Considering the Issue of Renovating Public Buildings with Reference to In-kind Investigations into Wall Heat Transfer Coefficients / Visuomeniniu Pastatu Atnaujinimo Problemos Nagrinejimas Remiantis Naturiniais Sienu Šilumos Perdavimo Koeficientu Tyrimais

This article raises the problem of high energy consumption stimulated by heating buildings and preparing hot water. The paper shortly revises the state of renovating public buildings in Lithuania. A number of scientists devote close attention to examining various aspects of building renovation (technical regulations on constructions, subsidies provided by the state, cost-effectiveness, factors influencing building renovation, etc.). The article presents a few studies by foreign scientists, lists factors that determine public building renovation (unsatisfactory indoor air hygiene and floor temperature, indoor relative humidity, indoor air velocity, indoor carbon dioxide concentration, physical deterioration of a large building, poor aesthetic appearance of the building, etc.) and demonstrates a few practical examples. In accordance with Lithuanian design codes, a methodology for determining heat transfer coefficients in public buildings is provided. Besides, investigations into heat transfer coefficients before and after the renovation of public buildings have been conducted. A few nursery school buildings in Lithuania have been examined applying laboratory equipment before and after renovation. It was found that the wall heat transfer coefficient of properly designed and insulated buildings falls by more than 4–5 times to reach the normal value of the heat transfer coefficient (value of the heat transfer coefficient falls from 1.12 to 0.22 W/(m²·K)). A comparison of an external thermal insulation plastering composite system with an external aeration heat-insulated system has been done. The estimation has revealed that due to lower costs, better results of thermal resistance obtained using the external thermal insulation plastering composite system can produce better wall heat transfer coefficient values. The obtained results have been determined referring to better wall insulation tightness. The paper also summarizes data on heating buildings and consumption of prepared hot water before and after renovation. On the basis of the findings acquired employing the degree-day–method, public building energy consumption for heating and hot water preparation decreased from 41.30 to 43.73%.