The construction of energy-efficient buildings and the use of renewable sources of energy is becoming the necessary reality for reducing CO2 emissions and solving the problem of climate change in Belarus. Since July 2018, with the support of the European Union, in Ašmiany the project ‘Implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures Aiming at Sustainable Energy Development of Ašmiany Raion of Belarus’ has been under implementation. The project includes reconstruction of the building of the State Educational Institution ‘Nursery and Kindergarten No. 3 of the city of Ašmiany’, where energy-efficient and energy-saving technologies are applied. More specific information has been provided to us by the director of the Department of Capital Construction of Ašmiany district Stanislav Petrovych Khilinskiy.
– Stanislav Petrovych, tell us about energy-efficient technologies introduced within the project.
– First of all, thermal refurbishment of external walls of the building facades and roof, with mineral wool plate application, were performed. But these, definitely, cannot be called innovative solutions. Out of new technologies which were applied in the reconstruction of the kindergarten building for the first time there should be mentioned the system of heat pumps for heating of the building. Such system is designed for working at the external air temperature up to -5°С. At the temperature below minus 5°С the system gets connected to the boiler house of the housing and utilities infrastructure. During reconstruction solar collectors for hot water supply and PV stations for electricity generation will also be installed. To reduce heat losses assembly of the ventilation system with heat exchange will be performed.
– According to your estimates, how much will consumption of heat and electric power as well as CО2 emissions at the given facility go down after work completion?
– According to experts’ estimations, the consumption of heat and electric power will be reduced by 50%. CО2 emission will go down by more than 150 tones of СО2-eq. a year.
– Impressive results. What prospects do you see for further cooperation with the European Union in the field of energy and climate in Ašmiany raion?
– We can see a lot of opportunities for cooperation with the European Union. This project is just one first serious step in the implementation of joint projects in Ašmiany raion. In particular, there is substantial potential in the social field, housing construction. The European experience is always useful for us, and, as I think, it needs to be expanded and disseminated. Construction of energy-efficient facilities is a highly important stage of development and cooperation, since those buildings allow to save energy and budgetary funds.
– As an expert in the construction, what recommendations could you give a person willing to build an energy-efficient house in Belarus?
– Energy resources are becoming more expensive, so I would recommend everyone, if possible, to build an energy-efficient house. First of all, one needs to insulate fencing structures to preserve heat. Also, one should not forget about renewable sources of energy and apply them. Here one may again mention solar collectors for hot water supply, heat pumps of different types, ventilation system with heat exchange. As far as installation of solar panels is concerned, in Belarus they operate most efficiently from May to October. In the following period their efficiency goes down.
The construction organization performing the works in the kindergarten has also received a new and precious experience of implementing such pilot objects. The chief engineer of the general contracting organization of the project of OJSC Stroitel Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Tarnapovich has shared it with us:
– Aleksandr Aleksandrovich, have you been faced with any complexities in the course of the project implementation? If yes, how did you cope with them?
– The most important thing in the implementation of any construction project is stable and ongoing funding. If affects the rhythm of construction and assembly work performance, material supply, staff load, and keeping to the approved schedule. In the course of project implementation at the beginning of the year there was a small pause in funding. Not to stop works and not to be late with the schedule, we were forced to register a credit facility. Further one, everything got going, all the issues were settled. At the current stage, everything is stable.
– What European experience in the field of construction and reconstruction of buildings has been most useful for you?
– This project presupposes assembly and replacement of window blocks, façade insulation, a new heating system. I will tell you what we were faced with just in this facility. Windows were assembled flush levelled with external walls, at our previous facilities there were no such nodes. Those nodes were worked with according to the recommendations given by the European experts. Also, façade insulation in this project was performed using thermotechnical calculations, with increased insulator thickness (160 mm, this ensuring the coefficient of thermal resistance of walls at the rate of 4.17 оC·m/W, the same as under the EU norms). There may be mentioned the heating system which will consist of three sources at this facility. Besides the central heat network, such source as a heat pump has been designed here, and it will be used both for the heating system, and for hot water supply. Further on, that is a solar system that will work all the year-round. Both the solar system and the heat pumps system are used for hot water supply. They are interchangeable in case one system does not cope with the technical needs. All those ‘novelties’ are now being brought into life in accordance with design solutions.
– These are very interesting and prospective energy-efficient solutions in construction which, as we hope, will be actively applied in Ašmiany raion and throughout the territory of the country. And here is the last question. What are the planned deadlines for the facility commissioning?
– Under the contract, the facility is to be commissioned in October of the current year. But taking into account the customer’s wishes, we will try to make a present for the raion and finish this facility ahead of schedule. We intend to put it into operation by September 1.