Possible Development of Efficient Local Energy Community on the Example of the City of Žilina in Slovakia

Abstract

Reducing the energy demand in the housing sector is one of the current topics in the EU. Slovakia, as an EU member, is also trying to lower the dependence on the import of energy raw materials used for heating. While new buildings reflect the technical requirements of applicable standards, buildings built in the past usually do not meet any technical requirements. The basis of efficient operation is not only satisfactory building structures, but also technological equipment of the buildings. The heating system is often in an unsatisfactory state, and an outdated heat source disproportionately reduces the overall efficiency of energy conversion. Complex restoration is, therefore, in most cases, necessary and often financially costly. The presented article analyzes the current state of housing stock in the example of a selected city district. In the next step, the current state and energy consumption are identified. Subsequently, needed retrofit measures are identified and the possibilities of renewal are analyzed. The use of RES in buildings is proposed, while selected city districts could create an independent energy community. The main goal of this article is to show the necessary steps to achieve efficient energy use and, using the example of a Zilina City district, show the possible benefits of such community creation in Slovakia. The article also discusses the correlation between the number of sunny days and possible energy generation in winter months.