all new buildings from the beginning of 2020. These buildings are designed to be insulated so that their annual energy consumption per unit square meter for heating and cooling is 30-50 kWh. In our country, the new regulation aims to reduce energy consumption to 100120 kWh in a limited number of buildings with a total construction area greater than 5 thousand square meters. Buildings insulated with the right material and appropriate thickness are the biggest step towards energy savings. In addition to contributing to the national and household economy, the contribution of insulation to the environment and the reduction of harmful gas emissions cannot be ignored. For this reason, expanding the scope of Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) applications will be one of the greatest legacies we will leave to our future.” ODE Insulation Board Member Ozan Turan pointed out that the thickness of the materials used in thermal insulation will also increase with the increase in the energy performance class from ‘C’ to ‘B’ and said the following: “With this regulation, not only the thickness but also the thermal conductivity coefficients of the materials used will improve. This will increase the use of quality and qualified products in the market.” Reminding that 80 percent of the total 22 million households in Türkiye do not have insulation or have very poor insulation, Turan pointed out that the energy consumption used for buildings will decrease with the increase in new building stocks. Turan continued as follows; “In many developed countries, buildings are designed to be insulated so that the annual energy consumption per unit square meter for heating and cooling is 30-50 kW. Buildings in our country, on the other hand, still consume 120-150 kW of energy. Therefore, our energy waste is much higher compared to developed countries. In this context, we see the amendment made by the regulation as a positive step as it will reduce the annual energy consumption per unit square meter. However, with building insulation alone, we can save 15 billion dollars of energy annually at current prices. Therefore, we should start the energy efficiency mobilization as soon as possible.” NZEB plays a critical role for countries to reach their decarbonization targets. The EU Commission’s proposal to revise the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (December 2021) takes a step from the current NZEB to a zero-emission building (SEB), aligning the energy performance requirement for new buildings with the longer-term goal of climate neutrality and the “energy efficiency first principle”. The SEB requirement will apply to all new buildings from January 1, 2030 and to new public buildings from January 1, 2027. Environment 27 2023
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