

To achieve such a high level of efficiency, the building itself first had to be designed to minimize heat gain and heat loss.

The wood and galvanized sheet steel coated facade covers a highly insulated envelope.

Energy efficient LED technology and daylight control systems work to reduce lighting loads and building technology includes room ventilation, heat recovery and a sectional foundation slab for cooling and heating.

The building's roof features green roof circles to infiltrate rain water and landscaping around the building and parking lot was maximized to achieve a hydrologic balance.

Building materials were chosen with a preference towards those that were solvent free, non-toxic, sustainable, separable and reusable.

A photovoltaic power plant is located in the parking lot, and a hydropower turbine will be installed in the adjacent Mühlgang stream for energy generation.

These two systems work together to generate more power than the building actually uses with the excess being fed back onto the grid.

Model of the supermarket showing green roof circles.

Cross section.

Ground floor plan.

Site plan.