Heating and cooling primary energy demand and CO2 emissions: Lithuanian A+ buildings and/in different European locations

Abstract

National legal and political regulation in the field of energy efficiency is closely connected to minimizing energy consumption in buildings. Within the framework of implementing Directive 2018/844/EU on the energy performance of buildings in Europe, the practice of its application differs from country to country. This study aims to reveal the differences in the energy indicators of an energy-efficient building in European states. To that end, an analysis was made to compare the results of a single-family home model in 11 city locations with different climatic conditions (from the Mediterranean to Nordic) and appropriate national regulations in place for the past three years. The simulation was done using IDA Indoor Climate and Energy software, EQUA Simulation AB, Stockholm, Sweden. The demand for primary energy is based on primary energy factors. A comparison of overall heat transfer coefficients for walls and windows in an energy-efficient building in different locations was made to reveal the differences in applicable national regulations. The results showcase the primary energy demand depending on the different climatic conditions for building heating and cooling purposes, as appropriate, and on CO2 emissions. The study has shown the energy demand for cooling to increase significantly—by 65% in the case of Vilnius, where as only a slight decrease in the demand for heating. Furthermore, a Lithuanian energy class A+ building is singled out as an individual case, its energy indicators determined for a different location under analysis.