Abstract
Energy saving is one of the driving forces in renovation of buildings. Ideally, energy savings should cover the cost of renovation. For purposes of cost efficiency, energy use before and after renovation should be known as accurately as possible. If the energy saving target is too ambitious, energy use after renovation could increase notably and, vice versa, if the target is too low, renovation may not be feasible. In this study we analyze how well the energy saving targets are achieved in renovated apartment buildings in Estonia. The analysis is based on measurements and simulations of indoor climate and energy use in 20 comprehensively renovated apartment buildings. A professional designer and consultant have made an energy audit and design solution before the renovation. Our task was to check the energy audit and compare target and real energy use. We found out that in most cases energy auditors have not assessed existing structures and ventilation correctly, and that basic energy audits should be more detailed in order to assess the existing buildings’ energy consumption. Energy saving targets after renovation were also overoptimistic. Based on our research the Estonian energy renovation grant scheme was upgraded.
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Acknowledgements
This article was supported by the Estonian Centre of Excellence in Zero Energy and Resource Efficient Smart Buildings and Districts, ZEBE, grant TK146, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and by the Estonian Research Council, with Institutional research funding grant IUT1−15. Authors would also like to Fund Kredex for cooperation and financial support for our research work.
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Hamburg, A., Kalamees, T. (2019). Improving the Indoor Climate and Energy Saving in Renovated Apartment Buildings in Estonia. In: Johansson, D., Bagge, H., Wahlström, Å. (eds) Cold Climate HVAC 2018. CCC 2018. Springer Proceedings in Energy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00662-4_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00662-4_21
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