Possibilities of Upgrading Warsaw Existing Residential Area to Status of Positive Energy Districts

• Main Authors: Hanna Jędrzejuk, Dorota Chwieduk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: positive energy districts; residential buildings; district heating; renewable energy resources
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5984

This paper analyses possibilities of refurbishment of Warsaw’s residential buildings towards standards of the Positive Energy District. The annual final energy consumption in the city in 2019 for the district heating was 8668 GWh, gas (pipelines) was 5300 GWh, electricity from the grid was 7500 GWh, while the emission of the carbon dioxide was 5.62 × 10⁹ kg. The city consists of 18 districts, which are heterogeneous in terms of typology and structure of buildings. The great variety of buildings can be seen, for example, by the annual final energy demand for space heating and hot water preparation per unit of room area. This annual index ranges from over 400 kWh/m² in historic buildings to 60 kWh/m² in modern buildings. A reduction in the consumption of non-renewable energy sources and carbon dioxide emissions can be achieved by improving the energy standard of residential buildings and by using renewable energy sources: solar energy, geothermal energy and biogas. The potential barriers for achieving the status of a positive energy district, for example, problems connected with ownership, financing new investments and refurbishment and legal boundaries, have been identified. Moreover, changing the existing electrical grid and district heating systems in urban areas in Warsaw requires comprehensive modernization of practically the entire city’s infrastructure.