New technical conditions WT 2021 - CHECK WHAT'S CHANGING!
The new year brings changes to the construction law. The new WT 2021 is the result of the pro-ecological attitude of the European Parliament, which since 2010 has been introducing directives to minimise the need to use primary energy. Who is subject to the new technical conditions? What's changing? Have a read! This may be especially important for people who are already planning to use modular construction this year to start business based on, for example, container offices.
From January 1, 2021, the amendment to the technical conditions of 2017 with regards to the requirements for buildings comes into force. As industry specialists emphasise, the new requirements of WT 2021 are not a surprise. Knowing that amendments are usually introduced every 5 years, many architectural designs and building materials previously met the new technical conditions of 2021, which are in force from the first day of this year.
New technical standards are bringing "traditional" houses, mobile homes and modular homes closer to zero-energy status - buildings are to have zero energy consumption. What does this mean in practice? Above all, a significant reduction in maintenance costs. In addition, modern and energy-saving construction is to be ecological and even more comfortable to use.
WT 2021 - does modular construction have to adapt?
The new technical conditions of WT 2021 must be met by every investor who receives a building permit in 2021. The regulations apply not only to new buildings, but also to those that will be modernised or extended. This means that the increased requirements of WT 2021 must also be met by any project created on the basis of previous guidelines, the formalities of which have not been finalised by the date of the amendment.
Are you planning to build or extend? The new technical conditions apply to you too! This means the necessity to choose a project in line with the new guidelines, as well as investments in energy-saving elements, modernisation of the heating boiler and reduction of the building's primary energy demand. How to do it? We advise.
Technical conditions for buildings in 2021 - what is changing?
The most important changes in WT 2021, which raise the standards of energy efficiency in buildings, are:
- Reduction of the thermal conductivity coefficient of structural elements (U)
The heat transfer coefficient determines how much heat escapes from the house to the outside. At the beginning of this year, the thermal insulation of building partitions, windows, doors, roofs and ceilings must be more effective, which will translate into more effective heat retention inside the building. According to the new regulations, external walls must have a U coefficient equal to or lower than 0.2 W / m2K, external doors and garage doors 1.4 W / m2K, facade windows 0.9 W / m2K, and roof windows 1.1 W / m2K. The producers of the above materials had a lot of time to prepare an offer that meets the requirements of WT 2021, so choosing the right models should not be a problem. Therefore, a modular building will be even more ecological and economical, if only the investor chooses prefabricated products in line with the new standards.
WT 2021 table - how are the requirements for the average minimum insulation thickness changing?
The new energy efficiency requirements for buildings include greater emphasis on insulation. This will allow you to keep more heat in the house and significantly reduce the costs associated with its maintenance. Savings can be brought not only by the modular building itself, but also by the materials that make up the containers and their facade. The table below, WT 2021, presents changes in the conditions regarding the average minimum thickness of insulation.
- Limiting the energy demand of buildings
The permissible annual demand for non-renewable primary energy (EP) for a house and derivative structures, such as a mobile home, is changing. It is about the energy used for heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting the building. The amendment reduces the EP for a single-family building from 95 kWh / m2 to 70 kWh / m2. The same energy consumption coefficient was determined for the farm and production building. What restrictions apply to other types of buildings? The new standards are presented in the table below WT 2021:
| Energy consumption coefficient for individual buildings | |
|---|---|
| Multi-family residential building | 65 |
| Collective flat building | 75 |
| Public building | 45 |
- Modernisation of heating furnaces
The coal and gas boilers used so far do not meet the WT 2021 guidelines, so you need to start investing in renewable energy sources (for example by installing photovoltaic panels) and modern boilers or heat pumps. This is a larger expense, but the costs incurred by the investor will quickly pay off in the form of lower bills. It is similar to service equipment - higher costs at the start will allow you to maximise profits and, for example, faster return for the newly created service container.
WWT 2021 - Clean Air, i.e. eco-friendly construction with an additional charge
The new directive aims to seal our wallets and bring modern construction closer to a greener one. Therefore, investors erecting new buildings under the dictatorship of the regulations introduced this year can count on a subsidy. It is therefore another opportunity to make container-based buildings even cheaper.
What we mean here is the Clean Air program, under which we can apply for co-financing of the modernisation of an existing building or equipping with appropriate equipment that is just under construction. The list of things that can receive funding includes windows, building insulation and heating devices. An additional help may be a thermo modernization relief for single-family houses.
Technical conditions for 2021 - modular construction cheaper and more eco-friendly
The technical conditions introduced at the beginning of the year are increased energy efficiency standards for buildings - new, as well as those modernised and extended. Meeting the new requirements is not difficult - manufacturers of building materials and designers have already begun to offer products that meet the new requirements of WT 2021. It is no different in the case of facilities based on interconnected containers - when building a modular all-year-round house or a container office, you do not have to worry about restrictive technical conditions in 2021.
When building a house or public utility building, you should take care of appropriate materials with thermal insulation (such as blocks insulated with mineral wool, various types of thermal insulation foams, modernised polystyrene or special mortars limited by thermal bridges) or use modern methods. You should also consider the selection of appropriate windows (with insulated glazing units and warm spacers or simply two-chamber windows) and external doors that meet the standards of technical conditions after the introduced amendment.