What ecological and energy-saving solutions can be found in new housing developments
What solutions for reducing energy consumption for heating, lighting and hot water supply do new housing projects use? Are the developers' customers interested in the indicators included in the energy performance certificates of buildings? Is the awareness of buyers growing and are energy parameters becoming one of the criteria for selecting flats?
Dawid Wrona, director of residential sales at Echo Investment
Echo Investment is a developer that places great emphasis on the pro-ecological and sustainable character of its residential projects. To this end, we have developed a proprietary Eko Echo sustainable building standard. We have broken down residential projects in terms of, for example, their impact on ecology and health, and a six-grade rating scale allows us to compare how environmentally advanced a building is.
In our developments, we install photovoltaic systems to power common areas, eliminate heat islands through the use of light colours, as well as green roofs and ensure a minimum of 30 per cent of biologically active area within the estates. In addition, we design flower meadows, green courtyards and systems to collect rainwater and use it for, among other things, watering vegetation in common areas. In the buildings, we are installing energy-efficient LED lighting and renewable energy sources to power the common areas.
In the summer holidays, we will launch a pioneering solution on the market, i.e. the first electromobility hub dedicated exclusively to the residents of the Zenit development in Łódź. The first station will be set up in the housing estate in Widzewska Street, and residents will have at their disposal, among other things, electric scooters, bicycles and even 'green' cars to help transport large items, e.g. to make moving house easier. The Hub will be fully powered by energy from photovoltaic systems. We plan to use similar facilities in our future residential projects.
We are noticing that customers are increasingly inquiring about technologies to reduce their utility bills before they buy. This includes, for example, photovoltaics for common areas or rainwater retention systems for watering greens. They are also interested in issues relating to green leisure zones on housing estates.
Karolina Bronszewska, Member of the Management Board, Director of Marketing and Innovation at Ronson Development
In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the awareness of our customers regarding the consideration of energy parameters in flats. While initially, green solutions were dictated by concern for the planet, and conversations revolved around trying to curb climate change, the focus is now mainly on the possibilities of lowering the energy demand of flats and thus lowering the cost of property maintenance.
We use LED lighting in common areas in each of our developments. We put a premium on greenery. Within the estate, on fences, facades, building entrances and roofs. In new projects we are going a step further, including photovoltaic panels. An excellent eco showcase in our portfolio is the Eko Falenty investment, where we also use recuperation, condensing boilers and ecological materials. Such energy-efficient houses are not only cheaper to maintain, but it is also easier to obtain financing for them. Banks grant preferential mortgage loans with reduced margins for such projects.
Tomasz Kaleta, Sales Department Director, Develia S.A.
More and more people care about the environment, try to live more ecologically and choose products and services that are friendly to the ecosystem. Residential investments are no exception. All the more so because green solutions in residential projects also bring financial benefits.
High-quality thermal insulation, heat recovery systems or solar panels reduce electricity and heating costs. This in turn translates into lower energy bills, i.e. savings for residents. Customers are increasingly asking about the energy efficiency of buildings and potential operating costs. By using, among other things, energy-efficient building materials, photovoltaic installations or offering charging points for electric vehicles, we are responding to these needs. For selected investments, we apply for a BREEAM eco-certificate - it is a guarantee for buyers that the project has been implemented with care not only for the environment, but also for their future expenses.
We have used energy-saving solutions, for example, in our latest investment Nova Wiosenna in Wola Justowska in Krakow. For the comfort of future residents in the investment, we used recuperation with heat recovery, energy-efficient windows, multifunctional, modern gas cookers and underfloor heating in every room.
We have also applied energy-efficient solutions in the Osada Czorsztyn by Zalew Czorsztyński investment. In it, we use ecological energy sources, taking advantage of the vicinity of the Hydroelectric Power Plant in Niedzica. We also used a recuperation system, electric vehicle chargers or energy-efficient window frames. All our investments meet current guidelines, are very well insulated, and use very high quality window joinery, which has a significant impact on usage and bills. We introduced the first energy-saving solutions of this type over 10 years ago in the Borkowska and Halszki investments in Kraków and in Michałowice. We are the first developer in Poland to offer customers energy-efficient flats with a mortgage subsidy under the NFOŚiGW programme. We have noticed, however, that customers pay more attention to the price, location and appearance of the property, and energy-saving solutions come next.
Małgorzata Ostrowska, Director of the Marketing and Sales Division at J.W. Construction Holding S.A.
Definitely, we have more and more conscious customers. Some are driven by economic considerations, others by concern for the environment, and the largest group of people by both. Therefore, we are meeting this growing awareness and the needs of customers, especially in view of the current economic situation and the high cost of housing. We are investing in new technologies, especially in energy-saving, yet environmentally friendly solutions.
Recently, we have been combining frame technology, i.e. prefabricated houses made of wood, with a number of solutions that translate into low maintenance costs and low-emission properties in the housing estates we build. These include heat pumps, recuperation, photovoltaics or underfloor heating. We can already see how much this translates into energy efficiency for the investments made and the savings this generates for the residents. An additional advantage valued by customers of wooden houses is their unique, friendly microclimate . Interiors built using timber-frame technology are free of smog, bacteria, viruses and allergens. We have decided to implement these solutions also in our soon-to-be-launched multi-family house investments in Warsaw.
Eyal Keltsh, CEO of Robyg Group
As a residential developer active in major Polish agglomerations, especially strong in Poland's largest market of Warsaw, we have been a pioneer in implementing innovative energy-saving solutions. We were the first to introduce Smart House systems as standard, at no extra charge, in our flats. We are also among the most active in low carbon solutions.
In order to reduce our impact on the environment, we are implementing modern, environmentally friendly solutions to take care of the environment and reduce the cost of everyday living, as well as a set of standards and design guidelines for architects, designers and subcontractors. Most of our estates are equipped with a minimum of five low-emission solutions, such as LED lighting in common areas, triple-glazing, heat exchangers, systems control systems, lifts with heat recovery, motion and dusk sensors and green roofs.
Most of our flats have been equipped with the Smart House by Keemple system, which allows you to remotely manage the appliances in your flat and thus reduce energy consumption. We are also actively promoting micro and electromobility by installing chargers for electric cars and solar benches, but also by building bicycle infrastructure in the form of bicycle racks and bicycle repair stations.
In order to reduce emissions during the building phase, we have pledged to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy in our construction processes by the end of 2024.
We are seeing increasing customer interest in such innovative solutions. These are elements that are already becoming one of the criteria when deciding on a flat.
Source: dompress.pl
