Increasing Energy Efficiency of Buildings in Serbia—A Case of an Urban Neighborhood

Luka Djordjević, Jasmina Pekez, Borivoj Novaković, Mihalj Bakator, Mića Djurdjev, Dragan Ćoćkalo and Saša Jovanović
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Luka Djordjević: Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, 23101 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Jasmina Pekez: Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, 23101 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Borivoj Novaković: Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, 23101 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Mihalj Bakator: Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, 23101 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Mića Djurdjev: Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, 23101 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Saša Jovanović: Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, 23101 Zrenjanin, Serbia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: Energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly relevant topics in today’s world. Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy in society, and as such, improving their energy efficiency by reducing unnecessary energy loss and utilizing solar power is crucial. This paper comprehensively analyzes a neighborhood with buildings characteristic of the researched area by applying empirical and theoretical methods and calculations that have been proven in numerous individual cases. The main contribution of this paper is its demonstration that implementing methods to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and utilizing the potential of solar power can result in significant savings in energy consumption, increase the energy sustainability of the analyzed buildings, and substantially reduce the negative environmental impact. The novelty of this study lies in the location and multiple software applications for data analysis. The data and conclusions obtained in this paper serve as a foundation and path towards sustainable development in the field of energy efficiency for buildings in this and similar areas. Heat loss was calculated by analyzing households in the urban neighborhood of Nova Kolonija. All analyzed houses exceeded the maximum allowed annual required energy for household heating (75 kWh/m 2 ). After the reconstruction and implementation of the proposed measures to increase energy efficiency, all houses met the requirements and entered a higher energy class, C. Energy for heating was reduced from 9294.68 kWh/a to 4641.84 kWh/a, representing a reduction of 50.03%. Simulations were conducted regarding solar rooftop power plant installation of 5655 Wp capacity. Software that was used included: a Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS), Photovoltaic System software (PVsyst 7.3.), and Photovoltaic Design and Simulation software (PV*SOL). The results of the analysis indicated that the average amount of electricity produced is 6186.98 kWh, which meets 98.12% of households’ annual electricity consumption of 6278.41 kWh. The paper contributes to the existing body of literature and provides significant insight for both practical implications and future studies.

Keywords: energy efficiency; energy improvement; Serbia; urban neighborhood; buildings; urban solar potential; solar simulation software; energy sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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