On Jan. 1st, 2011 the Government Regulation 91/2010 Coll., on the conditions of fire safety during the operation of chimneys, flues and fuel appliances, will come into force. On that day they Decree no. 111/1981, on the cleaning of chimneys, will be repealed. The following text is focused mainly of the provisions related to the venting of gas appliances.
The directive 2010/31/EU on the Energy Performance of Buildings – called EPB, EPBD II or EPBD Recast – was passed last May. EU member countries are obliged to implement these new requirements into their national legislations. The implementation of 2010/31/EU was addressed by a number of seminars during the recent Aqua-therm 2010 trade fair. The following article presents you with the most important facts from the presentations and with links to information that was published before and during Aqua-Therm 2010.
Designing solar systems so they will produce the the most heat during the year or electricity at the lowest cost is quite a complex matter. A number of factors should be considered when calculating the solar systems, especially the intensity of the solar radiation in individual locations throughout the year. Without a simulation software that can work with this variable data, the calculation can only be very approximate. If we want to get more accurate results and fast, using sofware is esential.
Article provides detailed information about long-term tests of heat pumps, made by the agency Frauhofer ISE. It monitored the effectiveness of the use of heat pump air-water, ground-water and water-water in the 170 low-energy houses and in existing buildings. Author used the measured values of seasonal performace factors and the current energy prices in the Czech Republic to present the differences between different types of heat pumps and heating systems.
Imact of heat cost allocation measurement on heat consumption is discussed in the introductory part of the paper. Two different ways of heat balance are described further. One, based on heat incoming into a measured room, and the other based on heat leaving the room. In both cases the heat cost allocator‘s measured values are compared with economic behaviour of a flat user. Cost allocator’s measured values are converted into heat cost ratio on total heat cost of the whole building. The measured values of indicators and their variance are compared under operational conditions with billed price for each flat user.
There has been a lot of talk lately about disconnecting from the central heating supply. And not only that, some housing cooperatives and unit owners have already taken this step, or are planning to do so. Are those who have disconnected from the central heating supply, and have their own boilers, satisfied and have they saved money?
Heat released in biomass combustion can be effectively stored in an accumulation tank. Traditionally, water is used as a main heat transfer medium. However, progressive materials, such as Phase Change Materials (PCM´s), offer better heat storage capacities. The materials work on principle of sensible and latent heat accumulation / release. While the phase change material takes up the heat, during the reversed process the stored latent heat is released. In our work the following materials were studied: paraffinic waxes, fatty acids and their eutectic mixtures. These materials provide higher heat potential per unit volume. Therefore, PCM´s can prolong the lifetime of biomass-fired systems.
A revised version of the directive was issued in 2010 under the title 2010/31/EU. In part, it is a modification of the original. In it, there are have been defined new administrative tools to increase the energy performance of buildings - among others, it includes the concept of "building with almost 0 energy consumption".
Due to rising energy prices heating systems face a number of disadvantages associated with the use of central heating supplies to heat residential and non-residential spaces. This is a strong trend in condominium owned residential buildings in the care of SVJ, in rental housing it is almost non existent and it is contradictory in cooperative housing, which is a modification or rental housing.
CPP is on the brim of a big transformation. For more than 1,5 million flats, council heating means the most comfortable, and we still believe the most ecological, heating method. That is because the centralisation of heating allows the deployment of advanced technology that is more efficient, environmentally friendly and economical. This article offers a brief explanation on how to economically optimise the processes and systems to facilitate the transformation of CPP systems.
Sophisticated heating solutions lead to the fact that if at any given stage of the thermal insulation a TRV is properly fit and adjusted and, at the same time, a sophisticated substation solution is installed, one that will “know” how to prepare and maintain the required parameters, mainly during the heating season, then there will be nothing to renovate or solve during the lifespan of the heating station, other than adjusting the temperature and hydraulic parameters correctly.
The following contributions, which deal with this problematic, consider the impact of high heat resistance of the walling on the thermal comfort and the design of heating ventilations systems, which are still perceived, as it is the case in buildings with classical walling, therefore, to have lower thermal resistance. For instructions to formulate the effect of walling on the thermal comfort and technical equipment, a general comparison of both the following cases is made, which is simply called building with high thermal resistance of external walls for a low-energy house, and a building with classical walling parameters (e.g. housing estate from the past) as a standard house. The articles are not of exact technical nature and deal with regularly updated dependencies and sometimes refer to previously applicable legal provisions.
Examples of projects in Energy Performance Contracting
First two projects by the Energy Performance Contracting were prepared in the Czech Republic in 1993. From that time about 200 projects were implemented. The investment for the projects footed up to the total amount about 3 billion CZK. The highest number of the projects was implemented in school buildings with investment from one till ten million CZK. A lot of projects were implemented in buildings of healthcare service. On examples of implemented projects are described main features of the EPC projects for hospitals (the biggest project with investment over 100 million CZK), for schools (mostly smaller projects) or for more buildings in one public tender (municipalities or regions).
The EPC and its relations with other activities in connections with energy savings
In 2006 the Directive 2006/32/EC on energy end-use efficiency and energy services was adopted for the support of international activities on development of energy services. The obligation of each EU member state is prepare and submit to the Commission the Energy Efficiency Action Plan in roughly three years cycles. In relation to the Directive other activities were supported by EC under the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, as projects: the Concerted Action on the ESD, ChangeBest, EESI or Pernament. Internal Czech initiative is under activities of Czech ESCOs, which are preparing Association of energy services companies.
Radiant heating panels hanging in large spaces, with a heating medium of warm or hot water, have been permanently buried in the subconscious of the heating community. In order to make this heating system more economical it is necessary to deal with every detail of the design, both in the structural terms of the space and the technical solutions of the system itself.
In the first part of the article is a brief overview of the market of collectors of solar radiation in the Czech Republic, the basic layout of different types of collectors and major part of solar systems. Following parts provide some basic connection of solar systems for various heating load (hot water, heating, swimming pool) and a simplified design absorber area. Each scheme is briefly described its function. In conclusion, it is marked possible connections of storage tanks for different performance.
The problematic of energy savings should not be limited only to thermal insulation and occasional use of alternative energy sources. The energy used not only for heating, but also for ventilation and air conditioning. Significantly affect the consumption requirements, deciding which areas will be heated and at what temperatures. Energy is needed to produce construction materials, their transportation and eventual waste handling. The lifespan of the proposed construction and the complexity of its liquidation should be one of the essential criteria when deciding on contemplated modifications. It is necessary to consider buildings as architectural heritage.
In the first part of the article is a brief overview of the market of collectors of solar radiation in the Czech Republic, the basic layout of different types of collectors and major part of solar systems. Following parts provide some basic connection of solar systems for various heating load (hot water, heating, swimming pool) and a simplified design absorber area. Each scheme is briefly described its function. In conclusion, it is marked possible connections of storage tanks for different performance.
This contribution summarizes utilizing of co-generation and tri-generation systems for effective electricity, heat and cool production. A co-generation and a tri-generation offer more effective utilizing of primary energy sources in comparison with separate production of different kinds of energy. This contribution describes actual state in the Czech Republic in year 2009.
