Efficiency of Different Balcony Slab Modernization Method in Retrofitted Multi-Family Buildings

Many buildings have considerable thermal bridges at the junction of balcony slabs with walls. To achieve the new EU directive targets related to energy efficiency, greater attention should be paid to such design details. This study analyzes the efficiency of traditional balcony slab modernization me...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energies (Basel) 2021-10, Vol.14 (20), p.6666
Main Authors: Sadowska, Beata, Bieranowski, Piotr
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Balconies
balcony slab
Building construction
building envelopes
Buildings
Climate
Condensates
Cost control
Economic impact
Energy consumption
Energy efficiency
Heat loss
Heat transfer
Insulation
internal surface temperature
large panel residential building
Loss reduction
Modernization
Payback periods
Retrofitting
Slabs
THERM simulations
Thermal bridges
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Summary:Many buildings have considerable thermal bridges at the junction of balcony slabs with walls. To achieve the new EU directive targets related to energy efficiency, greater attention should be paid to such design details. This study analyzes the efficiency of traditional balcony slab modernization methods, the use of modern insulation materials and a new alternative system: an added self-supporting light balcony system (LKBD) in retrofitted large-panel buildings. The main objective was to capture cost-effective renovation methods from both the heat loss reduction perspectives and risk of surface condensation. The analyses, carried out in four buildings, have shown that at current costs, the thermal modernization of balconies is not economically efficient (SPBT > 98.4 years). However, it is necessary because leaving the balcony slabs without insulation or only insulating them from the bottom carries the risk of surface condensation. The most cost-effective renovation method is to insulate the balcony slabs from below and above with the thickest possible XPS layer (SPBT = 98.4 years; 107.4 years). Replacing XPS with modern material increases SPBT by almost 50%, for the LKBD system, SPBT = 269.2–281.5 years. More favorable energy and economic effects related to the reduction of balcony thermal bridges were achieved in the wall with lower insulation.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en14206666