1.
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY EFFICIENCY
AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
BUILDING SECTOR
12/01/21
Agris Kamenders

2.
• Climate change and impacts on the building sector in
Latvia
• Policy recommendation:
• Reducing GHG emissions “mitigation measures”
• Adapting to the climate change “adaptation
measures”
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AGENDA
Photo: E.Krauklis

3.
CLIMATE CHANGES IN LATVIA
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Climate variable Previous
climatological
value
(1961-1990)
Previous changes
(1981-2010 vs
1961-1990)
Future changes
(2071- 2100 in relation to
1961-1990)
RCP 4.5 RCP 8.5
Mean value of daily maximum
air temperature
+29,3 oC ↑ +0,7 oC ↑ +3,6 oC ↑ +5,7 oC
Annual-mean temperature +5,7 oC ↑ +0,7 oC ↑ +3,5 oC ↑ +5,5 oC
Mean value of daily minimum
air temperature
-24,1 oC ↑ +1,9 oC ↑ +9,3 oC ↑ +13,5 oC
Increase number of days
when daily max temperature
is above +25 0C
15 days ↑ +3 days ↑ +31 days ↑ +53 days
Increase number of days
when daily min temperature is
above +20 0C.
0 days ↕ 0 days ↑ +4 days ↑ +14 days
Source: Latvia's adaptation to climate change plan for 2030 and Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre

4.
EXAMPLE - AIR TEMPERATURE IN RIGA
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Source: Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre

5.
ANALYSES OF HEATING DEGREE DAYS
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0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
Ainaži Alūksne Daugavpils Dobele Liepāja Mērsrags Priekuļi Rīga Stende Zīlāni
Heatingdegreedays
1961 – 1990
vs
1989 - 2018
• Decrease in HDD by 10.3% or 375 HDD days
• Decrease of energy consumption for heating and increase cooling needs

6.
CLIMATE CHANGES IN LATVIA
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Climate variable Previous
climatological
value (1961-
1990)
Previous changes
(1981-2010 vs
1961-1990)
Future changes (2071-
2100 in relation to 1961-
1990)
RCP 4.5 RCP 8.5
The amount of precipitation 651 mm ↑ +6% ↑ +13% ↑ +16%
Heavy precipitation days 15 days
↑ +2 days ↑ +3 days ↑ +5 days
•Increase in annual precipitation, especially in winter season;
•Increase in extreme precipitation;
•Decrees of frost days - more freezing cycles for constructions.

7.
COASTAL EROSION FORECAST BY 2060
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Source: Dr. Jānis Lapinskis

8.
IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
The most important risks:
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1. Overheating of buildings and increased demand for
cooling (electricity demand in summer periods);
2. Flood risks to buildings along the coastline and in
towns and cities by the rivers;
3. Increase of precipitation flooding damage to
buildings structures (wet constructions, foundations);
4. Damage of building foundations due to fluctuating
groundwater levels;
5. Overloaded of roof constructions due to heavy
precipitation in the form of snow over short periods
of time;

9.
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IDENTIFIED RISK
Identified risks Impacts
• Increase of temperatures;
• Increase number of days when daily
max temperature is above +25 0C;
• Increase number of days when daily
min temperature is above +20 0C.
• The risk of overheating;
• Difficulties of using night cooling ventilation
options and natural ventilation;
• Lower energy consumption for heating, but
increased energy consumption for cooling

10.
ADAPTATION MEASURES
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• In energy efficiency support programs include
measures to reduce need for cooling (promote use
of passive cooling design, shading, increase of
thermal mass etc.)
• Limit energy consumption not only for heating but
as well for cooling. The minimum energy efficiency
requirements and the corresponding energy
efficiency class need to be determined not only for
heating but as well primary energy consumption
(MK Nr. 383);
• R&D to set primary energy efficiency targets for
different type of buildings, limits for night cooling in
public buildings, shading, passive cooling design,
design guidelines and up-skilling trainings.
Photo: E.Krauklis

11.
IDENTIFIED RISK
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Identified risks Impacts
• Increase total amount of
precipitation;
• Increase number of days with
heavy and extreme precipitation
(snow and rain).
• Overloaded of roof constructions in winter;
• Damage to building foundations of buildings
due to fluctuating groundwater levels;
• Flood risks to buildings along the coastline and
in towns and cities by the rivers.

12.
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ADAPTATION MEASURES
• Analyses on the recommended capacity reserve for sewerage infrastructure and
changes in the construction standard LBN 223-15 “Sewerage structures”;
• Analyses of flooding risks and zoning depending climate change scenarios (could be
done locally by municipalities developing SECAPs);
• Support technical inspections of foundations and renovation of rainwater systems,
drainage and hydro insulation for plinth in energy efficiency support programs.

13.
MONITORING AND TECHNICAL INSPECTION OF
BUILDINGS
Monitoring of cracks - examples

14.
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Objective Measures
Promote use of local building
materials (wood in construction) to
reduce embodied carbon emissions
• Carbon footprint of building materials (LCA and
LCC analyses). Analyses of amount of carbon
absorbed by wood as a building materials.
Labelling of building components.
• Procurement guidelines for public buildings for
construction projects and construction works
with the aim to reduce emissions and costs
generated during the entire life cycle (examples
from BREEAM, LEED).
Passive One-Family Home on Bergmaņciema Street
Certified passive building in Latvia, construction
completed in 2013. The exterior walls of the building
are constructed from a wooden frame, while the roof is
composed of glued to wood panels.
MITIGATION MEASURES
Photo: E.Krauklis

15.
15
Use of local building materials – components and industrial design of wood-frame
modules for configurable high-performance buildings. Research institutions, developers,
builders, social housing companies, municipalities and energy service companies come
together to demonstrate full-scale innovations.

16.
Photo: E.Krauklis

17.
Photo: E.Krauklis

18.
Photo: E.Krauklis

19.
ERVINS KRAUKLISFoto: Ansis Starks

20.
THE DORMITORY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL
Photo: E.Krauklis

21.
 Heat recovery ventilating system
 Ventilation units in 5th floor
 Main cables in the thermal insulation
layer of the roof >70 cm
 Pipelines in wall insulation design >40 cm
Element
Existing,
W/m2K
After,
W/m2K
Walls U=1.05 U=0.09
Roof U=0.52 U=0.06
Windows U=2,6 U=0.80
Renovation concept: components of a passive
building
Nearly zero energy building
designs and local materials

22.
Design concept of the ventilation system

23.
Roof parts

24.
Photo: E.Krauklis

25.
Photo: E.Krauklis

26.
Photo: E.Krauklis

27.
Photo: E.Krauklis

28.
Photo: E.Krauklis

29.
Photo: E.Krauklis

30.
Photo: E.Krauklis

31.
Photo: Ansis Starks

32.
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Objective Measures
Adopting dynamic
building simulation
methods and new EPC
labelling
• Adopting of dynamic building simulation methods -
new EN ISO 52000 family of standards to assess the
energy performance of buildings put in practice
• Need for detail climate change scenarios and
weather data for building simulation and building
component database. Such data are available in the
database of meteorological observations of VSIA
"Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology
Center". Normative hourly climate data should be
included in LBN 003-19 “Building Climatology”.
Impacts of future weather data typology on building
energy performance. Investigating long-term
patterns of climate change and extreme weather
conditions.
MITIGATION MEASURES

33.
ADOPTING OF DYNAMIC BUILDING SIMULATION METHODS AND
NATIONAL INPUT DATA VALUES
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• Dynamic building simulation
• ‘Daylighting’ – designing buildings for
controlled admission of natural light,
adjustable through the day using solar
shading
Total life-cycle energy use in low-energy
buildings is less than for conventional
buildings.

34.
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MITIGATION MEASURES
Objective Measures
Decarbonization of the building
sector
• Energy efficiency support programs need for
standardized technical solutions - faster project
development, higher quality and better results;
• Energy efficiency guarantee in building construction
and design contracts;
• Greening of taxes – reducing VAT for EE measures.
Energy is relatively cheap. Taxes on energy sales are
VAT 12% and for energy efficiency measures VAT 21%.
• Monitoring of construction quality should be
delegated to the responsible institutions - the building
authorities (the State Construction Control Bureau of
Latvia). Also strengthening the existing building
authorities and other monitoring institutions. ;
• Set energy performance and emissions limits for
heating boilers. Use zoning to decrease the levels of
particulate matter and local pollution in populated
area and cities.

35.
INTEGRATED RES SOLUTIONS
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Photo: A.Kamenders

36.
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MITIGATION MEASURES
Objective Measures
• Enforcement of exiting
legislation and
reequipments.
• Compliance with
building codes
• EPC must be issued when a building is sold or rented,
and inspection schemes for heating and air conditioning
systems must be established;
• Energy efficacy requirements achieved after renovation or after
new construction;
• Up-skilling of engineers/energy auditors/architects for nearly
zero energy buildings design and calculations
• Enforcement minimum energy performance requirements for
existing buildings and in new construction – monitoring by state
Construction Control Bureau of Latvia and/or municipalities.
Heating energy consumption: 17 kWh /(m²a)

37.
In new construction and renovation to nearly zero building designs – minimize or even eliminate
the need for mechanical heating, cooling and ventilation – offer potential for both cost savings
and carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation
37

38.
More than 25 years experience in
the area of energy efficiency and
renewable energy