Perhaps there aren’t many completed projects yet, but the interest is definitely there: more than 150 guests attended the seminar “Energy-Efficient Buildings and Green Development,” organized by the Energy Efficiency Center EnEffect on December 10th at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) as part of the EcoDesign Forum. Experts from EnEffect conducted an in-depth analysis of policies, design and construction principles, as well as technologies applied in nearly zero-energy and passive buildings. The latest trends in quality control during construction—a mandatory element in passive buildings—were presented by engineer Bogomil Stefanov (Hexagon Build), and the topics of airtightness testing and the application of infrared thermography sparked significant interest and discussion.
Of course, as with any such event, economic viability and projects realized in Bulgaria were a key focus—and although still few in number, it is encouraging that we now have successful examples, each supported by detailed analyses. The newest (and first certified) passive house in Sofia was personally presented by its owner, Svetlin Dobrevski (Passive House – Bulgaria), with the energy and financial analyses clearly demonstrating the economic feasibility of this specific project, as well as of passive buildings in general. These results were supported by architect Alexander Genchev (SolAir Architects), whose projects—such as the “Sunshine” kindergarten in Gabrovo (the first certified passive building in Bulgaria), a single-family house in Bistritsa village, an educational complex in Stara Zagora, and a Catholic church in Vratsa—prove that the standard is applicable across all geographic zones of the country and for a wide variety of building functions.
The topic of building renovations was also addressed, and while we already know what to expect from the National Energy Efficiency Program and how to take advantage of its opportunities, on Saturday we learned how renovations are carried out according to the Passive House standard in Dublin, Ireland—directly from the source. A video link with architect Art McCormack from the Passive House Academy allowed us not only to delve into the details of design and implementation but also to understand how he and his family feel in their renovated home. The results of the monitoring of the world’s first passive house after 25 years of use were also presented, along with one of the latest projects from the Passive House Institute (Darmstadt, Germany)—the building of the Ministry of Finance of the federal state of Hesse—which once again inspired us with the sustainability, economic viability, and almost universal applicability of the concept.
Of course, there was once again not enough time for everything, but the activities of EnEffect and its partners in the field of vocational training continue. After 100 trained teachers, some of whom have in turn already attracted over 250 construction specialists to our new courses within the vocational education and training system, we can say that efforts in this direction are yielding results. At present, with the support of the BUILD UP Skills EnerPro project , five vocational high schools and vocational training centers offer courses in 10 new training programs in the fields of energy-efficient construction and renewable energy: SPGE "John Atanasoff", Sofia and PGTE "HENRY FORD", Sofia in the renewable energy direction, and PGSA - Pazardzhik, PGSAG "Penyo Penev" - Ruse and BGTSPO - Pleven in the construction direction. Another European project на – Train-to-NZEB – supports the development of a “Passive Buildings” course in the new master’s program “Energy Efficiency in Construction” at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), as well as the equipment of a new training and demonstration center, which is to be opened in the university building. However, this is only the beginning – to achieve real results, we need to stimulate real investments in energy efficiency and green development, with goals significantly more ambitious than the current ones.
