Fossil-free building site – Stricter requirements
The future is a fossil-free building site! The traditional construction site used construction machinery and solutions for heating that use fossil energy sources. With stricter environmental requirements for the best for both people and nature came demands for climate-friendly measures in the construction industry.
Construction sites in Norway largely used fossil energy sources for heating until the ban on fossil fuel oil from 1 January 2022. Building and construction activities account for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions on a national basis, which must be reduced by using climate-friendly alternatives.
In the first instance, the government has banned construction heating fired with diesel, and eventually all construction sites will become completely emission-free. But what is the difference between a fossil-free construction site and an emission-free construction site, and what alternatives do you really have to fossil energy sources?
Biofuel (Bio-oil and biogas) and pellets are renewable energy sources that with current technology can be effectively taken into use. In addition, propane can still be used for heating until the emission-free requirement comes into effect, in most large cities in 2025.
Fossil-free technology
A fossil-free construction site must use machines that do not emit greenhouse gases but can use sustainable bioenergy and biofuel. In addition to electricity and biofuel, solutions for heating can use pellets, district heating, ground heating, and heat pumps, or hydrogen – which has not yet become commercially available.
Access to this technology varies, but no matter where in Norway you are, it is possible to satisfy the requirements for a fossil-free construction site. If you want to use completely emission-free energy sources, you must today resort to electricity, district heating, and the like. But the specifications are many, and the requirements are strict – then it’s good to ask for help from experts.
In the table below, we have compiled an overview of emission-free and fossil-free alternatives on the construction site.
| Fossil-free energy sources | Warming | Construction machinery |
| Pellets | x | |
| Biofuels | x | x |
| Emission-free energy sources | ||
| District heating | x | |
| Electricity | x | x |
| Underfloor heating and heat pumps | x | |
| Hydrogen* | ||
| * Not commercially available today | ||
Emission-free or fossil-free?
The future’s building site must be emission-free, and in time it will there will be statutory requirements for the use of emission-free energy sources in building and construction activities. It requires access to equipment and machines that can do the job efficiently, and although there are many alternatives, it is wise to consider the various solutions to find the best solution for each project.
Fossil-free building site – Environmentally friendly building heating
There are many factors to take into account when choosing the right solution for fossil-free building heating. You have to know what the need is, area and layout, how much electricity you have available, and you have to weigh in the outside temperature and the desired temperature inside. Dimensioning correctly is crucial for efficiency, both economically and environmentally.
In this article, we have collected what you should think about when switching to fossil-free building heating< /strong>.
An example of water-borne heat for a fossil-free building site is a mobile heating unit with bio-oil which is connected to temporary convectors, fans and pipes. With one central unit, you can ensure efficient operation, where you don’t have to go around to move equipment as you progress in the project.
Fossil-free building site – Biogas
Traditional cookers have largely been converted to use bio-oil. Positive in the environmental accounts, but it has also contributed to the price of bio-oil skyrocketing. Here, biogas comes in as an alternative – with a lower raw material price than bio-oil, increased availability in Norway, and easy conversion to LPG equipment.
Biogas is formed from organic matter, which decomposes without oxygen. In Norway, there are several production facilities, and the market is constantly being developed with new resources that are used for production.
Today, there are many players in this country who have adopted biogas, preferably for heavy transport or in public transport. But the construction industry has also opened its eyes to the possibilities – especially where there is no access to electricity at the start of projects. In addition, there are increased taxes on emissions of greenhouse gases, while biogas is tax-free.
In particular, larger construction sites that want heating to a fossil-free construction site can benefit greatly from biogas. With the help of mobile heating centers that use biogas, you can get quick access to heating at a favorable price.
Today’s solutions are developed with efficiency in mind, where you get environmentally friendly equipment that also streamlines and simplifies the construction process. Using fossil-free energy sources on the construction site helps to pull development in the right direction – towards an environmentally friendly and forward-looking industry.
