Energy Savings in Public Buildings Possible with Proper Insulation

Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings Made Possible with Proper Insulation A Presidential decree raising the energy savings target for certain public buildings from 15% to 30% by 2030 has been published in the Official Gazette. İZODER Chairman Emrullah Eruslu stated that achieving the desired energy savings targets in public buildings will be possible through properly applied insulation.

İZODER - Thermal, Water, Sound and Fire Insulation Association Board Chairman Emrullah Eruslu, who called the increase in public buildings' energy savings targets an extremely encouraging step, said the following;

"İZODER has emphasized since its founding that one of the most important ways to ensure safe, energy-efficient and comfortable buildings across Turkey is to apply proper insulation to all buildings. We regularly meet with public authorities on this matter and exchange views. Insulating our buildings for sustainable futures represents a significant investment for both the environment and the country's economy. Turkey imports 71% of its energy and 99% of its natural gas. Last year, approximately 100 billion dollars was spent on energy imports. 31% of this energy is consumed in buildings. Yet thermally insulated buildings reduce energy costs by 50%, providing significant savings to the budget and environmental protection. By adopting a sustainable approach, we can transform the energy we waste into investment for our future. In Turkey, improving the existing building stock is critical for energy efficiency. We greatly value the public sector taking the lead and converting its currently inefficient buildings into energy-efficient ones. By applying thermal insulation to roofs, walls and floors of all buildings and using coated insulating glass units in windows, Turkey's total energy bill could be reduced by approximately 15%. If all buildings in Turkey are made energy-efficient (at least Class C buildings), annual savings of 12-15 billion dollars could be achieved, depending on energy prices." [caption id="attachment_157768" align="aligncenter"] Emrullah Eruslu[/caption]

Revision of TS 825 Thermal Insulation Rules Standard is an urgent need

İZODER Chairman Emrullah Eruslu, stating that solutions covering all buildings, not just public ones, are needed, said: "While developed countries have taken numerous steps to reduce energy limits for building energy efficiency, our country continues to use energy limits defined in 2008. In the EU, since 2019, all new public buildings have been produced as nearly zero-energy. Since the beginning of 2020, all new buildings have been constructed as nearly zero-energy. In many developed countries, buildings are designed and constructed with insulation such that annual energy consumption per square meter for heating and cooling is 30-50 kW. In our country, building energy consumption remains at 100-120 kWh/m²year levels. Our energy waste is 3 to 5 times higher when compared with developed countries. We must bring our energy limits and U-values to the level of developed countries as soon as possible, as defined in the Energy Efficiency Strategy Document. The revision of the TS 825 Thermal Insulation Rules Standard for buildings is of great importance at this point. We expect to hear good news about the revised standard soon," he said.

Emrullah Eruslu concluded his remarks as follows;

"As insulation thickness increases, the energy efficiency achieved increases proportionally. However, the impact of increased thickness on construction costs is minimal. When we double the insulation thickness, the total cost does not double, but the potential for savings in heating and cooling becomes two-fold. Thermal insulation applications pay for themselves in a short time by reducing both initial investment and operating costs, and continue to provide savings throughout the building's lifetime. Generally, insulation applications involve, apart from the cost of insulation material, scaffold setup costs, infrastructure costs such as electricity and water, adhesive, plaster, anchors, mesh and other auxiliary material costs, complementary material costs such as paint and exterior cladding, and labor costs. Among all these costs, the additional cost from increasing the thickness of the insulation material varies from application to application but is quite low. In other words, once you have set up scaffolding, brought workers to the scaffold, and purchased materials such as adhesive, plaster and paint, you should use insulation boards as thick as possible to ensure energy efficiency. We now need to apply insulation of 6-8 cm thickness in warm climate regions like Antalya and İzmir, 9-10 cm in temperate regions like İstanbul, 10-12 cm in cold areas like Ankara, and 14-15 cm in very cold places like Erzurum. We believe there will be improvements in regulations on this matter in the near future, but until then we recommend everyone planning insulation work to exceed the regulatory limits and apply thicker insulation. The same applies to windows. Instead of uncoated traditional glass in windows, we should use insulating glass with thermal and/or solar control coatings and move towards triple-glazing solutions."