Housing Energy Efficiency Research Articles

The Challenge of Energy Efficiency in Social Housing: An Evaluation of Envelope's Improvements and their Economic Effects

Objective: This study aims to propose a combination of modifications to the envelope of a Social Housing (SH) project and evaluate their impacts on thermal load reduction and cost increase, staying within the budgetary constraints. Theoretical Framework: The Minha Casa Minha Vida Program (PMCMV) prioritizes architectural solutions focused on large-scale production and reduced unit costs, at the expense of environmental comfort and energy efficiency. However, efforts to raise the standards of habitability and quality of life are evident in the new 2023 program version and its regulations for new projects. Method: This case study assesses the envelope classification of an SH project applied to 20 sets of construction modifications and 4 deployment orientations, using the Inmetro Normative Instruction for Building Energy Efficiency (INI-R). Thermal load reduction and cost increment analysis will be performed. Results and Discussion: For each deployment orientation, the modifications that resulted in the greatest reduction in thermal load. This reduction ranged between 20% and 26.5% for the four orientations, with an additional cost ranging from 6% to 16%. Research Implications: Energy efficiency measures, even if they entail higher costs, may provide economic benefits during the operation and maintenance phases of the properties within PMCMV standards. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the dissemination of the simplified method of INI-R for envelope analysis in buildings and may influence improvements in public policies related to environmental quality in housing programs.

An architectural design framework to promote healthy indoor-outdoor connections in Arctic housing

This research proposes biophilic intermediate spaces as a promising architectural solution to improve indoor-outdoor connections, occupant well-being, and energy efficiency in Arctic housing. Basic examples of intermediate spaces in Arctic housing models include porches and vestibules. However, the architecture of these spaces has not yet been optimized to adress extreme climatic conditions and occupants’ needs. Therefore, this research develops an architectural design framework to optimize the architecture of intermediate spaces for Arctic housing to meet occupants’ well-being needs and improve housing energy efficiency. The research methodology combines an archetypal approach, exploratory case study analysis, and scoping literature review. The archetypal study examines the historical development of Canadian Arctic housing models in Nunavut, revealing the typological evolution, features, potentials, and deficiencies of intermediate spaces in the Arctic. The study identifies of the main design variables and performance indicators of intermediate spaces corresponding to healthy and positive indoor-outdoor connections, thermal and visual comfort, and energy efficiency. A conceptual model of an intermediate space is then simulated as an exploratory case study for a public Canadian Arctic residential building. The architectural design framework is established based on findings from the literature, archetypal studies of Arctic housing, and simulation results of an integrated model for an intermediate space and a public Arctic housing model in Nunavut. The proposed framework includes main architectural variables such as physical adjacency, material, orientation, space depth, and transparency ratio which impact thermal, lighting, and energy performance. This design framework can serve as a reference for creating policies and decision-making processes that integrate biophilic intermediate spaces with Arctic building practices, contributing to Canada's strategic plan for energy efficiency and vegetable production in the Arctic.

Sustainable construction materials for low-cost housing: Thermal insulation potential of expanded SBR composites with leather waste

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort in low-income housing, especially in regions prone to extreme climatic conditions. Conventional construction materials such as bricks and concrete exhibit shortcomings in energy efficiency, resulting in high indoor temperatures. This scenario not only impacts residents' well-being but also increases energy consumption, especially for air conditioning systems, potentially straining the electrical infrastructure in hot climate areas, leading to power outages and adverse consequences for the community and local industry. This study proposes an innovative and sustainable solution: the use of expanded styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) with micronized leather shavings, possessing thermal insulation properties. The thermal insulation capacity of the composites was evaluated using heat flow methods, hot/cold plate heat flow analysis, and impedance tube acoustic method. The SBR/Leather waste composite at 20 phr emerges as a viable, promising, and sustainable alternative, exhibiting significant thermal insulation capacity with a thermal conductivity of 0.073 Wm-1.K−1 and temperature attenuation close to 15 °C, potentially enhancing comfort and quality of life in urban areas. The thermal insulation results of the other composites also surpassed traditional construction materials such as building boards, plywood, fiberglass, asphalt roofing, and cement tiles. The study demonstrates the feasibility of reusing leather as a reinforcing filler in rubber-based foams to produce thermal insulation materials, offering a sustainable solution to mitigate urban heating and improve quality of life in cities.

Housing policies and energy efficiency spillovers in low and moderate income communities

Housing policies address the human dimensions of increasing urban density, but their energy and sustainability implications are hard to measure due to challenges with siloed civic data. This is especially critical when evaluating policies targeting low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. For example, a major challenge to achieving national energy efficiency goals has been participation by LMI households. Standalone energy efficiency policies, such as information-based programmes and weatherization assistance, tend to attract affluent, informed households or suffer from low participation rates. In this Article, we provide evidence that federal housing policies, specifically community development block grants, accelerate energy efficiency participation from LMI households, including renters and multifamily residents. We conduct record linkage on 5.9M observations of housing programme participation and utility consumption to quantify the hidden benefits of locally administered housing block grants in a typical entitlement community in the US Southeast. We provide long-run evidence across 16,680 properties that housing policies generate 5–11% energy savings as spillover benefits to economically burdened households not conventionally targeted for energy efficiency participation.

Balancing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in high-rise public housing in Hong Kong: Insights and recommendations

As global warming intensifies, passive design for public housing in hot and humid climates has become a pressing issue. Achieving a balance between thermal comfort and energy conservation is particularly challenging in low-income public rental housing, where residents may endure extended periods of uncomfortable and unhealthy thermal conditions without resorting to air conditioning. In this study, EnergyPlus simulations are employed in combination with a novel thermal-comfort-based HVAC control approach to evaluate the performance of 14 Passive Cooling Strategies (PCS) in optimizing thermal comfort and energy conservation in high-rise public apartments of various sizes and orientations in Hong Kong, particularly under extreme summer conditions. The results reveal that, during extreme summer weather, the implementation of PCS primarily enhances thermal comfort conditions in May and September, while facing challenges in creating comfortable conditions during peak summer months. Most PCSs struggle to improve indoor comfort while simultaneously reducing energy consumption, with two exceptions: 1) Cross-ventilation-based designs enhance thermal comfort without increasing cooling energy consumption. 2) With energy-saving HVAC and opening control behavior, coupled with the use of fans for improving indoor thermal comfort, all PCSs can achieve a simultaneous improvement in thermal comfort and a reduction in cooling energy consumption. This results in a reduction in summer air-conditioning operation time of up to 50% and a decrease in air-conditioning cooling energy consumption of up to 30%. Regarding the impact of building size and orientation: 1) Small apartments show a heightened sensitivity to PCSs, particularly concerning indoor temperature, thermal comfort, and cooling energy consumption. 2) The influence of building orientation on cooling and comfort time in any PCS varies by less than 10% of its average and is even lower in PCSs with lower internal heat gain.

Overcoming the “tenant-owner dilemma” to foster energy efficiency in residential private rented housing

Purpose The Recast Energy Efficiency Directive 2023 has defined the concept of “split incentive,” also known as “tenant-owner dilemma.” This dilemma refers to the situation where neither landlords nor tenants have incentives to invest in energy efficiency upgrades. Although the Energy Efficiency Directive calls Member States to overcome legal barriers to remove split incentives and to encourage retrofits, the list of possible measures is too vague. This paper aims to discuss tenancy law measures designed to increase the energy efficiency of residential housing and to detect which Member States have already addressed this phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses, from a civil legal perspective, the possible private law barriers arising from the tenant-owner dilemma when performing energy efficiency works in selected countries and proposes legal reforms in tenancy law and related policies to overcome them. To do so, this paper follows a legal-dogmatic and comparative law methodology. Findings This paper concludes that some tenancy law provisions, such as the possibility to increase the rent after energy efficiency renovations and long-term leases, may challenge the tenant-owner dilemma in private rented markets, thus promoting renovations and retrofitting for energy efficiency purposes. It also proposes other policies intended to increase parties’ willingness to undertake works. Research limitations/implications More research on the economic and legal efficiency to regulate some of the civil law measures to challenge the tenant-owner dilemma should be necessary. Practical implications The civil law measures included in this paper may help national policymakers meet the energy efficiency targets, according to what is established in the Recast Energy Efficiency Directive 2023. Originality/value Based on the economic theory of the tenant-owner dilemma, this paper investigates the elements of tenancy law that may contribute to less energy-efficient homes, proposing policies for those countries interested in addressing the energy-efficiency challenge from a private law point of view.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE CREATION OF AUTONOMOUS ENERGY REGIONS IN UKRAINE

The transition to energy generation from renewable sources is a strategic imperative for many countries around the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made the transition to renewable energy more urgent, as countries want to reduce their dependence on fossil fuel imports from Russia. One of the options for increasing energy security, independence, and environmental friendliness of energy production in Ukraine is the creation of autonomous energy regions. The deployment of decentralized infrastructure for the production of green energy is not an easy task, from an economic point of view it is associated with great prospects and problems. Therefore, the analysis of the socio-economic aspects of the full or partial transition to autonomous systems of renewable energy in the regions of Ukraine is relevant.
 The purpose of the article is to study the economic and social prospects and problems to the creation of autonomous energy regions in Ukraine based on world experience. The study identified the main problems of the energy system of Ukraine, analyzed the trends of the renewable energy production market, and considered cases of successful creation of autonomous energy regions in different countries of the world. The article formulates the main social and economic perspectives and problems to the creation of autonomous energy regions in Ukraine. 
 Based on the analyzed examples, the authors singled out the main success factors for the implementation of projects of autonomous energy regions, in particular, the involvement of the local population and business in the development of a new energy network, the creation of an "ecological brand", the possibility of exporting the generated electricity, support for ecological startups, increasing the energy efficiency of housing. The main socio-economic prospects for Ukrainian communities on this path are energy independence, reducing energy supply costs, creating jobs, developing local businesses, building an "ecological brand" increasing the investment attractiveness of the region, improving the quality of life and health of the population. The most critical problems to the successful implementation of the project of autonomous energy regions in Ukraine are the lack of a consistent policy of the central government in the field of green energy, the lack of initiatives of local authorities and communities in this area, difficulties in attracting long-term investments for the implementation of the project.
 As the majority of developed countries are still on the path to decarbonization, the need for a global recovery of Ukraine's energy infrastructure can be a chance to significantly modernize the energy system and join the leading players in the market of renewable energy and sustainable development technologies. The study is practically significant because it offers a perspective vision of the development of the energy system of Ukraine's regions to reduce the state's dependence on fossil fuel imports, increase energy efficiency and safety, and economic and social development of Ukraine's regions. Further implementation of this idea requires a study of the volumes of reserves of renewable energy sources in certain regions of Ukraine, an analysis of the means of stimulating the green energy market (for example, "green" auctions or corporate PPAs), the creation of projects of regional strategies for the transition to renewable energy, etc.

Assessing the Impact of Shallow Renovation on Energy Poverty: A Primary Data Study

One of the main identified causes of energy poverty (EP) is the low energy efficiency of housing. In this line, since 2018, public administrations and NGOs collaborating with the Naturgy Foundation’s Energy Renovation Solidarity Fund have implemented several shallow renovation interventions in 3660 Spanish vulnerable households. However, the effects of these measures on domestic energy affordability were not evaluated before because of a lack of a proper method. This paper presents a methodology to objectively assess the impact of these interventions on EP. In particular, this work proposes calculating a hidden EP indicator using data from a primary survey and applies it to a local case study (54 vulnerable households in Catalonia—10% of dwellings renovated by the Fund in the region) by processing their characteristics and energy bills before and after the implementation of the interventions. Considering the whole sample of households analysed, the hidden EP indicator drops by 10% in absolute terms (11.2% in relative terms) after the retrofit, and the average EP gap goes from 423 €/year to 313 €/year, thus marking a significant positive effect of the analysed interventions on the EP situation of this population. Eventually, extrapolating the results to the vulnerable population in Spain, this paper points out a series of recommendations that could be useful for decision-makers and organisations when designing and implementing shallow renovation interventions.

Assessing housing exposures and interventions that impact healthy cities: a systematic overview of reviews.

There are direct links between housing and health. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews that bring together the evidence to outline the health impacts of exposures in housing and housing interventions. This article aims to address this gap by synthesising systematic reviews on the themes of housing exposures and interventions. We searched four databases: Scopus (Elsevier), PsycINFO (OvidSP), Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index (Web of Science Core Collection), and the Sociology Collection (Proquest). We used keywords related to 'health' and 'city*' and included all types of reviews. We extracted data into a predesigned extraction form and synthesised information narratively. 745 articles were identified and screened, of which 256 reviews were included and 16 (6%) related to housing. All reviews related to housing exposures found that poor housing, including crowding, coldness, dampness, mould, and indoor air pollution had a negative impact on health. Most reviews found that housing interventions such as housing refurbishment, heating, and energy efficiency interventions positively impacted health outcomes. An online toolkit was developed to disseminate and communicate this research: https://www.healthycitiescommission.org/toolkit/. Governments have a pivotal role in addressing health issues related to housing interventions and exposures in housing. This includes interventions through building regulations following international guidance and financial assistance to encourage housing modifications that will improve health.

Pricing energy consumption and residential energy‐efficiency investment: An optimal tax approach

AbstractWe analyze a Pareto optimal income tax problem à la Mirrlees in which households consume three types of goods: energy goods, energy‐efficient investments, and nonenergy goods. The two main ingredients of our normative analysis are: (i) an indirect relationship between energy and the satisfaction of energy needs, as energy‐efficient investments transform energy into services, such as light, heating, and air conditioning; and (ii) imperfect information of the policy designer as regards the level of energy efficiency of households' housing and their labor market productivity. Each household differs with respect to these two latter characteristics, and the government designs a nonlinear income tax combined with energy and energy‐efficient investment nonlinear pricing that maximizes a weighted sum of households' utilities. We show that a benevolent social planner should distort energy prices in a way that depends on the difference between the saturation of energy needs and the complementarity between energy and the level of energy efficiency in the provision of energy services. A sufficient condition for energy consumption to be subsidized is that the rebound effect is small. Second, when individuals can invest in energy efficiency on top of energy consumption, these investments should always be subsidized and the marginal subsidy should always be higher than the one on energy consumption.

Ceramic Thermal Insulator Based on Diatomite Obtained by Starch Consolidation Casting.

Researchers are continuously seeking to develop new materials to protect against inclement weather and thus optimize energy efficiency in housing. This research aimed to determine the influence of corn starch percentage on the physicomechanical and microstructural properties of a diatomite-based porous ceramic. The starch consolidation casting technique was applied to fabricate a diatomite-based thermal insulating ceramic with hierarchical porosity. Diatomite mixtures with 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% starch were consolidated. The results show that starch content significantly influences apparent porosity, and this, in turn, influences several parameters, such as thermal conductivity, diametral compressive strength, microstructure, and water absorption of diatomite-based ceramics. The porous ceramic processed by the starch consolidation casting method corresponding to the mixture of diatomite with 30% starch obtained the best properties, with a thermal conductivity of 0.0984 W/m·K, an apparent porosity of 57.88%, a water absorption of 58.45%, and a diametral compressive strength of 35.18 kg/cm2 (3.45 MPa). Our results reveal that the diatomite-based ceramic thermal insulator obtained by starch consolidation is effective for use on roofs to improve thermal comfort in dwellings located in cold regions.

Does the energy efficiency of buildings bring price premiums? Evidence from urban micro-level energy data

Energy efficient buildings can facilitate the achievement of sustainable development goals. However, higher investment costs are not conducive to the development of energy efficient buildings. It is not clear whether the energy efficiency of buildings (EEBs) bring price premiums that could offset the incremental costs of adopting green practice. In this paper, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is constructed that takes into account the differences in regional and urban size to measure the EEBs in 54 cities of China during 2007–2018. We evaluate the influence of EEBs on price premiums by using fixed effects regression. We then adopt a moderated mediation model to explore the impact of industrial structure and the regional economic development level on this premium effect. The empirical results show that the cities’ EEBs is gradually improving, due to the fact that the level of technical progress in residential construction is rising. A 1% increase in house energy efficiency causes price premiums of 0.583%. Moreover, this premium effect is more obvious in cities with a high proportion of tertiary industries and economically developed areas. Considering energy consumption in household heating, the housing prices expectations were pulled down in heating cities, while the situation was reversed in non-heating cities. This study provides companies and governments with scientific evidence to promote EEBs.

Energy poverty in the Energy Community region: Interrogating policy formulation and coverage.

The capacity of the state to develop and implement policy at the complex nexus of energy infrastructure, social inequality and housing is indicative of the political priorities of governing structures and, by extension, the nature of statecraft more generally. We compare and contrast the energy poverty amelioration policies of two former Yugoslav and two post-Soviet states located outside the European Union, but seeking to join its regulatory sphere - Serbia, Montenegro, Ukraine and Georgia - against the background of deep and persistent patterns of domestic energy hardship. We are particularly interested in uncovering the time horizons, socio-technical systems and target constituencies of different policy measures, as well as energy sector-specific responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that most states in the region have done little to address some of the more substantive challenges around improving housing quality, energy efficiency and gender inequality. However, energy poverty is present in the policy lexicon of all case study countries, and Ukraine, in particular, has advanced a number of more sophisticated approaches and programmes.

Tax Policies for Housing Energy Efficiency in Italy: A Risk Analysis Model for Energy Service Companies

The Superbonus is an Italian tax relief policy aimed at encouraging residential buildings’ energy and seismic efficiency. Only the energy part of the legislation is analyzed here. The tax deductions of the Superbonus exceed the nominal value of the project, making the interventions convenient even for economically disadvantaged citizens and small construction companies. However, the measure has only found wide diffusion in single-family housing, while it proceeds more slowly for multi-family buildings, where procedural complexities greatly amplify the risk of the financial failure of projects. The purpose of the paper is to analyze how urban planning and technical and administrative problems affect the Return on Investment (ROI) when the Superbonus is applied to multi-unit buildings. Therefore, a financial risk analysis is conducted from the perspective of an ordinary Energy Service Company (ESCo), which assumes the burden of carrying out energy efficiency measures. The property considered has all the requirements of an ordinary multi-family building for which the Superbonus is generally used. The works considered are also those carried out most frequently. The study shows that only three out of five energy interventions are financially sustainable. This result is in line with the data provided by the Italian Revenue Agency.

Public support for decarbonisation policies: Between self-interest and social need for alleviating energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom

Policies for transitions to decarbonised energy and transport systems have implications for social welfare. Here we firstly investigate, via focus groups, public support for policies that have implications for energy and transport poverty in a country with a sizeable incidence of both, the United Kingdom (UK). We then examine which of the publics’ policy preferences concur with those of a wider group of expert stakeholders (n = 47), observing concurrence in the top choices of both for: (i) better public transport; mandating improved energy efficiency in (ii) rental housing and (iii) new homes; and (iv) expanding an income supplement scheme (such as the Warm Home Discount). While the public are relatively supportive of policy for electric vehicles, expert stakeholders see the shift to convergent electrification and digitalisation in domestic contexts as carrying risks for lower income households and those less digitally literate. We highlight that many of the public questioned view themselves as likely to be worthy of assistance, given the level of price inflation in the UK. We conclude that decarbonisation policies require careful attention not only to infrastructure, but to social welfare policy if they are to carry public support.

Energy retrofit optimization for social building in temperate climate zone

This study analyses the energy consumption of a social housing built in the 80′s. This typology is widely diffused in the building stock of Rome and of the city’s suburbs and for this its improvement represents a dutiful effort for the Italian national scene, where the energy efficiency of public social housing is a major concern. Public funding is significantly reduced compared to the past and the conditions of the buildings are deteriorating over time, resulting in an increase in energy consumption for air conditioning and in indoor comfort conditions very far from the standards. Often it is also very difficult to act on the passive system, with the insertion of a thermal insulation, as well as inside the apartments, with the replacement of terminal units. For this reason a good way is to evaluate the possibility of modifying the thermal energy generation system, preserving as much as possible the distribution and supply system inside the apartments. In general, where the boiler is not obsolescent, the idea is to propose a hybrid generation system with the inclusion of a heat pump (HHP), which could be implemented with renewable energy equipment, properly installed in the building. The results show that a hybrid system can lower the primary energy consumption up to 28%, thus allowing the employment of renewable energies within the social housing building stock.

Energy security of Ukrainian regions in the context of increasing the resilience of their economy in conditions of global fluctuations

The war and its consequences for the Ukrainian economy have significantly increased the security challenges for most regions of our country. Security problems in the energy sector took one of the first places due to the destruction or damage of most energy infrastructure objects as a result of hostilities or artillery fire and missile strikes. The southern and northeastern regions are in the most threatening and difficult situation as their energy facilities are exposed to almost daily shelling. The situation is somewhat better in the central and western regions of Ukraine but there, too, missile strikes have significantly damaged a number of power plants, thermal power plants, transformer substations and other energy infrastructure facilities. All this urges the state authorities and local governments of each region of Ukraine to take urgent measures aimed at strengthening energy security and implementing modern systems for the protection of energy infrastructure objects. Primarily, the expediency of deconcentration and spatial distribution of energy generating and transmission capacities should be noted. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen their physical protection and stimulate the involvement of investments in the technological modernization of the regional energetics. The problem will be partly solved by implementing renewable energy components and increasing the efficiency of heat and power generation based on the use of alternative fuels.The introduction of technological innovations and the spatial distribution of energy facilities within individual regions may lead to an increase in transformational and transactional costs of energy production and its transmission to end users. Because of that magnification the energy efficiency of housing and communal services and budget institutions is very important direction of increasing energy security in almost all regions of Ukraine. To do this, energy-saving technologies should not only be introduced, but social populism, traditional for Ukraine, should be abandoned in the energy and housing and communal spheres in favor of market mechanisms for electricity and thermal energy pricing.

Comparison of different heating generator systems to reduce energy consumption in social housing in a Mediterranean climate.

This study analyses the energy consumption of a social housing built in the 80’s. This building typology is deteriorating over time with increased energy consumption for air conditioning and indoor comfort that is well below the standard. This typology is also widely diffused in the city’s building stock, especially in its suburbs. Thus, the energy efficiency of public social housing represents a major concern for the Italian national scene, and its improvement represents an effort of critical importance. However, public funding is significantly reduced compared to the past and. In addition, it is often difficult to act on passive systems, such as installing thermal insulation, or replacing terminal units inside apartments. In these cases, as an energy retrofit, it may be appropriate to evaluate the possibility of preserving as much of the existing distribution and supply system as possible, while modifying the thermal energy generation system. In general, where the boiler is not obsolescent, the idea is to propose a hybrid generation system with the inclusion of a heat pump (HHP), which could be implemented with renewable energy equipment, properly installed in the building. The main goal of the present work was to evaluate through dynamic analysis different HVAC scenarios, to assess the optimal configuration of the system for residential use. The results show that a hybrid system can lower the primary energy consumption up to 28%, thus allowing the employment of renewable energies within the social housing building stock.

House energy efficiency retrofits and loan maturity

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how households opt for their loan’s duration when it comes to energy efficiency retrofits (EERs). The primary focus is on the time horizon that these types of EERs will provide benefits to the households. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the second wave of the largest EER support program in Greece in recent years. The authors exploit an idiosyncrasy of the support program which offered interest-free loans. The baseline sample of this study includes approximately 18,000 households awarded the support and opted for a loan. To provide robustness and complement the analysis, the authors also use data from 38,000 households that were awarded support from the first wave of the EER program. Findings This study finds that EER investments that are likely to deliver longer-term benefits, in the form of energy savings, are positively associated with longer duration. This finding implies that households view such EERs as long-term investments that will consistently provide benefits in the future, thereby tolerating a longer period of incurring the inconvenience of paying monthly installments. Practical implications This study posits that an EER can be perceived by the household as an investment that saves money in the long term because of more efficient energy use. To this end, the authors bring forward the duration of the benefits accrued to the household as a driving factor to the household’s decision over the length of the loan. Originality/value This study expands on prior literature that has focused on consumer and loans for durables (e.g. cars) by examining EERs. However, EERs are different, as they can save households money in future periods. In addition, house EERs are at the forefront of energy policies and the design of future support programs at the epicenter of several initiatives.

VALUATION OF ENERGY INDICATORS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN UKRAINE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SOCIAL ASPECTS

One of the most serious problems of the housing and communal state is the inefficient use of energy resources. The condition of the enclosing structures of buildings does not meet current standards, and internal engineering networks are outdated and in need of modernization. The cost of maintaining the construction fund in Ukraine is several times higher than in European countries. Given Ukraine's energy dependence, increasing the energy efficiency of housing is an extremely important issue. One of the direct reforms in construction is the introduction of new energy efficiency standards in the regulatory framework, as well as the introduction of mandatory energy certification of buildings with the specified energy efficiency class. At the same time, the requirements for the level of housing quality and comfort in buildings are growing. The purpose of the study is to analyze the specific energy consumption of new residential buildings (starting in 2019) and a comparative assessment of energy consumption per capita for different cities in Ukraine and other countries. The study was conducted on the basis of statistical data and data from energy certificates for residential buildings provided in the Unified State System in the field of construction. The class of energy efficiency in the energy certificate is determined by certified energy auditors, taking into account European approaches to the calculation of energy consumption for different needs of buildings. With the entry into force of the Law of Ukraine "On Energy Certification of Buildings", the development of an energy certificate has become mandatory for new buildings, state-owned buildings, local government buildings and in case of attracting public funds for thermal modernization of buildings. The study also examined other social aspects, in particular, the results of assessing the ability of the population of Ukraine to pay for utilities and the level of quality of housing conditions in households.