Autos and Fensters

You can drive really fast on the autobahn here in Germany. My manager here likes to drive fast, like 230 kph. But we got passed by a Porsche convertible with the top down.

He says every few years there is a debate about imposing a speed limit in Germany. But the car companies don't like that idea. Who wants to buy a Porsche if you can only drive it 130 kph (80 mph)?

I suppose the autobahn is one of the reasons German cars have such a good reputation. They get tested more than just occasionally on some test track.

German fenestration also has a good reputation. Windows are well insulated and well sealed. Most German windows have hardware that lets you swing them wide open from side hinges or tilt them in at the top. Some windows, like in an office building, only tilt in at the top so you can't fall out the window, but you can open it--even if it is raining. A lot more windows are operable here than in the US.

If you build a really energy-efficient house in the US, you are likely to order windows from Germany. They have the three-pane super-efficient windows that window manufacturers in the US don't want to bother with. And they have that cool hardware that lets you open them two ways. The Passivhaus standard, which began in Germany, is a more demanding standard than LEEDS, which is more common in the US. A lot of buildings that meet this standard add a few solar panels and achieve zero net energy. That is, they produce more energy than they use.

Because German windows are operable, there aren't nearly so many air-conditioned buildings. I haven't been here in the summer, so I'll see how that goes. But at least you can open the windows.

I figured it was because Germans liked to be energy efficient that they made such good windows. I figured they make operable windows because they don't want to waste energy on air conditioning.

But, come to find out, Germans just like fresh air. It's still winter here. The temperatures are 5 - 10 degrees C (in the 40's F) for highs. And every day at the office the windows get opened. Someone gets warm or thinks the air is stale and opens a window, or a lot of windows, or a door.

The front of our home, with open windows (outside temp C: 8 deg.) 

I'm thinking, What?! Don't waste energy. Why are we heating the outdoors? Meanwhile, I'm not used to this much fresh air, so I'm cranking the knob on the radiator next to my desk.

What good are really well-insulated windows in winter if they are open? It's sort of like, why have a Porsche if you can only drive it at 130 kph?