Buildings In Poland Research Articles

Analysis of Residential Buildings in Poland for Potential Energy Renovation toward Zero-Emission Construction

The aim of the study was to identify the state of residential buildings in terms of energy consumption and modernisation in Poland against the background of the EU, and to determine factors and activities increasing households′ interest in net-zero energy buildings. In the European Union, we are observing a tendency to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, including residential, and decarbonise building stock by 2050. The objective of the undertaken activities is to reduce energy use and the negative impacts of the use of buildings on the environment. Attaining this objective requires modernising many buildings. This dissertation includes an investigation into the condition of buildings in Poland from the aspect of energy use and the kind of carriers of this energy, and also into another issue: what factors and activities may increase society′s interest in net-zero energy buildings, and in the use of energy from renewable sources in residential buildings. The studies were conducted with the use of the data provided by the Central Statistical Office and EUROSTAT, and also of the reports of the European Commission, the data of the Central Emission Register of Buildings (CERB) and the Odysse–Mure database. An important source of information was also surveys conducted with the application of CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview), and also of PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), among 387 households in Poland. For the purpose of analysing the results of the studies, the methods of descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence, the ANOVA test of Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U-test were used. The analysis gives rise to the conclusion that, in residential buildings, household′s annual primary energy demand is dependent on the year in which a building was commissioned. Newer buildings can boast smaller heat energy use. Simultaneously, ever more households are undertaking activities that will result in the thermal modernisation of residential buildings. The studies have shown that the development of net-zero energy buildings requires undertaking activities in the scope of introducing allowances and subsidies, and also increasing social awareness in the scope of this kind of building. Interest in buildings using solely renewable energy sources is contributed to by raising energy prices, and also the falling prices of required installations.

Indoor Environment, Lighting Conditions and Productivity in the Educational Buildings

Abstract The main aim of the research is to assess the light intensity and its impact on the productivity of research participants in educational buildings. The research was carried out in 18 rooms in teaching buildings in Poland and involved over two hundred volunteers. The tests were carried out with the following climate parameters: air temperature ranged from 20 to 25.1 °C, relative humidity from 18.16 to 50.9 %, and the concentration of carbon dioxide from 509 to 1634 ppm. The light intensity in the tested rooms ranged from 17.3 to 1095.1 lux. The parameters of the room temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, relative humidity and light intensity were recorded using a microclimate meter. The study participants were asked to answer questions about overall well-being, lighting quality, and productivity in each room. The results show that the air temperature has an effect on the productivity of the participants with the most preferable range of about 22 – 24 °C. It was also observed that productivity increased with improved well – being of the respondents. The analysed research also made it possible to check whether the users were satisfied with the light intensity. 74 % of respondents assessed that with the prevailing lighting, their productivity is normal, and they also felt best in rooms where the light intensity was 200 - 400 lux.

Application of the public-private partnership formula in thermomodernization projects of public buildings in Poland in the years 2009–2020

Motivation: For over ten years, Poland has observed a systematic use of the public-private partnership (PPP) formula in implementation of investment projects. Local government units are particularly active in this area. One of the self-government’s own tasks is the management of municipal property, including public utility buildings. The implementation of such tasks, in accordance with the European Commission’s recommendations, should be conducted in cooperation between a local government unit and a private entity under a public-private partnership.
 Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the public-private partnership market in Poland in the context of the implementation of thermomodernization projects of local government public facilities in the years 2009–2020.
 Results: The market in Poland is generally flattened, as more than 90 per cent of launched projects fall into the local government sector. It is the local authorities that initiate intersectoral cooperation based on the PPP formula. Knowing their local communities, they carry out tasks that meet their needs on the one hand, and respond to climate and energy challenges on the other. This is evidenced by a growing number of projects

Technology of Microclimate Regulation in Organic and Energy-Sustainable Livestock Production

The control of climatic conditions where cattle are kept is one of the challenges in the livestock sector regarding the digital automation of the process. (1) Background: The main purpose of this study is to define the optimal foundations for automatic climatic systems in organic and energy-sustainable livestock production. In particular, the following components are suggested: (a) the determination of current deviations and interdependency between factors; (b) an algorithm for defining the possible sources of regulation; (c) the ranking approach of the optimal sequence of possible sources; and (d) ensuring transparency and coordination of the model with organic and energy certificates. (2) Methods: This investigation accumulates information on the characteristics of the main microclimatic parameters and simulates their possible combinations in a livestock building in Poland within 24 h of a spring day. A few indices are considered that signal the impact on the thermal comfort of cattle based on the example of recommended measures for the Angus steer genotype. (3) Results: The proposed transparent algorithm is designed for selecting and ranking potential sources of microclimate control according to three criteria. (4) Conclusions: This paper potentially contributes to determining the most optimal digital algorithm for managing microclimate conditions to ensure acceptable comfort for animals, meeting the requirements of organic certification with minimum costs of production, and switching to sustainable types of energy with consideration of technologies’ efficiency. The algorithm is scalable and adjustable to the individual conditions of any livestock premise with a digitally controlled environment.

Analysis of Thermal Comfort in Intelligent and Traditional Buildings

The paper analyses thermal comfort in intelligent and traditional buildings in Poland. It provides a comprehensive study on the subjective assessment of indoor environment conditions as well as on parameters that influence human thermal sensations and preferences. Direct measurements of physical parameters (e.g., air and globe temperature, relative humidity) as well as simultaneously conducted anonymous questionnaire studies were used to provide the necessary data. The study covered all seasons and a large number of participants representing various age groups and body build types, who completed a total of 1778 questionnaires. The results indicate that typically smart buildings offer higher levels of thermal comfort than the traditional ones and that people tend to prefer warmer environments. Moreover, it has been observed that the BMI index, air movement and the number of people per surface area can have an impact on the perceived thermal sensations.

The Direct-Contact Gravel, Ground, Air Heat Exchanger—Application in Single-Family Residential Passive Buildings

This paper presents proposals for using the direct-contact gravel, ground, air heat exchanger in single-family residential buildings with a passive house standard, according to the Passive House Institute (PHI). The methodology of their application consists of using heat and cold from the ground at an insignificant depth (about 1.5–4.0 m below the ground level for the central European climate) through an aggregate that is buried in the ground. This solution of simple installations is used for preheating and cooling fresh air drawn into the building through a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. In more complex applications it can be integrated with the source of heat and cold in passive buildings to create complete heating, cooling, and ventilation systems. In both cases, the air flowing through the exchanger is cooled and dried in summer, heated and humidified in winter, and filtered from pollen and bacteria all year. Direct contact of the deposit with the surrounding native soil facilitates rapid regeneration of the bed temperature. This article presents several proposals for integration with systems ensuring climatic comfort in a passive building, as exemplary applications. The paper presents preliminary estimates of energy (savings of up to 70% of electrical energy consumed), economic (SPBT = 3.65 years), and environmental (69.5% reduction in CO2 emissions) benefits related to implementing this solution in various configurations of technological systems for buildings in Poland. The calculations were carried out for the city of Poznań, taking into account the hourly intervals and using the author’s code written in MS Excel. The analysis of the operation of the direct-contact gravel, ground, air heat exchanger (GGAHE) system is based on a theoretical heat and mass exchange model. The integrated solutions of technical systems presented in this article provide an interesting alternative to traditional heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.

DREWNIANE CERKWIE POLSKO-UKRAIŃSKIEGO POGRANICZA

During the period of the difficult birth and development of Polish statehood and the formation of the national spirit in the lands of present-day Ukraine, architecture became an important marker for these tendencies. For centuries, these structures had been built at the point of contact between Latin and Eastern cultures. Christian churches of the Eastern rite – wooden Orthodox churches – were the most numerous, right after wooden Latin churches, group of religious buildings in Poland, and are the largest in present-day Ukraine. In comparison to Latin churches, the forms of Orthodox ones are much more diverse. The research conducted by the author in the years 1989-2002 made it possible to identify many of the most valuable orthodox churches in Western Ukraine. Today remains only hope that the current Russo-Ukrainian war will not deplete this priceless cultural heritage.

Energy Performance of a Novel Hybrid Air Conditioning System Built on Gravity-Assisted Heat Pipe-Based Indirect Evaporative Cooler

A hybrid air conditioning system, which is composed of a novel gravity-assisted heat pipe (GAHP)-based indirect evaporative cooler (IEC) and direct expansion (DX) cooling coil, is proposed and investigated here. After developing a mathematical model to describe the performance of the GAHP-based IEC, the hybrid system is evaluated during the cooling design day for providing thermal comfort for an office building in Poland. The results are obtained and compared with the combination of a rotary heat exchanger (RHE) and DX cooling coil as the conventional hybrid system. The comparison is performed by analyzing cooling capacity, electricity consumption, and coefficient of performance profiles, which describe the technical, energy, and efficiency aspects, respectively. The results show that the GAHP-based IEC hybrid system is able to enhance the energy performance significantly compared to the conventional one. The proposed hybrid HVAC system improves COP by 39.2% and reduces electricity consumption by 45.0%, according to the design-day of 24 August and the outdoor temperature of 30 °C. As a result, the total operating cost for the assumed cooling season is reduced by 51.7%.

Assessment of the Possibility of Using Various Types of Renewable Energy Sources Installations in Single-Family Buildings as Part of Saving Final Energy Consumption in Polish Conditions

The aim of this work is to develop a model of heat supply to buildings with almost zero energy consumption, indicating the significant importance of heat losses and gains in heating installations. The prepared model is to indicate the need for changes in the structure and topology of heating installations, resulting from the changing heat demand of buildings. The need to create a new model is heightened by changes that relate to tightening legal regulations related to energy consumption and demand, which must meet the standards of buildings in Poland from 2021. The article presents the assumptions and results of analyses of the use of energy installations in residential buildings that use renewable energy sources to balance energy consumption in various areas of its use. To achieve this goal, calculations were made using simulations of the impact of the use of installations using renewable energy sources on the energy performance of a building with different quality of partitions and improvement of energy efficiency in accordance with the Polish standard PN-EN 12831. The test results allow to choose the most advantageous, from the point of view of economic profitability, option of replacing installations in residential buildings, and they also allow to determine the possibilities of meeting national obligations in the field of final energy reduction and increasing the share of renewable energy sources in meeting its demand in accordance with the EU obligations imposed on Poland. Thermomodernization of buildings in the temperate climate zone allows for a reduction of 38% of energy demand over the entire life cycle of a building and a reduction of CO2 emissions by 99%.

Diagnostics and technical condition assessment of large-panel residential buildings in Poland

In the 1970s and 1980s, large-panel constructions were a popular residential building technology in the Central European countries of the so-called “Eastern Bloc”. Now, these over 50-year-old structures are still in use despite changing requirements and standards of use. The paper presents typical technical problems in prefabricated buildings in Poland and possible solutions. Both in situ and laboratory tests were conducted; mechanical, physicochemical, and structural tests were carried out in more than 400 selected buildings. This analysis set the basis for developing diagnostic methods used to predict the technical condition of large-panel constructions in Poland. An official technical report was also prepared as a basis for introducing legislative work at the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, which was completed in 2020. As a result, laws were adopted with the view of providing financial support to local governments so that they can carry out technical modernisation works in large-panel buildings in Poland. The project has been ongoing for ten years and will include more than 2000 pre-fabricated buildings.

Metabolomic analysis of photosynthetic biofilms on building façades in temperate climate zones

The aim of the study was to incorporate a multidimensional approach to the biodeteriorative influence of aerophytic algal biofilms colonising building materials, such as bricks and plasters in temperature climate zones. Stichococcus sp., Klebsormidium sp., Chlorococcum infusionum, Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudochlorella signiensis were detected in green biofilms covering internal and external walls of buildings in Poland. Their growth led to changes in the material's colour in the range of ΔE = 10.82–37.67, as well high water retention and absorptivity. The moisture content of analysed materials ranged from 9.00 to 14.59%. Further, the direct influence of algal growth on the mechanical properties of the analysed materials was not found. For metabolome analysis laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry with silver-109 and gold nanoparticles was used. Derivatives of sulfuric compounds and organic acids were detected but this was not the case for metabolites with well-documented biodeteriorative potential. 109AgNPET LDI MS allowed for the detection of 43 different metabolic pathways, using AuNPET LDI MS 25 pathways. In total, 110 metabolites were found. Although the spectrum of metabolites detected using 109AgNPET LDI MS was broader, AuNPET LDI MS allowed for the detection of pathways that were not found by 109AgNPET LDI MS. The combination of both methods allowed for the widest range of results.

Thermal comfort tests in the selected building in Poland

The article focuses on research on thermal sensations, thermal preferences and thermal sensations vote. The analysis was made on the basis of examining 6 lecture halls in the “Energis” didactic building of the Kielce University of Technology. Air temperature, relative humidity, black sphere temperature, carbon dioxide concentration and air velocity were measured in the tested rooms. There were also surveys concerning thermal impressions prevailing in the lecture halls. On the basis of the answers obtained by the respondents, charts were drawn up regarding thermal sensations, the assessment of air humidity and thermal preferences. It was found that most of the respondents did not feel well in the conditions in which they were staying. Providing users with the right thermal conditions has a significant impact on their health, productivity and well-being.

Financing of Activities Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Residential Buildings in Poland

Financing of Activities Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Residential Buildings in Poland

The Adaptive Re-Use of Historic Manor Buildings in Poland. The Maciejewo (Matzdorf) Palace in Western Pomerania, as a Specific Case

Based upon the example of the historic palace and park complex in Maciejewo (Matzdorf), in Western Pomerania, Poland, the issues of the adaptation of historic mansions and palaces to modern functions are discussed. The palace in Maciejewo illustrates the thesis that, in order to survive, historic buildings must be used for purposes corresponding to their structure. Many historic residences in the Western Lands have lost their original function and need a new one to survive. These processes of functional adaptation, in some cases, have to be repeated, when monuments become affected by a loss of their functionality. The concept of “re-adaptation” is introduced, in the sense of the revitalization of a facility, combined with a change in its function. The palace in Maciejewo is an example of a facility that is undergoing another functional metamorphosis—adaptive re-use—after having been an agricultural school, a recreation centre and a hotel, to its current phase of becoming an exclusive nursing home. The article discusses the necessary architectural changes resulting from the introduction of a new function (in the case discussed, that of a nursing home). The re-adaptation was carried out considering conservation guidelines and according to adaptive re-use methodology.

MIĘDZY TRADYCJĄ A NOWOCZESNOŚCIĄ – NA PRZYKŁADZIE ZESPOŁU SAKRALNEGO W KRAKOWIE – NOWEJ HUCIE

Sacred buildings in Poland in the 20th century are characterized by a great variety of forms – although the sacred world is by its nature conservative. Different conditions should be taken into account when designing a church. In the sphere of sacred art and architecture one should rationally draw from the treasury of the new and the old. After World War II over 3,500 new churches were built in Poland, including the church in Nowa Huta in Krakow. This realization is an attempt to reconcile traditional forms with modernity and with the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council.

The Required Amount of Ventilation Air for the Classroom and the Possibility of Air Infiltration through the Windows

The majority of education buildings in Poland are equipped with natural (gravity) ventilation, where the air inflow depends on the level of window airtightness. A complete statistical urban population of 50 school buildings in Czestochowa have been examined. The main issue to be clarified is the answer to the following questions: Is it theoretically possible to supply enough air to meet the ventilation requirements with gravity ventilation? What is the airtightness of the windows at which it will be possible? The average technical conditions of windows in the analysed buildings were bad. However, only in the case in which high external air leakage coefficient a = 7.0 m3/(h m daPa2/3) (q100KL = 32.4912 m3/(h m) is the amount of air passing through the leaks similar to the quantitative ventilation requirements for classrooms. The quantity of air flowing from the outside through modernized windows that meet the technical requirements (a = 0.6 to 1.0 m3/(m h daPa2/3)) covers on average only about 12% and about 21% of the ventilation needs. Without installing additional vents in the rooms, or better yet, installing mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, meeting the ventilation norm requirements will be impossible.

Design and implementation of nZEB buildings in Poland. Building certification.

The article will discuss the design and construction aspects of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) in Poland. It is the newest building standard introduced by the Directive on the energy performance of buildings 2010/31/EU. The directive made the implementation of nZEB buildings compulsory in European countries. The article will present analyzes of the energy performance of nZEB buildings, in accordance with Polish legal requirements, and discuss the possibility of achieving this standard in terms of economic efficiency. An important issue is also the certification of newly designed buildings, allowing the promotion of buildings with more restrictive parameters than the minimum energy efficiency requirements specified for nZEB buildings. In the article, the authors will present the developed methodology for certifying buildings in Poland, based on the requirements related to energy efficiency, and on in situ testing of buildings. The article will also present examples of building certification in Poland.

Modern Architecture of School Buildings in Poland. Selected Design Issues on The Example of Two School Buildings Built in the 21st Century

This article concerns the design and architecture of educational facilities in Poland. It presents selected architectural and spatial solutions for modern primary school buildings. The article is based on a juxtaposition of two school buildings built in the second decade of the 21st century, located in the central and southern part of the country. Contemporary buildings were selected to draw attention to the changing approach to design and the development of architecture dedicated to the youngest recipients, emphasizing important aspects of the school space in the era of growing demands and social awareness. The analysis of the buildings indicated in the article was carried out on the basis of the available literature on the subject, comparison with typical buildings in Poland, and in situ research in school buildings, with an emphasis on the key aspects of the functional and spatial arrangement in the presented facilities, determining the target educational space for students. A school building in Poland, in the minds of many architecture recipients, is associated with a typical building, such as 'millennial schools', created as part of the campaign to build a thousand schools - monuments related to the celebration of the Millennium of the Polish State. The typification period, abounding in many buildings that still function to this day, lasted almost twenty years until 1981, when the standard for typical schools was repealed. At that time, the search for the perfect form of the building as well as flexible and functional school spaces, tailored to the scale of the youngest recipients, began. The classroom, which used to be the only condition for the functioning of the school, turned out to be insufficient. Modern projects have started to be implemented, which systematically contribute to the creation of a new image of the school as a friendly and modern institution, maintained in an optimal and holistic development-oriented educational environment.

Comparison of conventional and passive public utility buildings in Poland

Poland sees the increasing popularisation of sustainable housing and the growing awareness of the importance of sport development. A good physical condition of residents translates into effective work, whereas caring for the environment improves living standards. Introducing healthy lifestyle from an early age has the best results. Due to this fact in Poland every school has its own sports hall. The pilot programme to build swimming pools near every primary school was introduced in Lower-Silesian district and it is called ‘Dolnośląski Delfinek’ (Lower Silesian Little Dolphin). Swimming pool buildings are characterised by high demand for heat. Their operation burdens district budgets and indirectly every taxpayer. Those facilities are occasionally rented commercially to earn some money for maintenance expenses. The costs usually exceed the income of those buildings. The article discusses results of thermo-vision (infrared) tests and presents the analysis of the technical documentation of twenty eight public utility buildings located in Poland. The investigations encompass conventional, energy-saving and passive buildings. The conventional buildings described in the work are school swimming pools from the programme ‘Dolnośląski Delfinek’ (Lower-Silesian Little Dolphin), whereas energy-saving and passive buildings include office, industrial, hotel, educational and sports buildings (including an indoor swimming pool). This article aims to find the most effective design manner and energy-saving sports buildings construction such as swimming pools. The results obtained in the tests indicate the necessity of compliance with the energy-saving technology in the design and construction of public utility buildings. A conclusion arises that swimming pool buildings are the most suitable candidates for passive buildings.

Fire Experiment Inside a Very Large and Open-Plan Compartment: x-ONE

The traditional design fires commonly considered in structural fire engineering, like the standard fire and Eurocode parametric fires, were developed several decades ago based on experimental compartments smaller than 100 m2 in floor area. These experiments led to the inherent assumption of flashover in design fires and that the temperatures and burning conditions are uniform in the whole of the compartment, regardless of its size. However, modern office buildings often have much larger open-plan floor areas (e.g. the Shard in London has a floor area of 1600 m2) where non-uniform fire conditions are likely to occur. This paper presents observations from a large-scale fire experiment x-ONE conducted inside a concrete farm building in Poland. The objective of x-ONE was to capture experimentally a natural fire inside a large and open plan compartment. With an open-plan floor area of 380 m2, x-ONE is the largest compartment fire experiment carried out to date. The fire was ignited at one end of the compartment and allowed to spread across a continuous wood crib (fuel load ~ 370 MJ/m2). A travelling fire with clear leading and trailing edges was observed spreading along 29 m of the compartment length. The flame spread rate was not constant but accelerated with time from 3 mm/s to 167 mm/s resulting in a gradually changing fire size. The fire travelled across the compartment and burned out at the far end 25 min after ignition. Flashover was not observed. The thermocouples and cameras installed along the fire path show clear near-field and far-field regions, indicating highly non-uniform spatial temperatures and burning within the compartment. The fire dynamics observed during this experiment are completely different to the fire dynamics reported in small scale compartments in previous literature and to the assumptions made in traditional design fires for structural design. This highlights the need for further research and experiments in large compartments to understand the fire dynamics and continue improving the safe design of modern buildings.