Energy saving is what? Main directions and ways of energy saving

Today in the modern world, energy saving is an integral part of the life of a civilized society. This is the concern for health, and saving money, and the comfort of living. But one of the most important (global) characteristics of energy saving is the protection of the environment from negative impacts.

Concept of energy saving

The very notion of "energy saving" began to be used in Russia very long ago, even in the Soviet period. To date, energy saving is characterized by a conceptual device, given in the main Federal Law "On Energy Saving and on Improving Energy Efficiency and on Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" No. 261-FZ of 23.11.2009.

Energy saving is based on the energy resource as an energy carrier, which can be used in any activity.

FZ on energy saving also introduces the concept of "secondary energy resource," which is an energy resource derived from the implementation of a process that is not aimed at generating energy.

Energy saving is any activity aimed at reducing the use of energy resources without compromising the basic function of their use.

Despite the extreme accuracy of the definitions, very often there is confusion in the concepts of "energy saving" and "energy efficiency". In this connection, the definition of the latter is given in this section.

Energy efficiency - a certain set of characteristics that reflect the relationship of the effect of the use of energy resources to the costs of energy resources themselves. Efficiency of energy saving is characterized, among other things, by a class of energy efficiency, which reflects the degree of utility of a product in terms of energy savings. To determine the energy efficiency, special energy inspections are carried out.

Basic principles of energy saving

Now, having defined the basic concepts in this area, it is worth to reflect the basic principles of energy saving:

1. Use of alternative energy sources.
2. Use of secondary energy resources.
3. Application of non-energy-intensive technologies and equipment.
4. Taking measures for the rational use of available energy resources.
5. Conducting an assessment of the economic feasibility of any energy-saving technologies and solutions.

This list can be attributed both to the principles of state regulation of energy conservation, and to the basic approaches to the warming of a private home. The main thing to remember is that energy saving involves not only additional ways of obtaining energy, but also activities to save the existing and its rational use.

Alternative energy sources

Today, much is said about alternative sources of energy. As a rule, we mean renewable energy resources. What is renewed endlessly on planet Earth? Of course, this is water, the sun, the wind, the earth's crust. Of course, if we go into details, then the solar activity changes with time, and the surface of the earth's crust becomes thinner, but all this on the scale of the universe. We are talking about the resumption within the framework of our civilization - in the next few centuries, we believe the Sun will not fade and the Earth will not fly off the orbit.

Thus, the following sources of energy are considered alternative to oil, gas, coal and wood today:

• Energy of sun. To use such a source, solar panels and collectors are used. The first are photocells, which directly convert the energy of the sun into an electric current. Solar collectors do not convert energy into electric current, but heat the coolant for its subsequent use (for example, to heat water in a private house).
• Wind energy. Wind turbines that produce electricity by means of wind-driven blades are very popular in Europe. For example, Germany already receives a third of its electricity using this renewable energy source.
• Energy of water. It's not just about hydroelectric power plants. To date, there are heat pumps that convert the heat of water in a lake or basin into a stable heating of water for heating the house and supplying it with hot water.
• Energy of the Earth. The heat pumps described above can also use heat from groundwater or the upper layer of the earth's crust for communal needs. Such installations are very popular, since they do not require the presence of a source of water or wind nearby: the coolant can be placed in special pipes under the lawn, for example, or in wells in the garden.

Secondary energy resources

The use of energy repeatedly is one of the main principles ensuring high-quality energy saving. Increasing the efficiency of the ventilation and air-conditioning system used in the building is possible only with the secondary use of the heat of the exhaust air. This process of returning part of the heat leaving the building (the air heats up in the room from the working equipment in the people's room) is called recovery. In this aspect, energy conservation is the activity of preserving the available energy in the room.

The principle of the recuperator is very simple - through certain platinum, which conducts heat well, the air drawn from the room warms the cold streams coming in from the street, not mixing with it. As a result, the house receives not cold air, but 2-3 degrees warm air, which contributes to a more comfortable microclimate in the room, and also saves on heating, due to the rise in temperature in the room due to warm flows.

Recuperators are plate-like, as described above, rotary (with a rotating element inside) and with an intermediate coolant. A large selection of recuperator manufacturers allows you to choose the device for different rooms and customers.

How to rationally use municipal energy resources?

Rational use of available resources includes not only the installation and operation of energy-efficient equipment, but also the observance of a certain regime. Energy saving mode - the order of life, which provides energy savings at the household level. If you set a goal - to save on utility payments, you must first install equipment that, with the help of automation of supply and accounting of energy will not waste in vain kilowatts.

It should be selected based on the marking confirming that this device or device provides energy saving. Increasing the energy optimization of resource use is possible only with the rational use of all equipment. Timely switching off of light in rooms where there are no people, attentive attitude to the waste of hot water and the correct setting of automatic devices for recording and consumption of heat and electricity in the house will make it possible to achieve significant results in saving energy and personal money.

What is a passive house?

Energy efficiency and energy saving are inextricably linked with the concept of passive housing construction. It combines a set of energy-saving measures, which together provide a low level of energy consumption. The technology of the passive house begins in the city of Darmstadt, where it was first developed by physicist Fajstom. Calculating the energy balance at home pushed him to the idea of creating a building that would not have to be connected to heating even in winter, a passive house. Then in Germany, houses consumed about 200 kW ^. H / m² per year. The passive house was just 10 kW ^. H / m² per year to stay fit and even comfortable for year-round living.

The basic criterion of the passive house is the creation of a closed shell of the building with increased thermal insulation and low thermal conductivity. This is achieved through the use of energy-efficient thermal insulation materials, the exclusion of the so-called cold bridges (places in the building's enclosing structures, through which the cold penetrates the building: facade fastenings, window frames).

Assessment of the effectiveness of energy-saving technologies

In order to bring the energy consumption level in the building closer to the standard of the passive house, it is necessary to use materials with high heat resistance, modern engineering equipment, renewable and secondary energy sources, in a word, energy saving measures. Energy efficiency in this case is calculated based on the costs spent on this or that innovation in the house, and the effect that this decision will bring to the owner.

First, it is necessary to calculate the impact of new technology on the volume of production and consumption of a particular type of resource. In doing so, you need to evaluate:

• The degree of economy of resources (the difference of resources used by energy-efficient and traditional equipment for the billing period in the production of the same amount of energy).
• The effect of energy production (the difference or the ratio of the amounts of energy produced over a certain period of energy compared with the equipment options when using the same amount of resources).

These indicators will give us an idea of the need to move on to the calculation of the economic effect. It is calculated by comparing the costs spent on buying a new (and possibly dismantling) the old equipment, and the income from saving energy when replacing the wasteful machine with a more modern one (over a certain time period). This difference will be the effect that the owner will receive after a specific period of time after applying an energy-efficient solution. Usually the installation of recuperators or solar panels pays off in 3-5 years.

History of energy saving programs in Russia

Like other strategically important tasks for the country, energy saving in Russia is carried out with the help of the program-target management method, widely used for many years. The energy conservation program is a set of activities aimed at achieving specific goals and solving specific tasks.

The first program "Energy-efficient economy for 2002-2005 and for the future up to 2010" 17.11.2001 Government Resolution No. 796. As a result of the implementation of the program, positive changes occurred in the fuel and energy sector of the Russian Federation, however, due to failures in the program financing system in 2006, its performance has significantly decreased and it was closed by the RF Government Decree № 1446-р.

The second state program "Energy Saving and Improving Energy Efficiency for the Period to 2020" operated only 2.5 years and was abolished by the RF Government Resolution No. 479 in 2013.

Instead, another energy saving program was launched, "Energy Efficiency and Energy Development," which lasted less than a year and in 2014, by Decree No. 321 of the Government of the Russian Federation of 15.04.2014, was closed.

As of today, the new program "Energy Efficiency and Energy Development" of 2014 (approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 15, 2014 No. 321) is effective, but the scale of the expected results can be estimated now: by 2020, the energy intensity of GDP should fall More than 9% compared to 2007. In the framework of this program, it is also planned to develop the extraction of coal, oil and gas, use of alternative energy sources in industry.

Energy saving in residential and social buildings in Moscow

With the advent of the first energy saving program, the approach to building buildings in Russia has changed dramatically. Special regulatory requirements for thermal protection of building envelopes and their energy consumption have been introduced. Designers strictly followed the requirements of regulatory documents, but studies have shown that residential buildings in Moscow, which were built after 2000, are almost 2 times higher than the established standard. On average, during the heating season, they consumed up to 160 kWh per 1 m ^{2 of} living space, at a rate of 95 kWh per 1 m ² . In this regard, changes were introduced that led not only to the regulation of energy consumption, but also to the application of specific energy-efficient solutions in residential and public buildings projects.

At present, various energy-efficient solutions are used in residential buildings and social buildings (kindergartens, schools, etc.):

• The devices of automatic calculation of the flow of hot water and coolant in the heating system are used.
• Regulators are used on batteries, allowing each tenant to adjust the temperature in the room at his discretion.
• Pipelines are insulated to reduce heat losses.
• Ventilation units with a heat recovery system are used.
• Enclosing structures of buildings include qualitative insulants and three-chamber double-glazed windows.

In addition to normalizing projects of buildings, certain measures to stimulate energy-efficient housing construction have been developed. For example, for owners of energy-efficient buildings there are tax breaks:

1. The tax base does not include property with a high class of energy efficiency within three years from the date of registration (Federal Law No. 132-FZ of 7 June 2011).
2. There is an opportunity to double the depreciation of such property (Federal Law No. 261-FZ of 23.11.2010).

Tariff incentives are also used as a method of motivating the rational use of energy resources by Moscow residents.

State Information System for Energy Conservation

The State Information System (GIS) "Energy Efficiency" is the accumulation center of all information on energy saving. Calculated for the population of the country, legal entities, employees of the state apparatus. In addition to informing about new energy efficient solutions, the achievements of modern innovators, helping to reduce energy consumption for businesses and owners of private homes, this site is also used by civil servants to collect information on energy consumption of budget organizations.

The last function is implemented through the module "Information on energy conservation and energy efficiency". Here, budget organizations and municipalities fill out declarations on energy consumption in online mode, using the following data:

• Power passport.
• Articles of association.
• Staff list of the organization.
• Invoices for fuel and energy resources.
• Technical passport of the building and data from the BTI.

Such an energy saving module saves the resources of organizations that are obliged to report to the federal authorities on energy costs, and also provides the state authorities with the ability to quickly and carefully analyze and draw conclusions about changes in the country's energy policy.

In conclusion, it should be noted that energy saving is not just a saving of money. First of all, this is concern for the future, where our children will live.