Italyaround Ricette e sapori dell'Italia
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What to do for energy saving?
Unfortunately, this winter Italian and not only European families will face an important challenge regarding energy saving and what to do this problem.
It is therefore essential to know what interventions to take to obtain good energy savings with effective thermal insulation in homes.
The cause of a dizzying increase in the cost of gas and energy is due not only to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine but also to the political incapacity that certain European countries have had over the decades in addressing the issue of autonomous energy production favoring monopoly by those countries which are naturally rich in it.
THE COST OF METHANE GAS TODAY
The cost of methane gas in Italy is established for the majority of cases through the PSV,meaning what the Virtual Exchange Point, a sort of Italian gas exchange where wholesale natural gas sales and purchases are exchanged, the price of which it is updated month by month to protect consumers.
Hence the PSV index which corresponds to the arithmetic mean of the daily quotation of the gas price taken from the Heren Day Ahead Price, expressed in €/MWh which are transformed into €/Scm on the basis of a multiplicative coefficient.
Recently, the price of gas has also been influenced by the performance of a large natural gas exchange, the Dutch one.
For comparison, in September 2021 the PSV per Smc index was Euro 66.6 while in September 2022 it rose to 196.25 (an increase of almost 200%).
VALUATION OF THE ENERGY CLASS OF THE PROPERTY AND DRAFTING OF THE EPC
Through the figure of the energy certifier it is possible to classify the property and identify the energy class to which it belongs through a document that is now mandatory, the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).
In a nutshell, with the EPC you can understand if a property is equipped with a good thermal insulation that can save us on gas and light bills or identify those necessary interventions to obtain it.
According to the works carried out on the house to improve the thermal insulation ( coat, change of fixtures etc ) a class is assigned indicating the energy saving value to which the bulding belongs.
The energy classes for buildings are ten, those in which there is greater energy savings are A4, A3, A2, A1, B and C, are represented through a pyramid-shaped design.
We start from the top with the energy classes A4, A3, A2, A1 (where we find the maximum energy savings) until we go down and arrive at the base (G), in fact as we go down the energy consumption increases.
A bulding belonging to the letter A4 has the maximum thermal efficiency given by the use of renewable sources, by an important thermal insulation, heating system and quality windows (windows, doors) and appliances belonging to class A.
While those who lives in a house belonging to the letter G will obviously have higher consumption and heat dispersion than other classes because it is equipped with obsolete heating systems (forced draft boiler for example), old windows and no interventions to save energy.
Most of the properties today belong to class C, have good energy savings thanks to the installation of condensing boilers, the presence of thermostatic valves in the rooms and good insulation in the attic. See table below.
REPLACEMENT OF THE OLD CONDENSING BOILER
One of the first things to do is evaluate the type of boiler you have at home.
If you have had a boiler for more than 20 years it is possible that you have the old type, the one with forced draft still present above all in dated condominiums which strongly affect the costs in the bill.
Today, however, they are no longer marketed, even spare parts are almost unobtainable precisely because they are replaced by condensing boilers, increasingly efficient with significant energy savings.
Unlike the forced draft boiler, the condensing boiler not only consumes less, but has excellent combustion, above all it uses the exhaust gases (which can reach a maximum of 70°C. ) to produce heat by eliminating only condensate, thati is waterfall.
The forced draft boiler instead uses much more energy than the other, uses a very high flame to heat, also discharges the fumes that can reach up to 180 C. without being able to use them to create more energy.
THE THERMAL COAT IN THE EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL WALLS OF HOMES
This allows to obtain an energy saving ranging from 30 to 50% and concerns the installation of insulating panels usually at base polyurethane that must be glued and tessellated over the external or internal surface of the building.
There are discordant opinions regarding their effectiveness, as the word suggests “coat” it is a question of covering a surface to protect it from the cold.
The walls covered by this type of insulation do not always have good breathability, it is not allowed they are not able to regulate the diffusion of water vapor effectively and this depends on the types of materials used.
Because problems of mold and condensation could form inside.
PERIODICAL CHECK OF THE BOILER
It is essential to carry out periodic checks on the boiler by specialized technicians at least once a year to evaluate the state of efficiency especially in the vicinity of the winter season.
Having a system that works well means having reduced consumption costs even in pennies. This will help you to reduce and just before the start of the winter season and to lower consumption costs.
We remind you that the owner must check the fumes every two years, but in certain types of boiler it can also take place every year.
Remember that if the boiler has been installed outdoors it is advisable to protect it from the cold with special doors and perhaps if it is not placed in a sheltered place it will also be advisable to insulate it with insulating material.
INSTALL HIGH ENERGY SAVING WINDOWS WITH DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWS
In the presence of dated frames the thermal dispersion is high, for this reason it is advisable to replace with new windows with double glass with high energy savings in PVC, aluminum or combined systems.
