Renovation of Dwellings in Flanders: Towards the Development of a Durable Solution for the Energy Problems in Flanders

摘要

In 2007, the European Union (EU) issued its 20/20/20-targets for 2020. By means of this policy, the EU aims at setting targets in the area of climate change, external energy dependence, and a sustainable, continuous energy supply. In general, the energy performance of buildings is an important aspect in European energy and climate policy. Within this framework, the Flemish government has developed the "Energy Performance and Interior Climate" policy (or EPB standard) and the "Energy Renovation Program 2020". These programs aim at a removal of 'energy-swallowing' dwellings from the Flemish dwelling stock by 2020. The goal of this paper is to contribute to the development of a durable solution for the energy problems in Flanders (Belgium). Therefore, our approach will focus on the energy-related, the practical, and the economic aspects of the problem. We start with four existing dwellings from consecutive time periods. These dwellings are subject to renovation of their structural elements as well as of their HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. The energy performance of the structural elements is improved by insulating them up to the level of the EPB standard and the standard of low-energy buildings. Subsequently, different HVAC systems are compared. The energy efficiency of the measures is evaluated using the EPB software. The practical side of the research relates to controlling the physical properties of the building and an evaluation of the practical consequences of the renovations. To examine the economic aspect of the measures, we carry out a cost analysis and an evaluation of the investments. The investment evaluation takes into account both individual measures and combined measures. The evaluation reveals which measures and combined measures are the most advantageous.