primærenergifaktorer

Primærenergifaktorer are multipliers used in energy performance calculations for buildings. They represent the environmental impact, particularly concerning CO2 emissions, associated with the generation and delivery of different primary energy sources to the building. The concept is crucial for assessing and comparing the overall sustainability of various building designs and energy systems.

Different energy sources have varying levels of emissions throughout their lifecycle, from extraction and processing to transportation and distribution. Primærenergifaktorer assign a higher value to energy sources with a greater environmental footprint. For instance, electricity often has a higher primærenergifaktor than natural gas because its generation can involve fossil fuels and transmission losses. Renewable energy sources like solar or wind power generally have significantly lower primærenergifaktorer due to their minimal direct emissions.

These factors are typically defined by national or regional regulations and are updated periodically to reflect changes in energy production technologies and environmental policies. When calculating a building's total primary energy consumption, the energy consumed by heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting is multiplied by the respective primærenergifaktor for each energy source. This allows for a standardized comparison of the environmental performance of buildings, irrespective of the specific energy carriers used. The goal of using primærenergifaktorer is to incentivize the use of more energy-efficient solutions and lower-carbon energy sources.