Abstract
The paper discusses thermal quality improvement in historic buildings. It is based on a case study of a wooden historical building in an architectural style typical of Zakopane, located in the Podhale region of Poland. The building’s historical value and timber structure prevent the application of typical thermal retrofitting solutions. This paper presents an analysis of the possibilities of the improvement of energy performance of a historic building (villa) which included: a review of the available energy performance improvement solutions applicable to this type of building, with a particular focus on applying internal insulation; a technical condition assessment using non-invasive methods, the identification of problematic areas in terms of the thermal retrofitting of buildings with timber walls and decks; in situ tests: thermovision tests which showed the places with temperature distribution field disturbances in the building’s envelope, focusing on thermal bridges; measurements of actual thermal transmittance coefficients for extant partitions; measurements of the building’s airtightness and the microclimate in selected rooms; numerical analysis: an assessment of the influence of the thermal bridges on the building’s existing condition, an analysis of water content changes in wall systems post-insulation. The presented approach enables the improvement of the energy performance of timber historical buildings while preserving the historical value of its architecture. It is innovative because it tries to fill in a research gap concerning a lack of relevant guidelines in Poland. The research questions that the authors asked were as follows. Is it possible to improve the thermal insulation of a building’s wooden walls without adversely affecting the building’s technical condition? With regard to the necessity to meet nZEB (nearly zero energy building) standards, is it feasible to improve the timber walls of historical buildings? The study found that under the correct assumptions and while maintaining a responsible approach to design, it is possible to improve the energy performance of historical buildings without interfering with historical heritage.
Highlights
In a period of sustainable development and energy conservation, it is beneficial to look for areas in which to improve energy performance
Airtightness breaches at points where external walls connected with wooden decks, Airtightness breaches at points where wooden windows connect to the walls, Lower thermal insulation at the joints between external wall beams, seals in the form of a
An airtightness test result for underpressure n50 = 10.09 (1/h) and overpressure n50 = 8.83 (1/h) was obtained for the Stara Polana building. These are atypically high values relative to those of standard newly-built buildings, for which the Ordinance concerning the technical conditions to be met by buildings and their placement recommends that, in the case of gravitational ventilation, envelope airtightness should not exceed n50 ≤ 3.0 1/h exchanges per hour
Summary
In a period of sustainable development and energy conservation, it is beneficial to look for areas in which to improve energy performance This is essential in sectors with the highest energy consumption indicators, such as construction [1]. An amended version of the Directive, published as Directive 2010/31//UE, [5] introduced a new standard of buildings: the nearly zero-energy building, which shall apply to all European Union member states after 2021. This standard is defined in Polish regulations [6] as applicable to newly-designed buildings and those subjected to energy retrofitting (historic buildings being exempted).
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