Improving the thermal performance of existing buildings in light of the requirements of the EU directive 2010/31/EU in Poland

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays, the issue of energy saving is becoming increasingly important. Both households and large public facilities, such as schools, kindergartens, health centers, shopping, or leisure centers, implement energy saving systems. To start saving, one must first identify where the greatest energy losses occur. For this purpose, energy audits are carried out. The results of the audit make it possible to implement the necessary changes, including the replacement of old heating systems with modern energy-efficient equipment with the same, or even better, heating effect. This article presents research conducted in two public buildings, namely the Elementary School in Powroźnik in the administrative district of Muszyna and the Municipal Sports and Recreation Center in Dębica in Poland. The tests were carried out in accordance with the Directive 2010/31/EU (with later changes: directive 2012/27/EU and (EU)2018/844). The obtained results confirmed the need for comprehensive thermal upgrades in both buildings. The objective of the research was to develop the method aimed to reach the nearly zero-energy building in a public sector. Buildings in this category are usually of the great volume and heating space, but the functions of the buildings may be very diverse. It can be an administrative office, school, swimming pool, ice rink, hospital, etc. The article shows that although the functions of the buildings can be different some common methods of effective thermomodernization can be developed. In general, in large public buildings, complex solutions should be implemented. These include heat recovery using heat pumps in ventilation systems, renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics, heat pumps, or combined heat and power for space heating, building management systems that adjust the heat supplied according to the weather conditions, and lighting systems.