It warms the soul: why Russia needs proper heat consumption

With the arrival of the cold weather and the beginning of the heating season in Russia, the problem of economical consumption of energy resources has risen to full growth again. Vladimir Koshelev, First deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services, took the initiative to switch to flexible zoned regulation of heat supply. The essence of the proposal is to supply heating to old houses in the first place, as they tend to incur high heat losses. Modern buildings, built with good thermal insulation, should turn off the heat supply as needed. Experts praised the initiative, but pointed out that without changing the approach to building thermal insulation based on the proven advantages of thermal insulation solutions, it will be extremely difficult to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. The details are in the Izvestia article.

On the way to "flexible" heating

Deputy Koshelev suggests starting the heating season "not for the entire district at the same time, but primarily for the houses most susceptible to heat loss — old and dilapidated buildings with unheated facades." And in the spring, heating can be turned off first of all in modern, well-insulated new buildings, where thermal inertia is much lower.

Koshelev emphasizes that a fundamental upgrade of the infrastructure is needed to implement his proposal. According to him, modern technological capabilities provide conditions for more flexible decision-making. It is assumed that the new networks will allow responding to temperature changes without the risk of disruptions.

The start of the heating season is traditionally carried out when the average daily air temperature is set at +8 °C and below, remaining for at least five consecutive days. Uniform deadlines and procedures for heat supply are fixed by federal regulations, which makes it possible to avoid uneven operation of boiler houses and heating plants during short-term cold spells.

In practice, the process of turning on the heating is carried out in stages. First of all, heat is supplied to kindergartens, schools, hospitals and other socially significant institutions. Then residential buildings and administrative buildings are connected, and last of all, industrial and commercial facilities. This sequence is due to the technical features of heating systems: the transportation of coolant through long pipelines takes time to equalize the system parameters.

Fixed schedules for the start and end of the heating season often cause inconvenience to citizens. In spring, heating can be maintained even with steady warming, whereas in autumn, residents of the old housing stock are forced to wait for an official order to turn it on, which naturally causes public discontent.

— We have spent quite a lot of money on the modernization of heating networks and boiler rooms. But the main problem is related to the poor condition of engineering systems in apartment buildings," says Svetlana Razvorotneva, Deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services. — They are being updated there during major repairs. But, unfortunately, in many regions there is not enough money for this, and contractors refuse to repair them, as residents do not give access to them.

Experts agree that the problem is not only in the condition of heating systems, but also in the buildings themselves. According to statistics from the Russian Ministry of Energy, the growth of energy consumption in the country is about 4% per year, and this figure will only increase. The main consumers are industry and the household sector, which needs additional capacity for heating in winter and cooling in summer. The problem is particularly acute in the old housing stock, built before 2015, where the wear of engineering systems leads to significant heat loss.

On guard of warmth and budget

Alexey Glitchev, Director of SIBUR's Construction division, emphasizes that Russia currently has all the tools to solve the problem of energy shortages for heating.

— In the process of major repairs of apartment buildings and social facilities, as well as during the construction of new buildings, it is important to provide for measures aimed at improving energy efficiency, — says the expert. — This may include the insulation of facades and roofs with modern synthetic materials with low thermal conductivity, the installation of energy-saving windows and heating control systems. Research shows that polymer thermal insulation materials are 20-30% more effective than traditional analogues, depending on the region and design solutions. Such solutions are beneficial not only to residents who will receive comfortable conditions and save on utility bills, but also to the authorities, as the load on heat and power supply systems will decrease, which minimizes the risk of accidents on old networks.

In addition, it adds Disruptions, which will free up resources that can be used to solve other important tasks, and provide additional capacities necessary for the industry. Against the background of current challenges, modern solutions in construction are becoming not just a tribute to innovation, but a rational need.

— Polymer thermal insulation materials (TIM) are not just an alternative to traditional insulation materials. These are high—tech products that allow us to achieve a qualitatively new level of energy saving," explains the specialist. — For example, the use of TIM based on expanded polystyrene (XPS, EPS), polyurethane foam (PUF), foamed polyethylene, both in new construction and in the reconstruction of old housing stock, helps to effectively retain indoor heat in winter and coolness in summer.

The introduction of facade thermal insulation composite systems (SFTC) based on domestic expanded polystyrene boards, says Glitch, will result in significant budget savings. These plates are easy to install manually, have a long service life of more than 50 years and do not require frequent repairs. At the same time, compared with similar technologies, SFTK is not only economically efficient, but also environmentally friendly: the material does not crumble, is safe for the health of workers and residents of the building, does not cause allergies and does not contribute to the spread of fungus.

Why energy efficiency is stalling in Russia

However, the use of energy-efficient technologies has not yet become a priority for Russian developers and builders. The cost of insulation is usually low relative to the total estimated cost of the project, and the work carried out is not immediately visible to the consumer. Some developers prefer to focus on finishing facades or MOSFETs, despite the subsequent increase in tenants' utility bills and the compromise in their quality of life, Glavev says.

— In addition, it is quite difficult to assess the real financial return, — the expert adds. — Much depends on the behavior of the residents of the apartment building and the operating organizations themselves: the lack of simple engineering solutions for indoor weather control reduces the effect of saving resources. For the full functioning of energy-efficient solutions, it is necessary to ensure that all requirements for the building structure and installed equipment are met.

Taking into account the growing demand for energy resources and the aging of the housing stock, the introduction of modern insulation technologies is becoming an urgent task not only for homeowners, but also for government agencies. Flexible zoned regulation of heat supply, which Vladimir Koshelev talks about, combined with effective polymer materials can significantly improve the situation with heat loss and reduce the financial burden on citizens. Thus, the transition to new standards of thermal insulation and optimization of heating systems can be the key not only to improving the quality of life, but also to the sustainable development of the country's energy infrastructure.