Energy and Cost Analysis of Adapting a New Building to the Standard of the NZEB

Abstract

The idea of Sustainable Development means caring for the environment and the natural resources. Building and transport are the sectors with the highest energy consumption. Building is responsible for about 40% of total energy consumption. Thermal protection regulations for buildings are becoming more and more severe. The 2010/31 / EU Directive on the energy performance of the buildings imposes on the member states of the European Union the necessity to introduce a standard of buildings of almost a zero demand for energy (NZEB). The requirements for these buildings (NZEB) are determined for each member country of the European Union. In Poland, the requirements for buildings (NZEB) are included in the Technical Conditions. In the article, the authors present energy and cost analysis of adapting a building that meets current requirements to the requirements adopted for NZEB in Poland. The requirements for new buildings are formulated for the building envelopes and for the factor determining Primary Energy (PE). To improve thermal protection of the envelopes, for example, the insulation thickness should be increased, or windows of better coefficients should be used. To improve the PE coefficient, the amount of energy coming from Renewable Energy Sources should be increased. The improvement of thermal efficiency is associated with additional costs. The aim of the article is also to show that reducing the amount of energy necessary for heating a building is not enough to design a comfortable home. The authors pointed to the need of ensuring multi-criteria comfort in NZEB. Buildings of low energy demand are very tight and well insulated. Often, in such buildings a problem with solar energy excess appears and, consequently, the rooms are overheated. On the example of a residential building, the Authors show what costs should be covered to adapt the building to a standard that meets the requirements of the NZEB and a building comfortable for users. The analysis was carried out to improve thermal and vibrational comfort. This paper presents a fragment of research and development works carried out in under the project "Development of innovative modular construction technology, prefabricated on a wood base by Palettenwerk Kozik Sp.j." This is a new technology, developed in cooperation of PalettenWerk Kozik and Cracow University of Technology, with the support of the National Centre for Research and Development, which will have properties that significantly exceed the technology currently available on the market. Buildings made according to the developed technology with using laminated wood crosswise will be characterized by high thermal and acoustic insulation as well as high energy efficiency.