A woman died of CO poisoning perhaps only because her son wanted to save money and he bought and installed a door in his new house. Insufficient air supply to the burning fuel is accompanied by a poorer quality of combustion and thus increased production of poisonous CO. If CO is not safely discharged outside the building by a flue-gas duct, it is only a matter of time when a disaster occurs. During the investigation, the judge asked questions to the workers of Energy Research Center relating to the formation of CO. The answers are listed in this article.

The active fire safety devices, by which are in the contribution meant especially electric fire alarms, stabile fire extinguishing means and devices for smoke and heat removal, are an important part of building security systems. For the proper function of these systems it is necessary to pay attention to the priority how to put into operation the particular device, their coordina tion and interaction between them.
The principles of the prioritizing how to put into the operation the individual active fire safety devices are described on the basis of the reasons for the devices installation and their priority or eventually secondary protection targets. The attention is paid also to the coordina tion of the fire safety means.

Extraction and combustion of coal have changed the world and the climate of our planet within last two hundred years, but both are declining. This fact alongside with many others belongs to key messages of a new, representative publication, the Coal Atlas. Coal has started the industrial revolution and at the same time caused environmental and social destruction of large areas. At present, coal significantly contributes to climate change by being responsible for 43 % of global carbon dioxide emissions and more than one third of all greenhouse gas emissions respectively. Progressive countries are therefore leaving coal behind. What is more, consumption of coal has recently stagnated also in China, so far the biggest consumer. While the coal business seems to be inevitably coming to the end, some investors still hope for a profit. Why some buy something that the others consider as “stranded assets”?

The article presents the results of the unique calorimetric tests for individually built stoves made in the calorimeter chamber. The main objective of the tests was to determine the course of the heat output of the stove with glass and solid fire door at a full periodic fuel loading. The next main objective of the tests was the verification of stove sizing according to EN 15544:2013.

Coke ovens are perceived as the dominant producer of carcinogenic B(a)P. The results of combustion tests, which were performed in testing laboratory of VSB-TUO Energy Research Center show that a small-scale appliances burning solid fuels can produce significant emissions of PAHs hence B(a)P. The hard, brown coal and biomass in various forms were burned in different types of small-scale appliances, which are commonly used for household heating. Comparison of emissions of B(a)P from one “average Czech village”, which is heated by combustion of solid fuels and “average Czech coking plant” will allow to answer the initial question.

The pond loop geothermal refrigeration system at the Janesville Ice Arena uses an adjacent pond as a thermal storage. The most interesting in the ice arena is the main source for ice refrigeration, the water-source heat pumps and their condenser a city-owned pond that is adjacent to the building. Refrigeration heat is used for snow melt pit, ice resurfacing water preheat and underfloor heating.

The well-operated modern boilers for solid fuels have higher efficiency thus, the utilization of the energy in the fuel is better than at the boilers with old construction. This should mean that the new boiler has lower consumption of the fuel and the costs of the heating season should be reduced (for the same heat demand). But is it true? Will the new boiler really burn less fuel than the old one? This calculator allows us to calculate whether and how much we can save for the heating season.

The paper is targeting verification of the possibilities to utilize solar systems with long-term heat storage in residential buildings. Several ways are evaluated how to connect the long-term heat storage system with hot-water storage tank (system with and without use of heat pump, different ways of charging the storage tank, variants with stand-by storage tanks). Evaluation of the system is performed by TRNSYS simulation software.

Article features practical examples for determination of tempereture class of chimneies with combustible and fire – resistant construction of external wall of chimney.

The article introduces calculation fundamentals, the computational relations for submission of chimney into temperature class according to thermal technical material parameters and to building construction fire resistance. Methodology is used according to CSN EN 12 391-1.

In the first part of the article the methodology of calculating the energy efficiency of apartment buildings heating was described, including a practical example. Key parameter for assessing the efficiency of heating is the volume of active heat gains. This sequel is dedicated to their calculation.

Energy savings are undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of today. There are several subject areas, but most significant ones are: transportation, electricity consumption and heat consumption for heating. In the following we focus only on the last one from that trio.

The article refers to the new European subsidies for the replacement of boilers in the Czech republic. The author responds to the statement of the Minister of the Enviroment Richard Brabec who said, that the much debated permision to subsidize boilers, which were not verified by an independent authorized person, was necessary because of the requirements of the European legislation.