Arch. Georgi Kolarov: The energy renovation of the building stock in Bulgaria will no longer be just gluing styrofoam, but a sustainable construction process

We save electricity costs through renewable sources and technologies using geothermal and hydrothermal energy

The energy renovation of the building stock in Bulgaria will no longer be just styrofoam gluing, but a sustainable construction process aimed at achieving both the European goals in the field of ecology and economy, as well as better living conditions for citizens. This was stated by arch. Georgi Kolarov - Advisor to the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works during the opening of the international conference "Energy efficiency in multifamily buildings - the model of "one-stop shop" in Bulgaria", which is held in Sofia. It presented the progress of the project for the provision of integrated services for the renovation of residential buildings, known as " SHEERenov ". It is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program. Its main goal is to develop and test a model for providing integrated services for renovation of residential buildings in the city of Sofia, and the subsequent goal is to replicate this model in other cities.

Arch. Kolarov presented the measures for energy efficiency of the buildings set in the Reconstruction and Sustainability Plan, as well as the vision of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works for the implementation of the process from now on. He noted that the preparation of the latest version of the project for energy renovation of the building stock of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, focused on sustainable renovation of buildings, and energy efficiency is part of it, including new EU requirements related to the implementation of environmental, economic and social criteria. Sustainable construction criteria are also integrated, which are directly related to the renovation of the buildings. "The projects will focus on resource efficiency, which implies the application of the principle of circularity and the use of organic materials that store carbon. The materials used will have to meet the requirements for thermal comfort, air quality and accessible environment, "said arch. Kolarov. He added that large-scale integration of renewable energy sources and technologies using geothermal and hydrothermal energy will significantly reduce primary energy costs.

Another novelty will be the introduction of "green public procurement" as a basic tool for achieving sustainability. "With the help of economic life cycle analysis, we aim to achieve economic and environmental feasibility of projects. We define the sustainable construction process as safe, environmentally friendly and ensuring efficient waste management, "said the adviser to the regional minister.

Arch. Kolarov added that reforms are planned to support and facilitate the implementation of projects. These include the creation of one-stop shops, an information system for digitizing the data on administration and controlling the update process. Additional measures are provided for reliable and accurate determination of the energy performance of buildings, life cycle analysis to achieve environmental and economic feasibility.

"Of paramount importance for the successful preparation and implementation of projects for sustainable energy renovation of the building stock is building the capacity of employees in state and municipal institutions, as well as all participants in the investment process," said Arch. Georgi Kolarov. In this regard, he pointed out that in order to speed up the processes and create conditions for rapid absorption of funds, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works has an expert group aimed at creating a program for interactive training and qualification of participants in the preparation and implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Programme. Participants will be introduced to sustainable construction and evaluation systems and will enter into specific measures for project implementation. It will prepare application guidelines with clear criteria and evaluation methods.

"Our goal is the Plan to start the transformation of the construction industry into a sustainable one, as part of the European transition to a green economy. We expect the investments in the buildings to give the desired impulses in the construction sector and the whole economy, to lead to the creation of new jobs and to support the supply network ", stressed arch. Kolarov.

Before the participants in the meeting, the advisor to the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works informed that in the future energy efficiency programme the buildings are divided into two types - low or high energy performance. Sites with the lowest and worst performance will receive a rehabilitation grant, while buildings with high performance will be piloted. According to arch. Due to the crisis with Covid 19, Kolarov has a lot of people who are in financial difficulties and will not be able to afford to participate in the program, so a grant is provided for them. Otherwise, there is a risk of blocking the energy efficiency programme. Analyzes show that the lowest paying citizens live in buildings with low energy performance.