WT2021 – Technical conditions for buildings, requirements and recommendations.
Observing the continuous changes in regulations along with a proportional improvement in the energy efficiency of buildings, we can see significant progress in the Polish market in the production of heating devices.
This also applies to ensuring comfortable thermal conditions in buildings, where we constantly strive to maintain a certain balance by supplying heat during the autumn–winter period, and in the spring–summer months by trying to ensure comfort through well-designed ventilation or air-conditioning systems. In fact, it was only at the end of the last century that gains and losses caused by poor building insulation began to be taken into account, until the overall problem of inadequate insulation significantly improved. Today it is known that additional benefits can also come from well-functioning mechanical ventilation, which supports the operation of central heating systems.
The Technical Requirements WT 2021 mentioned in the title, introduced on 31.12.2020, are primarily aimed at a “global” improvement of thermal insulation in construction, the development of renewable energy sources, and the installation of new heating and ventilation devices, while simultaneously reducing the EP indicator. From the beginning of 2021, the EP indicator for new and modernized single-family buildings should not exceed 70 kWh/m²/year, and for multi-family buildings 65 kWh/m²/year.
This means that from 01.01.2021, every project for which we want to obtain a building permit should meet energy-efficiency requirements, including the selection of an appropriately efficient heat source for space heating and domestic hot water.
At present, in order to meet the WT 2021 requirements, we must know how newly designed buildings will be properly thermally insulated. It is no longer sufficient to use a good condensing boiler combined with energy-efficient insulation. Therefore, to effectively comply with the 2021 technical requirements, it is necessary to successfully implement heating and installation technologies using renewable energy sources (RES). A rational and efficient trend is emerging toward making buildings “zero-energy,” i.e., with zero carbon dioxide emissions—and it is precisely such buildings that will gain popularity.
Defro offers a wide range of pellet boilers and complete mechanical ventilation systems equipped with a recuperator, i.e., a ventilation unit with heat recovery, which fully meet the WT 2021 requirements. By additionally installing a Defro Home fireplace, you will ensure extra heat and energy independence.
To determine the annual demand for non-renewable primary energy (EP), it is necessary to calculate the final energy demand (EK), taking into account the type of fuel used by applying the primary energy input factor. To calculate the annual demand for final energy, usable energy (EU) and the efficiency of the entire installation system are used. The demand for usable energy depends on the building’s location, required temperatures, and building characteristics. For this purpose, the EP, EK, and EU indicators are used to compare energy quantities. These indicators refer to the unit area of the building and are expressed in kWh/m²/year.
Indicators:
EP – determines the annual demand of a building for non-renewable primary energy for heating, ventilation, cooling, preparation of domestic hot water, and lighting
EU – usable energy (the most important at the design stage, as installations and their capacity must be designed taking into account the needs of future users)
EK – final energy (information for the investor/user, as it provides an overview of future operating costs of the building)
