Expanding the Possibilities of Building Modernization: Case Study of Lithuania

Abstract

Energy saving has become one of the foremost priorities in the European Union and a great deal of attention is directed towards the sector of sustainable building. However, the EU members that have an extensive Soviet heritage now face a great difficulty in reducing energy consumption. Since many apartment buildings are in especially poor thermal condition, and the heat supply infrastructure is morally and physically outdated, energy consumption for heating is significant. The modernization (renovation) of such old buildings is impeded not only by legal and technical factors, but also financial and social aspects in regard to the residents. Thus, this paper provides new model of investments and modernization of apartment buildings on the basis of the calculation of energy input per one degree-day of the heated floor area. The presented degree-days calculation method enables the calculation and inter-comparison of data gathered in all European Union member states without taking into account specific climate parameters of each.

Approach to Refurbishment of Timber Preschool Buildings With a View on Energy and Economic Efficiency

“…Further research including cost optimal solutions for the renovation of various buildings can be found in Becchio et al (2016), Bonakdar, Dodoo, andGustavsson (2014), Pikas, Kurnitskic, Liiasc, and Thalfeldt (2015), Kuusk, Kalamees, Link, Ilomets, and Mikola (2017), Stankevičius, Karbauskaitė, Burlingis, Šadauskienė, and Morkvėnas (2014). The economic analyses are mostly performed for concrete and masonry buildings, while the economic analysis of historic timber apartment buildings is discussed in Arumägi and Kalamees (2015), where comparison of the effectiveness of different renovation packages is done in terms of investment and energy costs.…”

Daugiabučių namų atnaujinimas Lietuvoje: problemos ir gyventojų iniciatyva

“…Tačiau architektai tvirtina, jog yra ir kitos svarbios su DN atnaujinimu susijusios spręstinos problemos: socialinės, kraštovaizdžio bei transporto [30]. Be to, vis plačiau kalbama ne tik apie pavienių namų, bet apie kvartalų 2 (kvartalinę, kompleksinę) renovaciją [20; 29], DN atnaujinimas laikomas neatsiejama miestų atnaujinimo politikos dalimi, o darni miestų plėtra neatsiejama nuo kompleksinės DN modernizacijos [8, p. 564; 12; 27; 32].…”

A methodology to evaluate the optimal insulation thickness for heating and cooling needs in different climatic zones for buildings made of reinforced concrete with cavity walls

“…[ 32 ], the economic and ecological optimal installation thickness was determined according to different climatic zones of Poland, different kinds of wall stratigraphy and heating sources and varying the type of the insulation material. For the residential apartment building sector of Lithuania, after the implementation of an investment in the building envelope covered initially 85 % by the investors, 15 % by the state with the obligation of the owners to pay the bill for heating (before the investment), a reduction of the energy need for heating 40–50 % and a reduction of the heating season was observed with a payback period of 12–15 years [ 33 ].…”