"Green" construction is becoming a reality in Russia

A professional discussion on the topic "Sustainable development: debunking 7 Russian myths about energy efficiency" was held as part of the business program of the International Forum of High-rise and Unique Construction 100+ Forum Russia. Experts talked about stereotypes regarding energy efficiency and sustainable development in Russia:

1. The construction of "green" real estate is expensive.
2. The unique competencies of a management company are needed to operate energy-efficient buildings.
3. Residents don't appreciate energy efficiency.
4. The developer only says that there will be savings, but in fact there is none.
5. The requirements for improving the energy efficiency of facilities are set in According to Resolution 87, the developer does not need to implement additional measures to improve energy efficiency.
6. Energy-efficient projects are not applicable for our country, and they are not needed, because we have cheap resources.
7. Russian architects do not understand the essence of energy-efficient projects.

Evgeny Teslya, Deputy Director General for Sustainable Development of the BUREAU of TECHNOLOGY, noted that regulatory documents regulating the development of "green" construction in Russia have been in place in our country for quite some time. These are Federal Law No. 261-FZ "On Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency Improvement," Decree No. 889 on reducing the energy intensity of the Russian economy by 40% by 2020, and Decree No. 752 on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. In addition, Resolution 87, which requires the development of a special section on energy efficiency, unfortunately, does not bring any effects to the project, but only increases the cost of developing project documentation. "Although the document was updated in early September 2017, it does not solve the overall problem. Effective implementation of the project requires an integrated approach that has already been thought out in terms of obtaining effects for the developer, such as reducing resource consumption at the facility (we are talking about water, heat and electricity), which automatically reduces the capacity of autonomous resource sources and the investment costs of their creation," explains Evgeny Teslya. – A separate section in the resolution cannot solve the problem here, we need a larger–scale approach focused on our Russian reality, which, by the way, is already offered by a professional system for improving the energy efficiency of GREEN ZOOM real estate; it is aimed at obtaining economic effects, namely, reducing the operating costs of the facility, and, consequently, reducing costs. residents of the building for utilities. The technique is already working and is popular, it just needs to be adopted nationwide."

As for developers, Leonid Adam, Chief Engineer, Deputy Technical Director, RSG-Engineering Infrastructure (part of KORTROS Group), who presented a practical case study on the implementation of the largest urban development project in Yekaterinburg, the Akademicheskiy district, which is being implemented using innovative technologies and modern energy-saving technologies: "The use of the most modern technical solutions and materials in providing the Akademicheskiy district allows us to provide a completely new level of quality of services supplied to end users, which are characterized by the following parameters: the minimum level of losses of all types of energy in networks at the lowest tariffs for consumers in the city, the possibility of reducing the rate for connecting to heating networks by 15-20%, corresponding reduction in tariffs for heat sales due to the use of the DHW priority function, maximum controllability of consumption volumes, reduction of end-user utility costs, high quality of services provided, reliability and continuity of services provided due to redundancy, duplication and use of the highest quality materials, 100% accounting of all energy resources for all consumers and apartment-by-apartment accounting". A representative of another Yekaterinburg-based development company, Forum Group, Yuri Andreev, head of the production and technical department, also presented successful experiences from the company's practice, demonstrating to the audience the first energy-efficient residential complex in Yekaterinburg, certified according to the Russian GREENZOOM energy efficiency system: "The main principle of our company's activity is the creation of modern, high-quality, innovative projects that meet the needs of the end user and the changing trends in the real estate industry. So, we decided to certify one of the houses of the Olkhovsky Park residential complex according to the professional "green" standard, which allowed the complex to become the first facility in Yekaterinburg not only to receive the highest Platinum certificate of the Russian rating system, but also to become the first facility in the field of residential construction to receive a professional assessment in the field of energy efficiency throughout the Sverdlovsk region. the region," explains Yuri Andreev. "As a developer, our task is not just to build facilities, but to create a comfortable living environment, putting into practice all energy–efficient technologies available to us and reducing the utility costs of our residents." It should be noted that according to the results of the energy modeling of the facility, savings on operating costs in terms of electricity consumption will amount to about 5 million rubles per year.

When implementing energy–efficient projects, a completely natural question arises - is the management of such facilities fundamentally different from traditional ones? Do we need the unique competencies of the Management Committee here? Nikolay Bartenev, Deputy Regional Director of Zeppelin Management Company, formulated a clear answer here: "Participants in the commercial real estate management market objectively understand that no unique competencies are required to operate energy-efficient buildings. At the same time, it is obvious that highly qualified engineering staff is needed for the maintenance of "green" facilities equipped with energy-efficient equipment. It is possible to increase the amount of knowledge of employees through targeted training and professional development programs, however, this knowledge must be polished by practice. Otherwise, such specialists will literally study at your facility. Experts with decent experience certainly belong to the category of highly paid, but a competent Management Company with well-established business processes will always offer alternative options for saving on the number of line staff, which will allow you to get the highest quality service at minimal financial cost." Nikolai Bartenev's point of view was fully shared by the speaker from the Yekaterinburg management company, Arseniy Marchenko, Director of Development at OGNI GROUP.

The issue was not left without reflecting the position of architect Alexey Kukovyakin, chief architect, director of the ALKUTA company, who advocated the competent implementation of architectural solutions in symbiosis with energy-efficient technologies.

"I would like to dispel the myth that architects do not know how to work with energy-efficient projects, and even vice versa - it is the architect who can create such an architectural form of the project that will contribute to a comfortable and harmonious stay / residence of the end user in it, think about glazing, compact shape of the building, enclosing structures, organization of the interior space," - This is Alexey Kukovyakin. – The only thing that prevents is the reluctance of architects to immerse themselves in the essence of creating such projects, mistakenly succumbing to the fear that the final design concept will be unfinished. By no means – the introduction of an energy–efficient component into the project is an additional opportunity to improve the facility in terms of architecture, which I recommend everyone to use."

As for the experience of foreign colleagues, a Western expert in the person of Stefan Jentsch, Director for the Asia-Pacific region of the international company OBERMEYER, reviewed the issues announced for discussion from the point of view of urbanism and urban planning, and noted that in order to create livable cities, it is impossible to do without the introduction of elements of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction, becauseK. This is the key not only to the integrated development of cities, but also the main factor in obtaining economic benefits from the implementation of such technologies, which will be received by the state, developers and residents.

Thus, all the participants of the section presented convincing arguments based on the professional experience of their companies – developers, engineers, management companies, architects, urbanists, and, as summarized by moderator Evgeny Teslya, demonstrated the practical implementation of energy-efficient solutions and technologies in modern Russian life. "The only myth that we have yet to destroy is the myth that green projects are not needed by modern consumers. By learning how to competently implement energy-efficient projects and introducing mass fashion for the implementation of such projects, we will be able to create conditions for members of our own Russian society to make a different choice and reach a different standard of living, which will not seem expensive and unattainable, but will be perceived as necessary and created with the necessary conditions of comfort for a modern citizen."