wienerberger paves the way for net-zero buildings

You are Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and also a member of the management board of wienerberger Belgium. What are your areas of responsibility?

Katrien Nottebaert: As a member of the management board and Chief Commercial Officer of wienerberger Belgium I am responsible for our commercial strategy. This includes sales, marketing, product management, market strategy and pricing. The thing I enjoy most about my job is the combination of technology, aesthetics, ratio and emotions. 

Several EU programs as well as a growing number of people are pressing for a net-zero building stock. What potential do you see here and what role can wienerberger play in this transition?

Nottebaert: The EU Commission’s Green Deal aims to make Europe climate neutral by 2050. The building sector offers a major lever since according to the European Climate Foundation it accounts for approximately 40 percent of the EU’s total energy consumption and around 36 percent of its CO₂ emissions. This is why wienerberger is focusing on innovative solutions not just for roofs, walls and facades, but also photovoltaic systems and heating and cooling systems. This way, the company is accelerating the creation of a highly energy-efficient building stock that contributes to achieving net zero emissions. In a nutshell: we offer aesthetically appealing solutions for the renovation of existing buildings and for new builds that are sustainable and affordable.

Modern roof solutions in particular play a crucial role in helping to achieve the goals of the European Green Deal. Given the surface area they offer there is enormous potential here. To exploit it wienerberger follows the principle: “from protection to multi-function“. For example, we develop innovative solar solutions thus enabling more and more people to generate sustainable electricity. 

One of the targets in wienerberger’s Sustainability Program 2026 is to increase revenues from solutions for net-zero buildings. How do you define a net-zero building?

Nottebaert: Net-zero buildings are highly energy efficient, generate power from renewable sources and/or are characterized by a very small carbon footprint during production, construction and operation. By 2026 three quarters of wienerberger’s total revenues should be generated with products that support this sector. 

Apropos well positioned: What approaches would you like to use to achieve solutions for net-zero buildings? 

Nottebaert: One solution are clay blocks, which are resilient by nature, just like our other clay building materials. Moreover, with a lifespan in excess of 100 years, good thermal insulation values and excellent thermal storage capacity, wall systems made of clay blocks reduce the overall impact buildings have on the environment. From keeping rooms cool in summer and warm in winter to protecting them from damp: This versatile material combines a multitude of advantages.

Additionally, most of our clay product solutions can be reused or recycled – for example, through urban mining to reclaim clay products. Several test cases have been done and are ongoing in this respect. If the clay bricks or tiles cannot be reused, they are channeled into new solutions as high-quality secondary raw materials. Our piping solutions are also designed to maximize the proportion of recycled raw materials. And we are working to steadily increase it.

In addition, we rely on short transportation routes and in production on energy efficiency and renewable energies. We have fitted our plants with photovoltaic systems and some also have wind turbines. Our plant in Kortemark, Belgium, boasts the first low carbon production line for brick slips with an electrical kiln and dryer.

What ecological and innovative solutions is wienerberger using to accelerate the creation of a net-zero building stock?

Nottebaert: We have a solution to suit every budget. For facades, for example, they include thin facing bricks (Eco-brick) as well as brick slips and, of course, ClickBrick. wienerberger’s ClickBrick is a modular dry-stacking system so that when a building reaches the end of its lifecycle, its facade bricks can be easily removed and then reused. Our extensive range of clay roof tiles and pavers are durable and circular by nature. Renovating pitched roofs presents an ideal opportunity to optimize them with continuous insulation and clay roof tiles.

Other building technologies include, for example, efficient low-temperature heating and cooling systems such as hydronic heating and cooling panels for floors, walls and ceilings. Thanks to their large surface areas, they ensure an even temperature throughout the building. If operated with a heat pump, such heating and cooling systems require extremely little energy. For outside areas, we offer water-permeable clay pavers that allow the infiltration of rainwater and are also 100 percent circular.

What advice do you have for architects, builders or property owners who want to refurbish or renovate a building to net-zero standard?

Nottebaert: My advice is to take a holistic approach to renovation projects. The first thing to take care of is to restrict the energy need, in other words make sure that the building envelope is well insulated. Once the roof, walls and the floor have been sealed properly, energy-efficient technologies such as a low-temperature heating system can be installed and the electricity supply switched to renewables. A thoughtfully renovated, energy-efficient house reduces energy costs, offers greater living comfort and adds value to the property. 

What do you think the future holds for net-zero buildings? What would you like to see?

Nottebaert: The future of net-zero buildings looks promising. I would like to see a value-based approach that accommodates a range of aesthetic preferences and budgets. The sustainable solutions should all be versatile enough to cater to different visual appearances and sizes. This is something we are working on constantly. Additionally, though, government support is needed. This can take the form of subsidies or tax incentives or other types of financial assistance. This would make net-zero buildings affordable, accessible and attractive to a broad spectrum of the population. And pave the way toward sustainable, affordable housing.