Prices for electricity and gas have increased significantly for many reasons. If we take a closer look at this situation, we can come to the conclusion that a large part of the costs is completely unnecessary. And if we look at it really closely, it will turn out that the future may be quite different.
The 9 projects of the NCBR can solve the problem
How? Great potential lies dormant even in the construction industry. On the one hand, it is necessary to significantly reduce the demand for energy in buildings and, on the other hand, not to waste the energy that has to be used.
“A house that cuts down the energy demand to a minimum, does not waste energy, stores it and uses it in an optimal way, is a house that should be a standard in the future. A modern and rational approach not only to the management of electricity, but also to heat, cold and water, will get a building that is almost cost-free in operation and self-sufficient. This is not so much a dream from the distant future as a real goal for the coming years. The goal that the NCBR intends to achieve,” said Dr. Remigiusz Kopoczek, acting director of the NCBR. “Thanks to the European Funds and their ‘Smart Growth’ Program, we support 9 large research projects. Many of them can significantly cut down the bills of households, enterprises and public buildings, such as schools. Modern technologies in the construction industry also mean greater independence and energy security. In the long term, this is one of the key tasks dictated by the concern for the climate, because the heating and powering of buildings are among the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.”
Wojciech Racięcki, Director of the Department of Development of Innovative Methods of Program Management at the NCBR, responsible for the implementation of the innovative formula of pre-commercial procurement, added: “When planning our projects, we had a vision of supporting activities for climate protection. We now see that their implementation has become even more important. We all see that the political and economic situation has changed in recent weeks. Today, it is even clearer how important energy security and independence from foreign suppliers is for Poland. The more modern and intelligent technologies in the energy sector, transport, construction and other industries, the greater the odds for breaking free from the imports of energy media. And the greater the chance to avoid other potential shocks, related, for example, to the supply chain.”
A low-carbon economy, limited consumption of resources, reduced demand for energy and, finally, supporting the development of Polish technologies are priorities that will increase our independence and our security.
How can the expected changes be implemented? It is necessary to meet several conditions simultaneously.
Do not waste heat
Let’s start with what is important thing: the energy efficiency. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Analysis, citing data from the Central Statistical Office, up to two-thirds of the energy expenditure in Poland falls on the heating of buildings. One of the best ways to change this situation is to replace ventilation from natural to mechanical. Thanks to this, the demand for heat could be reduced by about a third, compared to a typical building. And in winter – even more.
“In winter, where you have natural ventilation only, and the only way to air the room is to open the window, you lose up to 60% of heat,” said Dr. Tomasz Rożek, promoter of science, author of the “Science. I like it.” social media channel, who in 8 short movies tells about activities of the NCBR under the European Green Deal strategy.
Conventional natural ventilation works according to the laws of physics. It is simply an ordinary grille placed in the kitchen or bathroom. “With mechanical ventilation, we have air circulation controlled by two fans, supply and exhaust ones, and the air flow can be regulated in a daily or weekly schedule. This provides huge savings because the ventilation can be set so that it works only when it is needed; for example, when someone is present in the room. In addition, there is a significant heat recovery. Thanks to this, in the weather is cold, we do not blow frosty air into the room. If the extracted air has a temperature of 20°C, the supply air will have not 2°C but 18°C. This is why the demand for heat from the central heating will be much lower,” explained Dr. Mariusz Skwarczyński from the NCBR, head of “The Ventilation for Schools and Homes” project.
For both housing and schools, the mechanical ventilation developed as part of the project is to be decentralized. This means that there will be no need to allocate a special room for the system and each classroom or apartment can be connected to it individually. This offers practical benefits. In the case of a school, the management will be given an opportunity to see a small-scale solution which can be installed relatively quickly (within one day) and easily in one room. In the case of multi-family buildings, for example housing communities, the lack of consent of one neighbor will not block the possibility of installing ventilation in other apartments.
On the example of schools, one more measurable benefit can be shown. Children sitting in the classroom emit heat, acting like small radiators. However, the real radiators still work as heavily as during the break, when the room is empty. If you have mechanical ventilation, its sensors will detect a temperature increase after the return of the children, so the system will slow down. And, the other way around, if it is extremely hot on a June day, the system will not allow too warm air to enter the room. In addition, the air pump will be much cheaper to operate and maintain than traditional radiators supplied from a coal- or gas-fired boiler.
Replace the heating sources
The replacement of heating sources is another key aspect in the NCBR’s projects. Today, about 80% of all district heating systems in Poland are inefficient. According to the data of the Central Statistical Office, over 5 million out of over 5.5 million inhabited buildings in Poland are single-family houses. Solid fuel-fired boilers and furnaces are used in 3 million of them. It does not have to be this way.
“The project that I supervise has completely abandoned the combustion of fuels. The whole building is to be supplied from heat pumps and the mechanical ventilation system will be designed so that it will not operate when there is no one in the room. Another key aspect is the maximum possible use of energy on site. This will eliminate huge losses in transmission, which amount to up to several dozen percent. The building itself will produce energy and store its excess in batteries in summer for use in winter, when the demand is higher,” said Piotr Kopacz, “The Energy- and Process-efficient Construction” project manager from the NCBR.
As part of the project, the contractors selected in the course of the proceedings will have the task of erecting four buildings: a public one, a retirement home and two single-family houses. All of them will be built from prefabricated modules (with furniture!) which will be assembled together on site within two months. Almost all water (up to 95%) is to come from purified rainwater, graywater (from shower and washbowls), and even blackwater (from toilets, suitable for watering the backyard lawn after treatment).
“There are many possible solutions. We give some freedom to the contractors. The overarching goal is to ensure that the building produces more thermal and electric energy for all purposes than it consumes. This will be possible thanks to the use of photovoltaic panels, a heat pump and energy storage,” explained Piotr Kopacz.
Therefore, the NCBR aims not so much at cutting down electricity and heating bills as at eliminating them. “There will be a technology for building houses and apartments that will generate a positive annual balance of energy production vs. consumption. At the same time, they will be cost-competitive in building and operation. In principle, only the administration will generate operating costs because all the energy, heat and electric power, will be generated on site and the building will collect and retain rainwater,” said Tomasz Rożek, author of the “Science. I like it.” social media channel.
The best formula
Of course, these solutions are not perfect at the moment. Some of them are much easier to use in new buildings than in old tenement houses in city centers. In addition, photovoltaic panels, solar collectors, energy stores or heat pumps are products that are still under development. Innovation is needed to make them more efficient and affordable. However, photovoltaics prices, which have dropped by more than 90% in recent decades, show that economies of scale are possible.
The NCBR’s experts are aware that contractors are working on prototype solutions. At the same time, however, they know that the costs of such solutions will be much lower in the future and, in addition, we will have better technical capabilities. The projects developed by the NCBR with support from the European Funds are to promote the best and most affordable solutions for protection of both the climate and home budgets of Poles, also important from the point of view of energy security.
“The first microwave oven cost a dozen, if not tens of thousands of dollars. So any device can be inexpensive. It’s a matter of the scale of manufacture. When a given product begins to be offered en masse, it becomes much cheaper. The second way to implement our prototype solutions in practice more widely may be support in the form of grants granted under government or regional programs,” commented Wojciech Racięcki.
It is also worth bearing in mind that although the initial investment costs may seem huge, in the long run they will pay off handsomely. Some solutions can “pay off” in a few years, others within a dozen or so. Already, these are technologies that may be of interest to many people in Poland.
Visit https://www.gov.pl/web/ncbr/green-deal to learn more about the 9 research projects of the NCBR being implemented as part of the European Green Deal strategy.
Do you want to know more? Watch the 8 short videos about the NCBR’s projects under the Green Deal strategy: Zielone technologie? To lubię! - Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju - Portal Gov.pl (www.gov.pl)
Projects entitled “The Energy- and Process-efficient Construction”, “The Innovative Biogas Plant”, “The Sewage Treatment Plant of the Future”, “The Electricity Storage”, “The Heat and Cold Storage”, “Home Retention Technologies” and “The Ventilation for Schools and Homes”, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, are implemented as part of the off-contest project entitled “Adding Innovation to the Economy Through Research Projects Under Innovative Public Procurement to Support the European Green Deal Strategy” under sub-measure „4.1.3: Innovative Methods of Managing Research under the ‘Smart Growth’ Program”.
Projects entitled „The District Heating Station of the Future Based on RESs” and “The Combined Heat and Power Plant in the Local Energy Distribution System” are co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, under sub-measure „4.1.3: Innovative Methods of Managing Research under the ‘Smart Growth’ Program 2014-2020” as part of the off-contest project entitled “Adding Innovation to the Economy by Implementing the New Model of Financing Breakthrough Research Projects”.
