Photo credit: Prof. Zuzana Sternova
Initially part of a larger proposal for energy renovation of multi-family homes in Bratislava, this 88-apartment block was extensively renovated with a judicious matching of improvements to the envelopment with highly efficient heating and electrical equipment. The result is a 74% reduction in energy demand for the block
The ownership concept of apartment blocks in Slovakia poses a challenge for any proposal to undertake deep renovation. The residents own their flats, but nobody owns the stairwells or other common areas, or systems and the owners must take a unanimous decision agreeing to undertake energy renovations. This is more challenging when there is a larger number of flats in the building. The buildings are a typical result of industrialised construction from the 1980’s and are of poor-quality following years of poor maintenance.
In the case of the presented project, the City of Bratislava engaged in the EU-funded Project, EU GUGLE and put this building forward as a pilot case in order to learn how to address the challenges noted above. The objective was to demonstrate that nearly-zero energy renovations are possible and the results achieved proved that it is possible
Principal Characteristics of the Renovation Works:
| Ownership type: | Private (owner occupied) |
| Year of construction: | 1988 |
| Renovation completed: | 2016 |
| Floor area after works: | Around 7,600m² |
| Structure: | Prefabricated reinforced concrete system built with masonry infill that was over clad with an ETICS system and combined with roof and basement insulation. All external windows and doors were replaced |
| Heating and energy: | Heat pumps were installed to enable disconnection from district heating. New heat recovery ventilation units were installed, and all electrical installations renewed. Solar PV arrays were installed on the roof linked to intelligent control systems to optimise self-consumption and energy storage (vis electrical coil in water storage tanks) |
| Energy performance: | Energy savings after works reached 74% |
| Cost of works: | Owners declined to provide cost information |
EU-GUGLE project post on Bratislava: http://eu-gugle.eu/pilot-cities/bratislava/
Changing Gears Expedition post on renovation in Bratislava: https://www.changinggears.net/eu-gugle-bratislava-slovakia/
Smart Cities Info System post on the EU-GUGLE project: https://smartcities-infosystem.eu/scis-projects/demo-sites/eu-gugle-site-bratislava
Post from Commission website via CORDIS platform: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/186982/factsheet/en