Contrary to appearances,
investing in energy-saving technologies is not only a temporary trend, being a
detachment of fashion for ecology. The
desire to build a building almost zero-energy, in Poland still often perceived
as a result of fascination with energy-saving construction, will soon become
the everyday life of every investor - including private.
This is due to the amendment
of the EU Directive on the energy performance of buildings from June 9, 2010. Moreover, according to the press
release of the European Commission of 31 July this year, the new strategy for
reviving the construction sector in the EU is based mainly on the promotion of
energy-efficient facilities.
The new regulations
state that from the end of 2018 all buildings belonging to public authorities
will have almost zero energy consumption, and from December 31, 2020 the same
will apply to all newly constructed buildings. At present, there is no single
universally binding definition of a nearly zero-energy building. Each of the Member States is to create
their own characteristics of such an object, based on local conditions. And at this moment you have to be well
prepared.
According to the
definition in the Directive, a "nearly zero energy building" means a
building with very high energy performance (...). The almost zero or very low amount of
energy required should come to a very high extent from energy from renewable
sources, including renewable energy produced on-site or nearby. " It is therefore about striving for the
lowest energy consumption and the greatest energy independence of buildings -
the ideal would be a completely autonomous building, and thus capable of
producing at least as much energy as it consumes. Such a building could be completely
cut off from the external power grid or - in a safer version - sell possible
surplus energy to suppliers.
Also in Poland,
work is underway on the definition of such a building. Their main direction today is to
create a building based on the so-called the
optimal cost rule. This rule
combines the use of energy-saving technologies, but in an economically
justified way. It means the
design and construction of a building with such solutions that, after taking
into account their additional costs for the investment, will bring savings in
their lifetime compared to the object in which these energy-saving solutions
were not used.
Although such a high
energy efficiency can be like science fiction literature for many people who
are not familiar with the topic, solutions that guarantee it are generally
available and commonplace. Energy-efficient
construction is the most popular in Germany
and Austria,
where most of the passive or almost zero-energy projects are implemented.
- Most low- and almost
zero-energy houses use a combination of energy from renewable sources on the
one hand, on the other, they save by minimizing losses. Production takes place through the use
of solar panels, wind turbines, collectors for domestic hot water heating and
similar solutions - comments Konrad Witczak, Energy Design Center consultant
ROCKWOOL Poland - Due to the climate, in Polish conditions it is precisely to
save thermal energy should to put the greatest pressure.Appropriate insulation
will significantly reduce the amount of energy needed to heat the building and
will be a milestone in the direction of zero-energy standards. It is the 6 fuel, or energy saving,
which is the most effective solution and available immediately for everyone.
It is worth mentioning
here that the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management
provides subsidies for partial repayments of bank loans for the purchase and
installation of solar collectors. For
investors, a time of insightful calculations and adjustments to new standards
has started - the sooner they will be implemented, the better for future owners
of their own "M".
