The panel discussion "Energy from Within: A Building That Lives Itself" gathered many interested listeners. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
What is more expensive today - to build a building or to maintain it? A few years ago, the answer for most developers was obvious: the main thing is to optimize construction costs. But four winters of full-scale war, massive attacks on energy infrastructure, and new European requirements have radically changed the rules of the game. Autonomy is no longer perceived as an expensive bonus, and energy efficiency is no longer just an environmental declaration. Today, architects, engineers, developers, and the state are increasingly talking about something else: a building should be evaluated not only by how much it costs to build it, but also by the methods of managing resources throughout its life cycle. It was around this new logic that the discussion "Energy from the Inside: A Building That Lives by Itself" took place during the Architectural MeetUp. We summarize its results in the second material of the series, which covers the events of this event.
Build more expensively to live cheaper
The conversation about autonomous buildings naturally began with the question of state energy efficiency policy. The moderator of the discussion, the manager of international projects of the NSAU Olga Terefeeva, asked the head of the Energy Efficiency Department of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, Dmytro Petrunin, to explain when buildings with almost zero energy consumption will cease to be isolated examples and become the new norm of Ukrainian construction. The answer outlined a much broader transformation: not only design requirements are changing, but also the economics of the industry itself.
Olga Terefeeva, moderator of the discussion, manager of international projects of the NSAU. Photo: Maksym Drobinenko
Dmytro Petrunin reminded that Ukraine has been moving towards these changes for over seven years. Work on adapting legislation to the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings began back in 2018. During this time, about 70 regulatory legal acts have been adopted, energy certification, minimum requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings have been introduced, and a strategy for the transition to nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) has been formed. However, the path turned out to be longer than expected.
"Covid hindered us, there was no money for state support, then the war began. This also hinders the implementation of relevant reforms," the official frankly stated.
Dmytro Petrunin, Head of the Energy Efficiency Department of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
Therefore, the nZEB standard, which came into force in the form of a relevant order last year, is still advisory in nature. Developers can independently choose whether to build according to the current minimum requirements or immediately switch to European standards.
However, this freedom of choice will not last long. According to Dmytro Petrunin, by 2030 Ukraine must fully prepare the legislative framework, after which construction according to nZEB standards must become the new norm. An additional incentive will be the implementation of the new version of the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, adopted in 2024, which Ukraine must adapt by the end of 2027.
However, the most revealing discussion was not about the deadlines, but about changing the criteria for assessing buildings. The new European directive introduces the concept of the life cycle cost of a building. That is, not only the construction cost must be assessed, but also decades of subsequent operation: the costs of maintenance, modernization, and service.
"Buildings that consume less energy are more expensive at the start. But over time, these costs are equalized, and in further operation they already work in a positive way for the consumer," explained Dmytro Petrunin.
After 2030, nZEB construction in Ukraine should become the new norm. An additional incentive will be the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
To make this logic clearer, he offered a simple analogy: “Each of us, when buying a car or any energy-intensive appliance, looks not only at its price, but also at its energy consumption. People buy hybrid or electric cars because they consider the cost of maintaining them. Why shouldn’t the same logic work for buildings?”
This principle, according to the ministry representative, will determine the decisions of investors, state policy, and international financing in the coming years. After all, donor organizations are increasingly linking support for projects with compliance with modern energy efficiency standards. "We cannot afford to build twice and then rebuild," Dmitry Petrunin concluded.
Participants of the discussion "Energy from the Inside: A Building That Lives Itself" during the Architectural MeetUp: Pete Shamilov, founder of the nZEB.PRO project; Dmytro Petrunin, Head of the Energy Efficiency Department of the Ministry of Community and Territories Development of Ukraine; Vadym Lytvyn, Head of the Association of Energy Auditors of Ukraine; Eduard Suprunov, Head of the B2B Department of LG Electronics Ukraine; Maksym Myatko, co-founder of the architectural and design company AIMM. Photo: Maksym Drobinenko
Four at one table
nZEB.PRO project founder, urban planner, architect, and energy auditor Pete Shamilov explained why new standards alone are not enough. He believes that the main problem of the Ukrainian market today is not the lack of technology, but the habit of perceiving energy efficiency as a set of expensive engineering solutions added to the project at the end.
“Energy efficiency does not start with a heat pump or solar panels. It starts the moment the architect makes the first sketch,” was the main thesis of the speech. Shamilov argues that the nZEB standard is, first of all, a different way of designing. An architect can no longer work in isolation, and engineering systems should not be “superimposed” on the already finished architecture. From the very beginning, all decisions should be made comprehensively.
“Three people have to sit down for the project,” he explained. This is an architect, an engineer, and an energy auditor. Panel moderator Olga Terefeeva immediately added: “I think it’s four, because the fourth person is the customer himself.”
Pete Shamilov, founder of the nZEB.PRO project, urban planner, architect and energy auditor. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
Such interdisciplinary work, the expert is convinced, allows for a building that consumes less energy without significantly increasing the cost of construction. To this end, the nZEB.PRO team has already prepared a series of open albums of technical solutions - from structural components of the shell to engineering systems. They contain ready-made drawings, typical components, DWG files and regulatory solutions that architects can directly use in their work.
“Take it, copy-paste it, use it,” Shamilov urged, demonstrating the albums. According to him, today the professional community needs not only new requirements, but also practical tools that will help quickly integrate these requirements into design.
Entrance ticket for investment NZEB
Despite the fact that the technologies already exist and the regulatory framework is gradually approaching the European one, there has not yet been a mass transition to nZEB standards. The reason, as the participants in the discussion emphasized, is not the lack of technical solutions, but the economics of the development project itself.
"These are additional capital investments. And this puts energy-efficient projects out of competition. Everyone thinks very simply: here a square meter costs a thousand, and there - one and a half or two thousand," explained Pete Shamilov. He noted that the buyer, like the developer, most often estimates the initial cost of the object, while the economic effect of energy-efficient solutions is already evident during the operation of the building. That is why even the obvious advantages of nZEB do not always become a decisive argument at the sales stage.
nZEB compliance is already becoming a mandatory requirement for many international programs. In effect, this means that the market is receiving a new economic stimulus
At the same time, this model is beginning to change under the influence of external players. While the commercial market continues to compete largely on the price per square meter, international donors are increasingly putting forward completely different requirements.
"An international donor enters a Ukrainian project only if nZEB standards are present - this is a mandatory condition," Shamilov briefly formulated the new principle of financing reconstruction projects and noted that compliance with this standard is already becoming a mandatory condition for many international programs. In fact, this means that the market is receiving a new economic stimulus. If earlier the developer could postpone the implementation of energy-efficient solutions, now they are increasingly becoming an "entry ticket" for international financing.
Pete Shamilov suggests that designers actively use open albums of technical solutions prepared by the nZEB.PRO team. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
However, even under such conditions, the participants in the discussion are convinced, the quality of the design itself will remain the decisive factor. Many solutions provided for by the nZEB standard do not require a significant increase in the budget if they are laid down at the concept stage. As Vadym Lytvyn, head of the Association of Energy Auditors of Ukraine, emphasized, that is why the main task today is to learn how to calculate not only the construction estimate, but also the future economics of operating a building.
"If a technical solution costs only 10% more, but allows you to reduce operating costs by 30%, then for commercial real estate this mathematics already works," he noted, giving an example of projects where an energy audit before construction began allowed finding a solution without a significant increase in capital costs.
So as long as the market only values the cost of construction, and not the full life cycle of a building, even the best energy-efficient solutions will remain the exception rather than the rule.
How not to lose the benefits of energy-efficient solutions
Vadym Lytvyn drew attention to an aspect that is often left out of focus when talking about energy efficiency. He emphasized that even the best design solutions do not guarantee the expected result if, after the building is put into operation, the engineering systems are not properly configured, monitored, and maintained.
Vadym Lytvyn, Chairman of the Association of Energy Auditors of Ukraine. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
"I see a lot of beautiful houses with cool engineering solutions. But a year passes, the warranty expires, and the building starts to consume one and a half times more energy. And it's not just about money: people simply become uncomfortable to live in," the expert noted. "For example, one of the modern Kyiv buildings, built only seven or eight years ago, today consumes about the same amount of energy as a typical residential building from the 1980s. That is, the payment is the same, and the difference is only in the culture of operation. And here it is very important that the designers accompany this building for a certain number of years or consult the management company or condominium association." That is why the energy audit should begin even before the start of construction. Recently, more and more customers are turning to it not to inspect existing facilities, but to analyze design solutions.
"We take a project and can calculate how much energy this building will consume in a year, five or ten years. And very often, minor changes are enough to immediately reduce operating costs by 20–30%," Lytvyn explained.
Even the best design solutions do not guarantee the expected result if, after the building is put into operation, the engineering systems are not configured, monitored and maintained.
However, not all such solutions require a significant increase in the budget. Often, it is about the correct interaction of engineering systems that are traditionally designed separately from each other.
"The architect sees the image of the building, engineers design their systems, but very often they work separately. Some systems are duplicated. If they are properly integrated, you can simultaneously reduce capital investments and significantly reduce operating costs," Vadym Lytvyn is convinced.
When everything is under (climate) control
If the previous speakers talked about what a modern design model should be, then Maksym Myatko, co-founder of the architectural and design company AIMM, and Eduard Suprunov, head of the B2B department at LG Electronics Ukraine, showed how it works in practice.
Maksym Myatko drew attention to the fact that energy efficiency cannot be "added" to a finished building. It should become part of the architectural design at the concept stage: "It is important for us to understand at the beginning of the project how the building will work, how it will be managed, what the business model is, how the owner sees the operation, development and even the future sale or commercialization of the facility. That is when a strong concept is born: when architects, engineers and the investor work as one team. This allows us to find optimal technological solutions, plan not only the construction budget, but also the costs throughout the entire life cycle of the building.
"So energy independence is not just about engineering or architecture. It's about managing investments, resources, and the future economics of a facility. And only this approach today creates buildings that remain efficient and competitive for years to come."
Maksym Myatko, co-founder of the architectural and design company AIMM. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
That is why AIMM has been working on projects in close collaboration with engineers for over a decade. As Eduard Suprunov explained, this interaction begins even before the working documentation appears: “When architects have a concept, we come up with technologies. Together we form the logic of how to implement them.” This approach avoids the typical market situation where architectural decisions are made separately from engineering systems, and then compromises have to be made between aesthetics, budget and technical capabilities.
According to Eduard Suprunov, the Ukrainian market still often considers heating, ventilation and air conditioning as three separate systems, although in fact they should work as a single complex. "Heating and air conditioning are not different things. This is one climate control system," he emphasized.
This approach allows not only to reduce the number of devices, but also to use already installed systems more efficiently. For example, modern air conditioning equipment is able to operate in heat pump mode, providing the building with heat in winter without duplicating the engineering infrastructure. However, real calculations show that it is cooling that determines the main requirements for building engineering.
Eduard Suprunov, Head of B2B Department, LG Electronics Ukraine. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
"If we talk about a modern office, the air conditioning system today already requires approximately 150 W of cooling per square meter. And in shopping centers, these figures are even higher. For example, the brand book of the Inditex group — Zara, Massimo Dutti and other brands — includes more than 200 W of cooling per square meter," the head of the B2B department of LG Electronics Ukraine gave an example.
For comparison, modern standards stipulate that the calculated thermal load of a building is about 45 W per square meter. That is, the air conditioning system already has two to three times more power than is needed for heating. That is why, the expert explained, most modern air conditioning systems that work as heat pumps can provide a building with heat in winter without installing a separate heating system.
Do not duplicate, but reserve
Summing up, Eduard Suprunov suggested returning once again to the question that was raised throughout the discussion: what does a zero-energy building really mean? According to the expert, the main mistake is that autonomy is still often attempted to be ensured by duplicating engineering systems.
"We often see projects where they want to be energy independent, so they simply duplicate all the systems. This is double capital costs, double operation. In fact, you need to reserve not the system, but the energy source for it," Suprunov explained.
That is why, in his opinion, modern buildings should switch to electric heating systems, leaving gas not as the main source of heat, but as a reserve for electricity production through generation.
Listening and even taking notes: attendees of the discussion "Energy from Within: A Building That Lives Itself." Photo: Maksym Drobinenko
"Electricity is the most diversified source of energy. It can be backed up with solar panels, batteries, and generators. If there is gas at the facility, it is more expedient to use it specifically for electricity production, rather than duplicating another heating system," the expert noted, adding that practice has already confirmed the effectiveness of this approach. One of the first residential complexes to implement the concept of centralized air conditioning based on VRF systems was the capital's Creator City residential complex. Having abandoned traditional external units on the facades, the designers preserved the architectural appearance of the building and received a universal system that works for both cooling and heating. Each apartment owner can independently choose the desired mode.
Another illustrative example is the Dobrobut clinic on Sevastopolskaya Square. The initial project envisaged a classic scheme: refrigeration machines for cooling and a gas boiler room for heating. After adjusting the project, the clinic has been providing heating, hot water supply and air conditioning exclusively through heat pumps for six years, while the gas boiler room was never needed for the full operation of the facility.
Modern buildings should switch to electric heating systems, leaving gas not as the main source of heat, but as a reserve for electricity production through generation
The experience of the UNIT.City campuses implemented by Kovalska was no less telling. Even at the concept stage, it was decided to abandon traditional heating systems in favor of VRF technology. Despite the widespread stereotype about the low comfort of air heating, after the first winter of operation, the customer recognized the solution as successful. “It all depends on how it is designed. If you calculate the air exchange correctly, such a solution turns out to be both more comfortable and more economically profitable,” Suprunov concluded.
Editor-in-Chief of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky opens a new panel as part of the Architectural MeetUp. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
Common denominator
The discussion around energy efficiency and energy independence within the framework of the Architectural MeetUp "A Building That Takes a Blow. Architecture of Resilience: From Shell to City" organized by PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA showed that the autonomy of a building is not determined by the number of backup boiler rooms or generators. It starts with considered design solutions that allow the building to consume less energy, use available resources more efficiently, and remain operational even in crisis conditions. It is on this approach that the concept of nZEB buildings is based, which is gradually becoming a new benchmark for the Ukrainian construction industry. If the state consolidates this course by updating the regulatory framework and harmonizing it with European requirements, then international donors are increasingly making compliance with nZEB standards a necessary condition for financing reconstruction projects. Energy efficiency ceases to be perceived as a set of separate technologies or a marketing advantage and becomes a basic design principle, where architecture, engineering, and the economics of the building's life cycle work as a single system.
