Lowering energy need and improving indoor climate - A case study of rural dwellings in Gammalsvenskby, Ukraine

Abstract

A vast majority of rural dwellings in Ukraine are inefficient from an energy perspective, with a major need for energy-efficient renovations. A lot of these buildings are also having problems with the indoor climate, with poor ventilation combined with indoor combustion of fuel which can cause negative health effects. A large part of Ukrainian households is also suffering from energy poverty which makes it hard for them to improve their living standard. This study aims on finding energy-efficient renovation alternatives which are both affordable, lowers energy use, and improve the indoor climate and moisture-related issues. This was done by investigating different renovation alternatives and improvements for two case buildings, measures such as different PV module configurations, heat pumps, ventilation, and insulation through calculations and simulation tools. The result was then evaluated through life cycle cost analysis on different scenarios to calculate payback time and to find the most profitable alternative. With consideration taken to the uncertain situation in Ukraine, a parameter study on different economical parameters was also done to see how these affect the profitability when changed. The result showed that indoor moisture issues can be solved with a simple ventilation system in combination with façade insulation. Ventilation was included in all renovation combinations. Installing a heat pump and a large PV system was found to be the most profitable renovation measure if there is sold electricity to the grid. The study concludes that it is possible to do profitable renovations for both cases, but that the high initial cost might be problematic. The profitability of the PV system depends on whether there is any selling of electricity to the grid, which is uncertain with consideration taken to war. With no selling, a 3.9 kW system with a heat pump is the most profitable for the case one while it is better to exclude the PV systems completely and only have a heat pump in case two.

Popular Abstract

High energy use in the building sector is a significant problem in Ukraine where a vast majority of the dwelling is in great need of different renovations since most of the building stock is outdated from an energy efficiency point of view. In rural areas, coal is commonly used to heat buildings and since the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2014, this has led to increasing prices of fuel and electricity. Energy poverty is a large problem, and the increasing energy prices have made the situation worse for most households with larger spending on energy, spending which could have been used for other important things to increase the living standard. Energy poverty is commonly described as when a household is having problems adequately heating or providing other energy services at an affordable cost for the building in which they live. Most households also lack available funds to invest in renovations which could decrease energy use and lead the way out of energy poverty. Lending rates are high in Ukraine and the lack of collateral from the banks makes it hard to borrow money. There is a need of finding profitable renovation alternatives which decrease the energy need and improve the indoor climate.

A study was conducted in the rural village of Gammalsvenskby in southern Ukraine where different renovation alternatives through advanced simulation programmes were investigated. Two case buildings were chosen, the first one with a Crimean limestone frame, and the second one with a traditional brick frame. Alternatives such as insulating the façade, installing an air-to-air heat pump, two-zone metering for bought electricity, a simple ventilation system, and different setups of photovoltaic modules were investigated both individually and in combination. This was then evaluated through life cycle cost analysis over a period of 25 years, where consideration was taken for the price growth of energy and the real interest rate. Moisture-related issues were also investigated with the goal of reducing the risk of having problems with mould growth on interior surfaces. This was done with moisture simulations where the interior surface was made warmer with exterior insulation and by reducing the interior moisture load with a simple exhaust ventilation system.

The result of the study suggested that there is a potential of making profitable renovations for both studied buildings which remove the risk of having problems with mould and lowers the energy use and money spent on electricity and fuel. The largest photovoltaic system investigated in combination with a heat pump was the best option in terms of energy-saving and payback time. However, this assumes that there is a possibility to sell the excess electricity produced by the photovoltaic modules to the grid. If this is not possible, a smaller system was suggested for the first case, and it was deemed better to remove the photovoltaic modules completely for the second case and instead only go for the heat pump. This difference was explained by the electricity use during summer, in which the first case uses a significantly higher amount of electricity for agriculture. Another problem is that these renovation alternatives require a high initial investment cost which is problematic since most households in the village can be deemed to suffer from energy poverty. Financial support should be given to the poorest households so that the inhabitants of Gammalsvenskby can improve their living standard. This can also be done through affordable loans since the current situation makes it hard to borrow money. PV systems are a good way of saving money spent on energy, but this solution must be evaluated for each building if more households in Gammalsvenskby want to apply this. The two-zone night tariff is a good and cheap way of saving some money spent on electricity, and this could relatively easy be applied to other buildings in the village.

• author: Kauranen, Viktor
• supervisor: Dennis Johansson; Lars-Erik Harderup
• organization: Department of Architecture and Built Environment; Division of Energy and Building Design
• course: AEBM01 20221
• year: 2022
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Gammalsvenskby, energy-efficient, indoor climate, rural buildings, renovation, Ukraine, Life cycle cost
• language: English
• id: 9087257
• date added to LUP: 2022-06-13 11:20:03
• date last changed: 2022-06-13 11:31:25