Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation of external walls as part of the building thermal modernization

Rapport 2024/12

Haakon Vennemo, Herman Ringdal, Sarah Eidsmo og Leif Grandum

Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation of external walls as part of the building thermal modernization

Kategori	Rapporter
Underkategori(er)	Lokal- og regional utviklingKlima og det grønne skiftet
År	2024
Rapportnummer	12
Forfatter(e)	Haakon Vennemo Herman Ringdal Sarah Eidsmo Leif Grandum
Last ned	file_download (3.1 MB)
Les i nettleser	find_in_page

Report 2024/12	 | 	For 	Kołaczkowo commune	 	
 	
 	 	
Reconstruction of the Primary School in 	Bieganowo building 	
with thermal insulation of external walls as part of the building 
thermal modernizatio	n	 	
How does the project help Kołaczkowo become a sustainable commune?	 	
Haakon Vennemo, Herman Ringdal, Sarah Eidsmo and Leif Grandum

Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation of external walls as part of the 
building thermal modernization	 	
 
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D	ocument details	 	
Title	 	Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation of 
external walls as part of the building thermal modernizatio	n 	
Report Number	 	2024/	12 	
Author	 	Haakon Vennemo, Herman Ringdal, Sarah Eidsmo and Leif Grandum	 	
ISBN	 	978	-82	-8126	-674	-2 	
Project Number	 	21-HVE	-26	 	
Project Leader 	 	Herman Ringdal	 	
Project owner	 	Haakon Vennemo	 	
Commissioned by 	 	Kołaczkowo commune / EEA and Norway Grants	 	
Date of completion 	 	25th of March 2024	 	
Availability 	 	Public	 	
Keywords	 	EEA Grants, thermomodernisation, photovoltaic power, green transition, renewable 
energy, international cooperation, local and regional development	 	
 
 
 
 
 
About us	 	
Vista Analys	e is a social science consultancy with its main emphasis on economic research, policy analysis and advice, 	
and evaluations. We carry out projects to the highest professional standards, with independence and integrity. Our 
key thematic areas include climate 	change, energy, transport, urban planning and welfare issues.	 	
Our employees have high academic credentials and broad experience within consulting. When needed we utilise an 
extensive network of companies and resource persons nationally and internationally. The company is fully employee	-	
owned.	 	
About 	the EEA and Norway Grants	 	
The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reducing economic 
and social disparities and strengthening bilateral relations with 15 EU countries, primarily in Eastern and Central 
Europe. 	Norway provides over 95% of the funding.

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Preface	 	
This report is completed as part of the project “	Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with 	
thermal insulation of external walls as part of the building thermal modernizatio	n”, which is implemented by The 	
Municipality of 	Kołaczkowo	 with	 Michał Różycki	 from Chartari Sp. and 	Vista Analyse as project partner	s. The project 	
is co	-financed 	(70	 %)	 by	 the	 Environment, Energy and Climate Change Programme	, of which	 85	 % comes	 from	 the	 	
Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM).	 	
Vista Analyse’s role in the project has been to 	contribute to the educational and informational campaign to raise 	
awareness on climate change and renewable energy sources. 	This report documents how the project supports 	
Kołaczkowo	 become a sustainable and healthy 	commune	, how the project supports EU and Poland	´s commitments 	
to mitigate climate change, 	how the project supports 	Poland´s energy strategy and transition away from coal, and 	
how the project supports 	United Nation´s development goals.	 	
In addition to this report Vista Analyse	, represented by Herman Ringdal	 and Haakon Vennemo	, has 	added value to 	
the project by their participation and thematic presentations in all events promoting the project, which includes	 the 	
opening conference in 	Bieganowo	 in 	August 2022, mid	-way conference in Bieganowo May 2023 and the final 	
conference in Biegenaowo March 2024.	 Vista Analyse has also performed on	-sight visits to the building to verify the 	
quality of the performed work. 	 	
We want to thank The Municipality of 	Kołaczkowo	 and the primary school in Bieganowo 	for an inspiring project and 	
our good partnership. Our person of contact in the municipality has been 	Ilona	 Orakowska	. We also want to thank 	
Mayor of 	Kołaczkowo	 commune 	Teresa Waszak	, Marta Błaszczyk	 and 	Paweł Myśliński	 from the municipal office, 	
principal Anna Zimna and 	Milena Urbanowicz	 from the primary school in Bieganowo. 	 	
Haakon Vennemo	 	
Partner	 	
Vista Analyse AS

Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation of external walls as part of the 
building thermal modernization	 	
 
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Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation of external walls as part of the 
building thermal modernization	 	
 
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Contents	 	
Executive summary	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	......................	 7 	
1 	General information	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	.............	 9 	
1.1	 	About the EEA and Norway Grants	 	9 	
1.2	 	About this project	 	10	 	
2 	Socio	-economic benefits of the project	 ................................	................................	................................	.............	 13	 	
2.1	 	Impacts	 of climate	 change	 	13	 	
2.2	 	Determined	 contributions	 to the	 Paris	 Agreement	 from	 EU	 member	 states	 	15	 	
2.3	 	PEP2040	 – Energy	 Policy	 of Poland	 until	 2040	 	16	 	
3 	How	 does	 the	 renewal	 of the	 primary	 school	 in Bieganowo	 support	 national	 and	 international	 climate	 	
change	 plans?	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	.....................	 19	 	
3.1	 	Energy Efficiency First	 	19	 	
3.2	 	Green buildings	 	26	 	
3.3	 	Transitioning	 away	 from	 coal	 	26	 	
4 	UN Development goals	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	.......	 29	 	
4.1	 	Improved insulation	 	29	 	
4.2	 	Energy	-saving LEDs	 	29	 	
4.3	 	Modernization of the heating system	 	29	 	
4.4	 	Improving the indoor climate	 	30	 	
4.5	 	Renewable energy	 	30	 	
4.6	 	Raising awareness on climate change and health	 	30	 	
5 	Best practice examples	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	.......	 32	 	
5.1	 	Oslo Municipality: The European Green Capital 2019	 	32	 	
5.2	 	University of Oslo: Energy management	 	33	 	
5.3	 	The Bellona house 	– Norway’s first A	-class office building	 	35	 	
5.4	 	Deichmann Bjørvika Library	 	37	 	
5.5	 	Biogas	 	38	 	
6 	Documentation of the work performed	 ................................	................................	................................	.............	 41	 	
6.1	 	Before the renovation	 	41	 	
6.2	 	During renovation	 	44	 	
6.3	 	After renovation	 	47	 	
References	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	................................	.. 51	 	 
Figur	e 	
Figure 2.1	 	Climate change impacts in Europe	 ................................	................................	................................	. 14	 	
Figure 2.2	 	Observed annual average mean surface air temperature in Poland	 ................................	..............	 14	 	
Figure 2.3	 	Net greenhouse gas emissions for EU27 and Poland, index 1990 = 100	 ................................	........	 15	 	
Figure 2.4	 	Share of renewable energy sources (RES) in gross final energy consumption in Poland and 
EU27	 ................................	................................	................................	................................	...............	 16	 	
Figure 2.5	 	Electricity generation in Poland in 2022	 ................................	................................	.........................	 17	 	
Figure 2.6	 	RES in electricity generation in Poland in 2022	 ................................	................................	..............	 17

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Figure 2.7	 	Energy productivity in Europe	 ................................	................................	................................	........	 18	 	
Figure 3.1	 	Heating	-degree	-days (HDD) and cooling	-degree	-days (CDD) in 2022	 ................................	............	 21	 	
Figure 3.2	 	Sales of heat pumps in Poland	 ................................	................................	................................	........	 23	 	
Figure 3.3	 	Photovoltaic power potential Europe	................................	................................	.............................	 24	 	
Figure 3.4	 	Photovoltaic power potential Poland	 ................................	................................	.............................	 24	 	
Figure 3.5	 	Illustrative example of passive solar design	................................	................................	....................	 25	 	
Figure 3.6	 	Levels of fine particulate matter (PM	2.5) measured in air	 ................................	...............................	 27	 	
Figure 3.7	 	Energy consumption in residential and commercial building is the main source of PM2.5 
emissions in Poland.	 ................................	................................	................................	.......................	 27	 	
Figure 5.1	 	Elementary school students visiting Haraldrud sorting facility	 ................................	.......................	 33	 	
Figure 5.2	 	Emissions broken down by climate cost categories (2022)	 ................................	............................	 34	 	
Figure 5.3	 	Energy consumption (tons of CO₂ equivalents)	 ................................	................................	..............	 35	 	
Figure 5.4	 	The Bellona house	 ................................	................................	................................	..........................	 36	 	
Figure 5.5	 	Deichman Bjørvika Library	 ................................	................................	................................	..............	 37	 	
Figure 5.6	 	Bee	-hive shaped ceiling in Deichmann Bjørvika	 ................................	................................	.............	 38	 	
Figure 5.7	 	Ventilation channels inside the floors	 ................................	................................	............................	 38	 	
Figure 5.8	 	VEAS’ biogas upgrading facility	 ................................	................................	................................	.......	 39	 	
Figure 5.9	 	Household separate waste in three containers	 ................................	................................	..............	 40	 	
Figure 5.10	 	Green bags for food waste	 ................................	................................	................................	.............	 40	 	
Figure 6.1	 	School building in Bieganowo before renovation, as seen from parking space	 .............................	 41	 	
Figure 6.2	 	School building in Bieganowo before renovation, main entrance	................................	..................	 42	 	
Figure 6.3	 	School building in Bieganowo before renovation, gym building	 ................................	....................	 42	 	
Figure 6.4	 	School building, state of external walls before renovation	 ................................	............................	 43	 	
Figure 6.5	 	School building, state of externall walls before renovation	 ................................	...........................	 43	 	
Figure 6.6	 	School building in Bieganowo before renovation, old heating system	 ................................	...........	 43	 	
Figure 6.7	 	School building in Bieganowo during renovation, main building	 ................................	...................	 44	 	
Figure 6.8	 	School building in Bieganowo during renovation, main building	 ................................	...................	 45	 	
Figure 6.9	 	School building during renovation, gym	 ................................	................................	.........................	 45	 	
Figure 6.10	 	School building during renovation, hallway	................................	................................	....................	 45	 	
Figure 6.11	 	School building during renovation, replacement of windows	 ................................	........................	 46	 	
Figure 6.12	 	School building during renovation, replacement of windows	 ................................	........................	 46	 	
Figure 6.13	 	School building during renovation, replacement of ventilation system	 ................................	.........	 46	 	
Figure 6.12	 	School building during renovation, replacement of heating system	 ................................	..............	 46	 	
Figure 6.15	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, main building showing the photovoltaic 
panels installed on the roof	 ................................	................................	................................	............	 47	 	
Figure 6.16	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, main building	 ................................	......................	 48	 	
Figure 6.17	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, hallway	 ................................	................................	 48	 	
Figure 6.18	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, hallway	 ................................	................................	 49	 	
Figure 6.19	 	School building after renovation, hallway	 ................................	................................	......................	 49	 	
Figure 6.20	 	School building after renovation, hallway	 ................................	................................	......................	 49	 	
Figure 6.21	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, secretary’s office	 ................................	................	 50	 	
Figure 6.21	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, gym	 ................................	................................	.....	 50	 	 
Tab	le 	
Table 3.1	 	Deaths attributable to air pollution exposure (PM	2.5, NO	2, O	3) in Poland in 	2021	 .........................	 27

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Executive summary	 	
The	 project	 " Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation 	
of external walls as part of the 	building thermal modernizatio	n” involves	 an	 in-depth	 	
thermomodernisation	 of the	 school	, which	 will	 solve	 the	 problem	 of low	 thermal	 insulation,	 the	 	
lack	 of airtightness	 of the	 elements	 of the	 school	 building,	 the	 problem	 of a faulty	 central	 heating	 	
and	 domestic	 hot	 water,	 and	 also	 includes	 an	 application	 of a system	 of photovoltaic	 panels	 	
producing	 electricity	 for	 the	 building's	 own	 purposes.	 This report documents how the project 	
supports 	Kołaczkowo	 to become a sustainable and healthy 	commune	, how the proje	ct supports 	
EU and Polands commitments to mitigate climate change, Poland´s energy strategy and 
transition away from coal, and United Nation	’s development goals. 	The report also documents 	
the work performed by pictures taken before, during and after the renovation was completed.	 	
The project is co	-financed by the EEA and Norway Grants	 	
The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to 
reducing economic and social disparities and strengthening bilateral 	relations with 15 EU 	
countries, primarily in Eastern and Central Europe. Norway provides over 95% of the funding. The 
EEA and Norway Grants support development projects in priority areas such as environment and 
climate change, health and childcare, conserv	ation of European cultural heritage, research and 	
education, Schengen measures and judiciary, social dialogue and the strengthening of civil 
society. A number of Norwegian partners are engaged in projects and programmes.	 	
For the period 2014	-2021, €2.8 billion has been set aside under the Grants. Projects may be 	
implemented until 202	5. Funding is 	channeled	 through programmes in the 15 beneficiary 	
countries. This project received funding in the call for proposals for Improvement of energy 
efficiency in school buildings under the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Programme, in 
the area of Renewable Energ	y, Energy Efficiency, and Energy Security.	 	
The 	project is expected to contribute to energy	- and climate policy goals	 	
Climate change poses the biggest threat to humanity, nature and wild	-life, and actions to mitigate 	
the impacts must be taken quickly and massively. Countries worldwide are coming together to 
agree upon action plans collectively, such as in the Paris Agreem	ent and European Green Deal, 	
and individually in national plans. 	 	
In Poland, coal and oil has been the main sources of energy for a long period of time. A transition 
away from polluting and fossil energy sources to clean and renewables is now taking place. The 
Energy Policy of Poland (PEP2040) adopted by the Council of M	inistry in 2021 establishes the 	
basis and direction of the transition. 	 	
Ultimately, policies are set to life by actions and change in behavior from individuals, companies, 
private	- and public entities. 	This project demonstrates such an action. The project will	 achieve a 	
high energy standard building, and will:	 	
• 	Reduce 	a high 	energy consumption of the building.	 	
• 	Reduce	 carbon intensity by replacing fossil fuels with increased energy use from renewable 	
energy sources of the building	.

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• 	Support national and international agreements and strategies to 	mitigate	 climate change by 	
reducing emissions from the school building	’s consumption of fossil fuels	. 	
Furthermore, the project will reduce 	maintenance cost and raise social awareness in terms of 	
energy efficiency and environmental protection.	 	
The project supports United Nation´s development goals of education, affordable and 
clean energy, sustainable communities and climate action 	 	
The project involves a series of upgrades increasing the school’s sustainability and energy 
efficiency, including improved insulation, installation of LED light fixtures, modernization of the 
heating system, upgraded ventilation systems, and installation o	f photovoltaic panels	 and heat 	
pump	. The upgrades collectively contribute towards a better learning environment, a lower 	
carbon footprint and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. In addition, the project 
directly contributes towards UN developme	nt goal 4 (quality of education), 7 (affordable and 	
clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (climate action), making an 
important contribution towards the global effort of mitigating climate change. 	 	
Learning from best practice examples	 	
In addition to implementing both national and international emission targets and sustainability 
goals, sharing of best practice contributes to effective implementation of climate mitigation 
strategies. In chapter 	5 of this report, we present a few examples from Norway 	that	 can be 	
implemented by 	Kołaczkowo	 to further improve the sustainability of their municipality.	 These 	
examples can also build on the competencies and experiences achieved through the project of 
thermomodernisation.	 The 	best practice 	examples	 in this report	 include:	 	
• 	Oslo Municipality, which has one of 	the 	world’s most ambitious climate strategies, was the 	
first city in the world with its own Climate Budget and was awarded with the European 
Green Capital Award for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve quality of 
air and water, environmental	 innovation, access to green areas, biodiversity, and green 	
mobility. 	 	
• 	University of Oslo, who 	has 	been working towards reducing its energy consumption in 	
buildings since 2016, with a dual objective of minimizing its greenhouse gas emissions and 
cutting down on energy	-related costs	 The example demonstrates how energy efficiency and 	
can be achieved in existing buildings, without investments. 	 	
• 	The Bellona House, which was Norway´s first A	-class office building. They achieved this using 	
only technologies that were well known at the time, setting an example for others to follow.	 	
• 	Deichmann Bjørvika Library, which 	in contrast to the Bellona house, the architectural design 	
of the building required customization in many aspects of the construction, meaning the 
costs are high and not directly comparable to other projects. 	But there are still important 	
principles to learn. 	 	
• 	Veas Wastewater treatment plant outside Oslo, which 	is Norway’s largest wastewater 	
treatment plant and collects wastewater from 800	 000 individuals in Oslo and surrounding 	
municipalities. It is a good example of how to extract additional value from already existing 
biomass. 	 	
• 	Romerike biogas plant, which utilizes food waste to produce biogas.

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1	 	General information 	 	
1.1	 	About the EEA and Norway Grants	 	
The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to 
reducing economic and social disparities and strengthening bilateral relations with 15 EU 
countries, primarily in Eastern and Central Europe. Norway provides over 	95% of the funding.	 	
Why the grants?	 	
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are partners with the EU through the Agreement on the 
European Economic Area (EEA). This enables the free movement of goods, services, people and 
capital in the internal market.	 	
The EEA Agreement also includes a common goal of reducing social and economic disparities in 
Europe. Through the EEA and Norway Grants, Norway contributes to this effort and to 
strengthening the bilateral relations with the beneficiary states.	 	
The Grants are also contributing to strengthening fundamental European values such as 
democracy, tolerance and the rule of 	law.	 	
What the grants support	 	
The EEA and Norway Grants support development projects in priority areas such as environment 
and climate change, health and childcare, conservation of European cultural heritage, research 
and education, Schengen measures and judiciary, social dialogue and 	the strengthening of civil 	
society. A number of Norwegian partners are engaged in projects and programmes.	 	
For the period 2014	-2021, €2.8 billion has been set aside under the Grants. Projects may be 	
implemented until 2024. Funding is channelled through around programmes in the 15 beneficiary 
countries.	 	
How it works	 	
• 	Each beneficiary country agrees on a set of programmes with the donor countries, based on 
national needs and priorities and the scope for cooperation with the donor countries.	 	
• 	A National Focal Point is responsible for the overall management of programmes in each 
beneficiary country.	 	
• 	Programme Operators develop and manage the programmes, often in cooperation with a 
donor programme partner, and award funding to projects.	 	
• 	Projects are selected following calls for proposals organised by the Programme Operator.

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1.2	 	About this project	 	
The	 project	 "Reconstruction of the Primary School in Bieganowo building with thermal insulation 	
of external walls as part of the building 	thermal modernizatio	n” is implemented	 by	 Kołaczkowo	 	
commune. 	The main goal of the project Thermomodernization of the building of the Primary 	
School in Bieganowo is to achieve a high energy standard building	, and the realization of the 	
project is essentially due to:	 	
• 	High energy consumption of the building, le	ading to high CO	2 and harmful substance 	
emissions.	 	
• 	High maintenance cost.	 	
• 	Low social awareness in terms of energy efficiency and environmental protection. 	 	
The project 	involves	 an	 in-depth	 thermomodernisation	 of the	 school	, which	 will	 solve	 the	 problem	 	
of low	 thermal	 insulation,	 the	 lack	 of airtightness	 of the	 elements	 of the	 school	 building,	 the	 	
problem	 of a faulty	 central	 heating	 and	 domestic	 hot	 water	 (installation	 of heat	 pump)	, and	 an	 	
application	 of a system	 of photovoltaic	 panels	 producing	 electricity	 for	 the	 building's	 own	 	
purposes.	 Those	 activities	 will	 be	 accompanied	 by	 an	 in-depth	 campaign	 that	 would	 raise	 the	 	
audience	 awareness	 regarding	 energy	 efficiency,	 renewable	 resources	 and	 Donor	 States	 aid	 as 	
well	 as positive	 outcomes	 of using	 EEA	 and	 Norwegian	 funds.	 	
The	 main	 objectives	 of this	 project	 are:	 	
• 	improvement of energy efficiency of school building, 	 	
• 	decrease of use of primary energy,	 	
• 	CO2 emission reduction,	 	
• 	improvement of air quality,	 	
• 	and increase of OZE use.	 	
How this project is financed	 	
The project received funding in the call for proposals for Improvement of energy efficiency in 
school buildings under the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Programme, in the area of 
Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Energy Security.	 	
It is financed 70% from the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Programme funds, of which 
85% comes from the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) and 15% 
from the state budget.	 	
The project’s total cost 	was initially planned to be	 PLN 	4,4	 million (EUR 	1.0	 million), and the grant 	
awarded 	was	 PLN 	2.9 million (EUR 	0.7	 million).	 As a result of the increase procedure announced 	
by the Ministry of Climate and 	Environment, the amount of project funding increased and 	
amounts to PLN 4 million (EUR 0.9 million).	 	
Thermomodernization	 	
A comprehensive thermal modernization of the building of 	the Primary School in Bieganowo	 will 	
be carried out. Among other things, insulation of external walls and insulation of the roof will be

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made. Windows and doors will be 	replaced. Photovoltaic cells with a capacity of 49.68 kW, and 	
heat pumps will be installed and the lighting will be replaced.	 	
The activities defined in the project are:	 	
1. 1. Implementation of the project’s material scope regarding heat energy management 	- 	
thermal modernization of the Primary School in Bieganowo building, including:	 	
a. modernization of the heating system and hot water preparation,	 	
b. execution of a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery,	 	
c. thermal insulation of external basement walls,	 	
d. thermal insulation of external walls,	 	
e. thermal insulation of external walls of the added part of the building,	 	
f. 	insulation of flat roofs,	 	
g. replacement of windows and doors,	 	
2. Implementation of the project’s material scope regarding electricity management, 
including:	 	
a. execution of a 49.2 kWp photovoltaic installation with the equipment necessary for 
operation and	 	
b. replacement of lighting, replacement of the electrical installation and relocation of the 
lightning protection system,	 	
3. Conducting a comprehensive information and education campaign, including:	 	
a. purchase and installation of information and memorial boards,	 	
b. preparation and implementation of the project’s handicapped	-accessible website, 	
translated into English,	 	
c. promotion of the project in social media,	 	
d. organization of three information events (conferences, exhibition),	 	
e. publication of press materials in local newspapers and online portals, 	 	
f. 	preparation and publication of materials: folders, brochures, guides,	 	
Educational activities	 	
Educational activities are aimed at promoting ideas related to renewable energy, energy 
efficiency and energy security. 	There have been three 	conferences devoted to the project, 	
including the preparation of a theatre performance promoting energy efficiency. 	There have also 	
been competetions and activities promoting energy efficiency and climate change mitigation with 
students at the school. Direct target groups are 	students and school staff. Indirect target group: 	
students’ parents, inhabitants of the commu	ne and poviat, local government authorities.	 	
The expected effects 	 	
The project will reduce energy consumption, increase the use of energy from renewable sources 
and reduce the negative impact of the building on the environment by reducing CO2 emissions. 
The building wil meet the requirements specified in the Act on supporting thermal modernization 
and renovation, and 	the project will:

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• 	Reduce energy consumption by 	90	 %. 	
• 	Reduce carbon intensity and increase energy use from renewable energy sources	. 	
• 	Reduce 	greenhouse gas emissions.	 	
Furthermore, the educational campaign will increase the knowledge of commune residents, 
change their thinking and behavior in everyday life in the field of rational management of heat 
and electricity, improve awareness of the need to save natural resources	, carry out thermal 	
modernization of buildings, use energy	-efficient lighting and use renewable energy sources.	 	
Implementation period	 	
The contract for co	-financing was 	signed on 25	th of January 2022 and the project was finalized in 	
March	 2024.

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2	 	Socio	-economic benefits of the 	
project	 	
Climate change poses the biggest threat to humanity, nature and wild	-life, and actions to mitigate 	
the impacts must be taken quickly and massively. Countries worldwide are coming together to 
agree upon action plans collectively, such as in the Paris Agreem	ent and European Green Deal, 	
and individually in national plans. 	 	
The question is, however, if we are doing too little too late. United Nation´s latest Climate Change 
report was at least pessimistic, urging every one of us to act before it is too late 	(IPCC, 2023)	. The 	
key	-take aways were:	 	
• 	We have 	to ensure a turnaround after failing to reach the target.	 	
• 	We must stop consuming fossil fuels.	 	
• 	Everyone must take part.	 	
• 	We must increase our contributions by 2030.	 	
• 	We need policies, not only science.	 	
In Poland, coal and oil has been the main sources of energy for a long period of time. A transition 
away from polluting and fossil energy sources to clean and renewables is now taking place. The 
Energy Policy of Poland (PEP2040) adopted by the Council of M	inistry in 2021 establishes the 	
basis and direction of the transition. 	 	
Finally, policies are set to life by actions and change in behavior from individuals, companies, 
private	- and public entities. This project demonstrates such an action, reducing energy 	
consumption and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. I	n this chapter, we discuss 	
the importance of actions and measures such as this project, to mitigate climate change in 
accordance with national and international agreements and strategies. 	 	
2.1	 	Impacts	 of	 climate	 change	 	
Between 2011 and 2020 the global average temperature on average reached 1.1 degrees above 
pre	-industrial levels	 (IPCC, 2021)	. Increasing global temperatures do not only heighten the risk of 	
heat waves, but also drought, wildfires, and floods. The rapidly changing climate makes it difficult 
for plants and animals to adapt and poses a significant risk to biodiversity. 	 	
The effects of climate change vary significantly around the world and will affect regions differently 
based on their geographical and economic circumstances. In Europe we have already seen 
extreme heatwaves, affecting human health, agriculture, and ecosyst	ems	 (European Commission 	
, 2024)	. The Mediterranean region is expected to have a temperature rise higher than the 	
European average, which will significantly increase the risk of mortality from heat waves, drought, 
forest fires, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity both in agriculture an	d the hydropower sector. 	
More temperature extremes are also projected to be a key impact in central and eastern Europe.

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Figure 	2.1 	Climate change impacts in Europe	 	
 	
Source:	 	 European Environment Agency, 2020	 	
Climate change will have negative impacts on Poland and the 	Polish people both indirectly 	
through disrupted economic and social connections worldwide, and directly through changes in 
weather and climate.	 	
Poland´s agricultural sector is vital for the national economy, and for the international market. 
More frequent and severe droughts will have a significant effect on agriculture, and higher 
temperatures will increase the energy demand in summer. The agric	ultural sector in Poland is 	
fragmented, and higher temperatures and more extreme weather can have devastating effects 
for small family farms. 	 	
Figure 	2.2 	Observed annual average mean surface air temperature in Poland	 	
 	
Source:	 	(The World Bank, 2023)	 	
 	
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11	
1901	1908	1915	1922	1929	1936	1943	1950	1957	1964	1971	1978	1985	1992	1999	2006	2013	2020	
Annual Mean	5-yr smooth

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Figure 	2.2 shows	 how	 the	 observed	 annual	 average	 mean	 surface	 air	 temperature	 in Poland	 has	 	
increased	 since	 1901.	 Comparing	 the	 period	 1951	-1960	 to the	 period	 2011	-2020,	 Poland’s	 	
average	 temperature	 has	 increased	 with	 just	 over	 2 degrees	 Celsius.	 Over	 the	 past	 twenty	 years,	 	
the	 average	 temperature	 in Poland	 has	 risen	 by	 0.0586°C	 annually,	 outpacing	 the	 global	 average	 	
increase	 of 0.0313°C	 per	 year	 (IEA,	 2022)	. It is anticipated	 that	 Poland’s	 average	 temperature	 will	 	
continue	 rising	 throughout	 the	 next	 ten	 years.	 	
2.2	 	Determined	 contributions	 to	 the	 Paris	 Agreement	 from	 EU	 	
member	 states	 	
To mitigate climate change, Poland and the other EU member states have agreed on a joint 
Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), in line with the Paris Agreement. In 2023, the EU 
updated their NDC with new and enhanced targets for 2030. The EU aims to re	duce energy 	
consumption by 11.7 percent and increase the share of renewable energy sources in final energy 
consumption to at least 42.5 percent. The EU also increased their target for net greenhouse gas 
emissions reduction from 40 percent to 55 percent com	pared to 1990 levels. 	Figure 	2.3 shows 	
the net greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2021 as an index (1990 = 100) for both the 
EU and Poland. The EU has steadily reduced their net greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, 
except for the post	-pandemic year 2021. Even though the emissions 	increased from 2020 to 2021, 	
the EU has still reached their goal of 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emission by 2020 
compared to the 1990 level. As a member of the EU, Poland is also committed to decrease their 
greenhouse gas emissions in line with 	the NDC. Poland reduced their emissions significantly 	
between 1990 and 2000 but has since experienced a significant growth in GDP and the energy 
demand has risen accordingly. Balancing economic growth and reduction of greenhouse gas 
emissions represents a 	significant challenge for Poland in their efforts to reach the targets set by 	
the EU for 2030.	 	
Figure 	2.3 	Net greenhouse gas emissions for EU27 and Poland, index 1990 = 100	 	
 	
 	
Source:	 	Eurostat	 	
 	
50
60
70
80
90
100
110	
1990	1995	2000	2005	2010	2015	2021	
EU27
Poland

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2.2.1	 	European	 Green	 Deal	 and	 the	 RePowerEU	 plan	 	
European Green Deal is EUs action plan to make EU a climate neutral continent by 2050. The 
goals listed in the action plan implies extensive economic and social changes, aiming to reduce 
climate gas emissions, promote clean energy, and secure sustainable p	roduction. 	 	
The goal of being climate neutral by 2050 and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 
55	 % by 2030 has been set as legally binding targets by the European Climate Law. 	 	
In response to the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 the European 
Commission introduced the RePowerEU plan. The goal is to make Europe independent from 
Russian fossil fuels through accelerating the clean energy transition, sav	e energy, and diversify 	
energy sources. 	 	
2.3	 	PEP2040	 – Energy	 Policy	 of	 Poland	 until	 2040	 	
In 2021,	 the	 Polish	 government	 approved	 Energy	 Policy	 of Poland	 until	 2040	 (PEP2040),	 a 	
framework	 for	 the	 Polish	 energy	 transition.	 The	 policy	 consists	 of three	 pillars:	 just	 transition,	 a 	
zero	-emission	 energy	 system	 and	 good	 air	 quality.	 A key	 element	 in all	 three	 pillars	 is the	 	
transition	 away	 from	 fossil	 fuels	 and	 increasing	 the	 share	 of renewable	 energy.	 A new	 industry	 of 	
renewable	 energy	 technology	 can	 create	 new	 opportunities	 for	 coal	-dependent	 regions,	 it 	
reduces	 emissions	 from	 the	 energy	 sector	 and	 can	 significantly	 improve	 local	 air	 quality.	 Objective	 	
6 of the	 policy	 states	 that	 Poland	 should	 increase	 renewable	 energy	 sources	 (RES)	 in all sectors,	 	
aiming	 for	 23	 % RES	 in gross	 final	 energy	 consumption	 by	 2030.	 	
Figure 	2.4 	Share of renewable energy sources (RES) in gross final energy consumption in 
Poland and EU27	 	
 	
Source:	 	Eurostat	 	
Figure 	2.4 shows	 the	 expansion	 of renewable	 energy	 sources	 in the	 gross	 final	 energy	 	
consumption	 for	 both	 Poland	 and	 the	 EU.	 In 2022,	 the	 share	 of renewable	 energy	 sources	 in gross	 	
final	 energy	 consumption	 in Poland	 was	 16.8	 %.	 The	 share	 of renewable	 energy	 varies	 across	 	
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%	
2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	
RES
RES in transport
RES in electricity
RES in heating and cooling
EU27 RES
EU27 RES in transport

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sectors,	 with	 transport	 at 5.7	 %,	 electricity	 generation	 at 21	 %,	 and	 heating	 and	 cooling	 at 23	 %.	 	
The	 renewable	 energy	 share	 in heating	 and	 cooling	 has	 grown	 nearly	 9 percentage	 points	 from	 	
2013	 to 2022,	 with	 a substantial	 increase	 in 2018.	 This	 sudden	 increase	 of RES	 in heating	 and	 	
cooling	 must	 be	 viewed	 in context	 with	 the	 national	 “Clean	 Air	 Program”	 launched	 in 2018,	 	
supporting	 renovations	 and	 heat	 source	 replacements.	 Despite	 Poland’s	 efforts	 to increase	 the	 	
share	 of renewable	 energy	 in their	 energy	 consumption,	 their	 shares	 are	 still	 lower	 than	 the	 EU27	 	
average	 in every	 sector.	 The	 difference	 between	 Poland	 and	 EU27	 is especially	 visible	 in electricity	 	
generation.	 	
Even	 though	 Poland	 has	 increased	 their	 share	 of renewable	 energy	 in electricity	 generation	 with	 	
over	 10	 percent	 in the	 last	 10	 years,	 fossil	 fuels	 still	 remain	 the	 predominant	 source.	 As	 seen	 in 	
Figure 	2.5, in 2022	 the	 share	 of hard	 coal	 and	 lignite	 in electricity	 generation	 amounted	 to 	
approximately	 70	 percent	 (Forum	 Energii,	 2023)	. Figure 	2.6 illustrates	 how	 each	 renewable	 	
energy	 source	 contributes	 to the	 renewable	 energy	 share	 in electricity	 generation,	 onshore	 wind	 	
and	 photovoltaics	 begin	 the	 largest	 contributors.	 	
Figure 	2.5 	Electricity generation in Poland in 
2022	 	
Figure 	2.6 	RES in electricity generation in 
Poland in 2022	 	
 	 	
Source:	 	Forum Energii, 2023	 	
Figure 	2.7 shows	 the	 indicator	 for	 energy	 productivity,	 which	 measures	 the	 economic	 output	 	
(euros)	 per	 unit	 of gross	 available	 energy	 (kilogram	 of oil	 equivalent),	 for	 various	 European	 	
countries.	 The	 indicator	 is often	 used	 to say	 something	 about	 a country’s	 energy	 efficiency,	 and	 	
improving	 energy	 productivity	 is important	 as it encourages	 economic	 growth	 without	 increasing	 	
energy	 consumption.	 Poland’s	 low	 energy	 productivity	 is probably	 due	 to a combination	 of factors	 	
such	 as the	 dependence	 on	 coal	 and	 gas,	 and	 energy	-intensive	 industrial	 sectors.	 	
Hard coal	
44%	
Lignite
26%	
Natural gas
6%
Other 
industrial	
2%	
Pumped 
storage
1%	
RES
21%	
Hydro
5%	
Biogas
4%	Biomass
12%
Biomass 
co-firing
5%	
Onshore 
wind
52%	
Photovoltaics	
22%

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Figure 	2.7 	Energy productivity in Europe	 	
 	
Source:	 	Eurostat	 	
2.3.1	 	The	 role	 of	 local	 initiatives	 	
Many	 of the	 goals	 in PEP2040,	 such	 as the	 implementation	 of nuclear	 power	 or upgrading	 grid	 	
infrastructure,	 require	 national	 or even	 international	 action,	 but	 local	 actors	 can	 also	 make	 an	 	
important	 contribution.	 Heat	 demand	 is sourced	 at the	 local	 level,	 and	 local	 initiatives	 therefore	 	
play	 a huge	 role	 in this	 sector.	 Heat	 pumps	 and	 photovoltaic	 panels	 in households	 are	 anticipated	 	
to play	 a significant	 role	 in increasing	 the	 share	 of RES	 in heating	 and	 cooling.	 The	 public	 sector	 	
also	 plays	 an	 important	 role by	 setting	 an	 example	 trough	 investments	 in energy	 efficient	 	
technology,	 renewable	 energy	 sources	 and	 raising	 awareness.	 	
0
5
10
15
20
25
30	
Ireland	Denmark	
Luxembourg	
Italy	
Germany	Austria	France	Sweden	
Netherlands	
EU27	Spain	Cyprus	Portugal	Greece	Slovenia	Belgium	Croatia	Finland	Romania	Lithuania	
Latvia	Slovakia	Hungary	Poland	Czechia	Malta	Estonia	Bulgaria	
KGOE

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3	 	How	 does	 the	 renewal	 of	 the	 	
p	rimary	 s	chool	 in	 Bieganowo	 	
support	 national	 and	 	
international	 climate	 change	 	
plans?	 	
Policies are set to life by actions and change in behavior from individuals, companies, private and 
public entities. This project demonstrates such an action.	 	
A comprehensive thermal modernization of the school building, with insulation of external walls 
and insulation of the roof, will drastically reduce the energy consumption for heating and cooling 
purposes 	– making the building more energy efficient. 	 	
The installation of a heat pump will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through the old heating 
system, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The same will the installation of photovoltaic panels 
do, replacing electricity from the grid in a country wher	e almost half of the electricity generation 	
origins from burning of coal 	– a source of energy which has several negative effects on both local 	
air quality and health, and massive greenhouse gas emissions.	 	
In all, the renewal of the school building, and the installation of solar panels and a modern heat 
pump, will: 	 	
• 	Reduce energy 	consumption by 90 %.	 	
• 	Reduce carbon intensity and increase energy use from renewable energy sources.	 	
• 	Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.	 	
• 	Improve local air quality.	 	
In this chapter, we elaborate on the technologies and measures used in this project on a more 
general basis, to document the positive socio	-economic effects of these. 	 	
3.1	 	Energy Efficiency First	 	
Energy efficiency entails measures and actions that end up using less energy to 	solve the same 	
task	. This is related to, but is not equal to 	energy saving	. When we talk about energy efficiency, 	
we mean measures that save	 energy, but not at the expense of reducing the objective. 	 	
Energy efficiency has become a crucial part of the EUs energy targets and energy policy. This is 
made clear in the 	Energy Efficiency First principle	, which acts as a guiding principle for EU energy 	
policy and investment decisions 	(EU Directive 2023/1791)	. The principle aims to ensure that

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energy is managed in a cost	-effective way and to reduce the demand for energy, which will help 	
make the transition to renewables easier. 	 	
The principle is anchored in EU legislation through the directive on energy efficiency	 (EU Directive 	
2023/1791)	.1 The directive was first adopted in 2012 and revised in September 2023, considering 	
the climate policy target of 55 percent reduction of GHG emissions in 2030 (compared to 1990	-	
level). The directive entails an energy efficiency goal of reducing the EU’s fi	nal energy 	
consumption by 11.7 percent by 2030 (compared to projections of expected energy use in 2030). 
In practice, EU countries are required to achieve an average energy savings rate of about 1.5 
percent annually between 2024 and 2030. Improving energy 	efficiency in buildings will be an 	
important part of achieving this target.	 	
3.1.1	 	Energy	 efficiency	 in	 buildings	 	
On	 a global	 basis,	 buildings	 make	 up	 40	 % of total	 energy	 consumption	. Thus,	 energy	 efficient	 	
buildings	 are	 a key	 to solving	 the	 climate	 crisis	 and	 reduce	 negative	 impacts	 on	 health.	 The 	
energy consumption in buildings typically come from firewood, gas, and/or electricity. Firewood 
is a renewable bioenergy resource, but it pollutes the local air. Heating based on natural gas 
produces CO	2 emissions. Thus, using these energy sources more efficiently may reduce local air 	
pollution and CO	2 emissions. In addit	ion, using less energy also means spending less money on 	
energy. 	 	
An important source of energy demand in buildings is heating and cooling. 	Figure 	3.1 shows the 	
need for heating and cooling in 	Wrzesiński	, Poland, and the EU. The measures are weather	-based 	
indices that infer the need for heating (HDD) and cooling (CDD) in buildings based on observed 
temperatures in the region. 	 	
Heating	-degree	-days (HDD) measure the severity of the cold in a specific period of time, 	
considering the outdoor temperature and average room temperature. Lower temperatures 
increase the need for heating, and longer time periods of cold temperature increas	e the need for 	
heating. Analogously, cooling	-degree	-days (CDD) measure the severity of the heat, considering 	
the outdoor temperature and the average room temperature. 	 	
The indexes indicate that the need for heating in 	Wrzesiński	 is above the EU average, but the 	
need for cooling is below. Below we briefly discuss some technologies that can improve the 
energy efficiency in buildings. 	 	
 	
1 The directive can be found here: 	https://eur	-lex.europa.eu/legal	-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:JOL_2023_231_R_0001

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Overall, there are three main ways to improve energy efficiency in buildings:	 	
1. Design and construction techniques	 include design and techniques that reduce the need for 	
heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, and other activities that require energy. This can 
include the choice of construction materials and construction process.	 	
2. Upgrading existing buildings	 can include refitting insulation, installing heat pumps, closing 	
cold	-bridges, replacing windows and other upgrades that do not require the building to be 	
demolished.	 	
3. Managing energy use	 include monitoring and optimizing the building’s energy use, for 	
example through behavioral change or identifying and reducing the waste of energy.	 	
3.1.2	 	Insulation of buildings to increase energ	y efficiency	 	
Insulation is crucial to reduce the need for heating and cooling in buildings. We might for example 
have an objective to maintain room temperature at 21	oC. An energy efficiency measure could be 	
to insulate the room better so that we would need less energy to heat (or cool) the room to 
maintain this temperature, i.e., using less energy to solve the same task. An energy saving 
measure could instead be to use	 less energy by reducing the room temperature to 20	oC, i.e., 	
saving energy by 	changing the task	 or obje	ctive. Both are important and can complement each 	
Figure 	3.1 	Heating	-degree	-days (HDD) and cooling	-degree	-days (CDD) in 2022	 	
 	
Source:	 	Eurostat

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other to reach the overall goal of mitigating climate change and using our planet’s resources more 
efficiently.	2 	
Thermal	 modernization	 of residential	 buildings	 and	 ensuring	 efficient	 and	 environmentally	 	
friendly	 access	 to heat,	 is important	 to achieve	 higher	 energy	 productivity	 and	 to reach	 goals	 set	 	
out	 in climate	 change	 action	 plans.	 Improving a building’s insulation can reduce heat loss and the 	
energy needed to maintain a certain temperature, whether in winter or summer. 	 	
Improving insulation can mean refilling existing walls and roofs with superior insulation material 
such as at the school in 	Bieganowo	, or increase the thickness of the insulation, installing sealing 	
strips in doors and windows, or installing new doors or windows with better insulative capacity	. 	
Even though windows might make up only 5	-10 percent of a buildings surface, they can contribute 	
about 40 percent of the building’s heat loss in cold weather.	 Changing the old windows of the 	
school is therefore a cost	 effective and crucial element of reducing the energy consumption. 	 	
3.1.3	 	Heat	 pumps	 are	 the	 heat	 source	 of	 the	 future	 	
A common energy efficient technology is the 	heat pump. 	A heat pump uses electricity to transfer 	
and amplify heat from a cool area to a warm area. For example, it can extract some heat from a 
colder medium (either the air, water, or the ground) outside of a building and transfer and amplify 
the heat to the insi	de of the building. The process can also be reversed to cool the inside 	
environment when it is hotter outside (i.e. acts as an air	-conditioner). 	Figure 	3.1 above indicates 	
that 	Koniński	 is a region where both heating and cooling is required. 	 	
Because the heat is mainly transferred, and not generated as in an electric heater, heat pumps 
are very energy efficient. A typical household 	air	-to-air heat pump can produce 4 kWh of thermal 	
energy per 1 kWh of electric energy applied, although output will depend on the seasons.	3 Heat 	
pumps using water or the ground as the heat source can have higher efficiency than air heat 
pumps because water sources and the ground are typically warmer in the winter and colder in 
the summer, compared to the air. This means that the temperature d	ifference between the heat 	
source and indoors is lower and thus the pump will use less electricity to move and amplify a 
certain amount of heat. 	The installation of heat pump at the school is a big part of the reduction 	
of energy consumption	. 	
Heat pumps can also contribute to energy security by reducing the reliance on imported fossil 
fuels used for heating, and, depending on the electricity mix, help reduce GHG	-emissions. It 	
should be noted that using heat pumps for heating will mean that heat	ing is exposed to power 	
outages, and heat pumps are thus not immune to energy security concerns. 	 	
The expansion of heat pumps is an important measure in the REPowerEU plan. The technology is 
mature and could be implemented quickly. 	Heat	 pumps	 have	 become	 increasingly	 popular	 in 	
Poland	 over	 the	 last	 ten	 years.	 The	 sales	 of heat	 pumps	 have	 increased	 from	 approximately	 	
 	
2 There is a real risk that energy efficiency may lead users to change the task or objective away from energy saving, in 
order to increase their level of comfort. This is called the rebound effect. For instance, one may increase indoor 
temperature from 21 t	o 22 degrees after insulation, since the costs are reduced.	 	
3 A heat	-pump’s efficiency is typically measured by the 	coefficient	-of-performance (COP)	, which is the ratio of energy 	
output to energy input. In the example, 1 kWh of energy input that gives 4 kWh of energy output yields a COP of 4 
(��������	= 4 ������������	ℎ	1 ������������	ℎ=4).

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12	 000	 in 2012	 to over	 200	 000	 in 2022	 (Figure 	3.2). In 2018	 the	 Polish	 government	 launched	 the	 	
“Clean	 Air”	 program,	 an	 energy	 efficiency	 subsidy	 scheme	 aimed	 at thermal	 modernization	 of 	
buildings	 and	 replacement	 of old	 and	 ineffective	 solid	 fuel	 heat	 sources.	 Through	 this	 program	 	
households	 can	 get	 grants	 for	 buying	 heat	 pumps	 based	 on	 their	 household	 income.	 Increased	 	
gas	 and	 electricity	 prices	 following	 the	 Russian	 invasion	 of Ukraine	 has	 likely	 further	 boosted	 sales.	 	
Although heat pumps might be a good financial investment over its life	-cycle due to their low 	
operating costs, the upfront installation and purchase cost can pose a barrier. Heat pumps are 
relatively costly to purchase and install, and the more efficient w	ater and ground source heat 	
pumps are more expensive than air heat pumps. 	 	
Figure 	3.2 	Sales of heat pumps in Poland	 	
 	
Source:	 	European heat pump association	 	
3.1.4	 	Solar	 energy	 	
Figure 	3.3 and	 Figure 	3.4 show	 the	 estimated	 photovoltaic	 power	 production	 potential	 in Europe	 	
and	 Poland.	 Red	 indicates	 the	 highest	 potential	 and	 blue	 indicates	 the	 lowest	 potential.	 Not	 	
surprisingly,	 southern	 Europe	 has	 the	 biggest	 potential	 for	 photovoltaic	 power	 production.	 	
Compared	 to northern	 Poland	 the	 area	 around	 Opole	 has	 a high	 potential	 for	 photovoltaic	 power	 	
production	, meaning	 the	 installation	 of photovoltaic	 panels	 on	 the	 roof	 of the	 school	 building	 will	 	
have	 great	 effect,	 and	 together	 with	 the	 heat	 pump	 make	 the	 building	 almost	 self	-sufficient.	 	
0	
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000	
2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	
air/water (heating)	brine/water (heating)	air/water (hot water)

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Figure 	3.3 	Photovoltaic power potential Europe	 	Figure 	3.4 	Photovoltaic power potential 
Poland	 	
 	 	
Source:	 	Solar resource map © 2021 Solargis	 	
Poland	 is one	 of the	 fastest	 growing	 solar	 markets	 in Europe.	 “My	 electricity”	 is an	 example	 of a 	
program	 that	 gives	 grants	 for	 photovoltaic	 systems,	 which	 have	 been	 effective	 as high	 electricity	 	
prices	 made	 it more	 attractive	 to install	 photovoltaic	 panels	 and	 produce	 own	 energy.	 	
Photovoltaic panels can be deployed at any scale. Hence, it is one of few technologies that offers 
a decentralized power production potential, where households, firms and farms can produce 
their own low	-voltage electricity. This improves the long	-term ener	gy security as it brings 	
production close to demand and under local jurisdiction/control. As the share of renewable 
energy sources in electricity production increases, the need for imported fossil fuels decreases, 
and regions and countries gain more energy	 independence. 	 	
Installing	 a photovoltaic	 system	 in a household,	 school	 or other	 building	 is not	 only	 a way	 to 	
minimize	 carbon	 footprint,	 but	 it will	 also	 reduce	 energy	 cost.	 Lower	 energy	 costs	 will	 free	 up	 	
funds	 for	 other	 expenses	 that	 the	 household	 or business	 incurs.	 	
Another major benefit is that it can be installed on any surface that receives sunlight. This includes 
on top of surface areas that are already in use, such as on buildings and other infrastructure. Thus, 
solar PV systems can be installed without the need 	to convert scarce land. 	 	
The market for photovoltaic systems, and renewable energy sources in general, creates new 
opportunities for the local economy. Photovoltaic systems require manufacturers, installation, 
and maintenance which creates sustainable economic activity and jobs. 	 	
Unlike	 other	 power	 sources,	 such	 as fossil	 fuels,	 photovoltaic	 systems	 don’t	 pollute	 the	 air	 or 	
release	 greenhouse	 gases,	 both	 of which	 can	 have	 a positive	 effect	 on	 health.

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Passive solar 	energy 	using thermal mass	 	
In addition to using solar energy to generate electricity it can be used to create heat directly. This 
involves exposing air or a fluid to the sun. The hot air or fluid can then be used to heat the inside 
of a building directly or it can be connected to a 	heat exchanger and water tank for storage. 	 	
The sun provides energy to the surface of the earth every day. Clever building designs can exploit 
this energy. These techniques and technologies are typically referred to as 	passive solar	. Many of 	
these designs do not need complicated technologies to work, only mindful planning. 	 	
Figure 	3.5 illustrates several of these design elements. Large windows are facing south such that 	
the sun is allowed to heat the room during winter and reducing the need for external heat 
sources. An extended roof provides shade from the same sun during summer (when 	the sun is 	
higher in the sky) when the building needs to be kept cool, rather than hot. 	This can also be 	
complemented with window blinds. 	 	
Figure 	3.5 	Illustrative example of passive solar design	 	
 	
Source:	 	National Renewable Energy Laboratory 	(NREL, 2001)	 	
Selecting objects and building materials with good thermal mass can help exploit the solar energy 
more efficiently. Materials with high thermal mass, like concrete, bricks, and tile, have a high heat 
capacity and take a long time to heat (and cool). If use	d correctly, high thermal mass can even 	
out temperature fluctuations between day and night by absorbing and storing heat from the sun 
during the day (reducing the need for cooling) and slowly releasing the heat during the night 
(reducing the need for heati	ng).	4 	
 	
 	
4 If done incorrectly, the same characteristics can have the opposite unwanted effect.

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3.1.5	 	Monitoring and management systems	 	
A first prerequisite for an effective management of energy use in a building is the ability to 
measure energy use. Getting data on energy use can identify the most important sources of 
consumption and energy loss in a building. Measurement equipment range 	from the simplest 	
technologies, like a thermometer, to more advanced measurement devices, like a thermal 
camera that can measure and visualize the thermal loss in walls and windows. A smart metering 
device can show electricity consumption in real time. For	 larger building complexes, a good 	
management system can effectively redistribute surplus heat to parts of the building where it is 
needed. The Bellona house, described in section 	5.3	 below, is part of a larger building complex 	
with an 	energy center	 and is a good example of this. 	 	
3.2	 	Green buildings	 	
The most energy efficient buildings are the “Green buildings”. 	A green building is a building that, 	
in its design, construction or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts on our climate 
and natural environment. Any building can be a green building, whether it’s a home, an office, a 
school, a hospital, a comm	unity center, or any other type of structure. The potential is greatest 	
in office spaces, business areas and schools, as these types of buildings are larger than e.g., 
dwellings.	 	
There are a number of features which can make a building green, and features can include 
anything from construction to how energy efficient the operation is. 	Examples are:	 	
• 	Efficient use of energy, water, and other resources.	 	
• 	Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy.	 	
• 	Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re	-use and recycling.	 	
• 	Good indoor environmental air quality.	 	
• 	Use of materials that are non	-toxic, ethical, and sustainable.	 	
• 	Consideration of the environment in design, construction, and operation.	 	
• 	Consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction, and operation.	 	
• 	A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment.	 	
3.3	 	Transitioning	 away	 from	 coal	 	
Whether we are talking about increasing energy efficiency, installing heat pumps or solar panels, 
this project represents the transitioning away from coal in Poland and in Europe which has an 
extensive list of benefits, such as: 	 	
• 	Improved health for the people and reduce health care costs, from reduction in air 
pollutants.	 	
• 	Job creation: manufacturing, installation, operation, maintenance of renewable energy 
technology in a sustainable industry. 	 	
• 	Reduction of GHG emissions and mitigation of negative effects from climate change.	 	
• 	Energy security (by reducing import of fossil fuels)

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Coal	 has	 multiple	 health,	 social,	 climate	 and	 environmental	 risks	. It is the	 most	 polluting	 way	 to 	
produce	 electricity,	 it contributes	 to intensifying	 climate	 change,	 and	 when	 coal	 is burned	 it 	
damages	 our	 health,	 e.g.,	 more	 lung	 cancer,	 heart	 disease	 and	 premature	 death.	 	
Combustion	 of coal	 results	 in the	 accumulation	 of pollutants	 such	 as CO	x, SO	x, NO	x, particulate	 	
matter	 (PM)	 and	 heavy	 metals	 in air	 and	 water.	 Air pollution is a major cause of premature death 	
and disease. In Europe, it is the single largest environmental health risk. Recent estimates by the 
European Environment Agency (EEA) show that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in particular have 
a detriment	al health impact 	(EEA, 2023)	. Pollution can also be damaging to the economy by 	
increasing the amount of sick leave. Energy consumption in residential and commercial building 
is the main source of PM2.5 emissions in the EU 	(EEA, 2022)	. 	
Poland is among the countries with the highest levels of fine particulate matter concentrations in 
air in Europe, as shown in 	Figure 	2.2. Out of the ten most polluted cities in Europe, eight are Polish. 	 	
Figure 	3.6 	Levels of fine particulate matter (PM	2.5) measured in air	 	
 	
Source:	 	Thunis, et al., 2023	 	
Table 	3.1 	Deaths attributable to air pollution exposure (PM	2.5, NO	2, O	3) in Poland in 	
2021	 	
PM	2.5 	NO	2 	O3 	
47 300	 	4 200	 	1 900	 	
Source:	 	European 	Environment Agency, 2023	 	
 	
Figure 	3.7 	Energy consumption in 
residential and commercial 
building is the main source of 
PM2.5 emissions in Poland.

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As early as the 1990s, Poland initiated 
efforts to lower NO	x and SO	2 emissions	 	
(The World Bank, 2019)	. Through the 	
environmental Action Plan, the country 
has managed to reduce the emissions 
significantly over the last 30 years. The 
main emitters of NO	x and SO	2 were the 	
power sector and heavy industry, where 
emissions were concentrated among a 
limited number of actors. Reducing air 
pollution from coal might be a more 
challenging task, as a bigger share of the 
emissions stem from household activities. 
Convincing 	households to switch from 	
coal to electric heating might prove to be a challenging task. 	 	
The	 transition	 to a low	-carbon	 economy	 may	 create	 labor	 market	 challenges	 by	 disrupting	 coal	-	
related	 jobs.	 Some	 workers	 might	 easily	 transition	 into	 new	 fields,	 while	 many	 cannot.	 Coal	 	
related	 jobs	 make	 up	 less	 than	 2 percent	 of the	 national	 employment	 in Poland,	 but	 in some	 	
areas,	 they	 constitute	 up	 to 50	 percent	 of local	 employment	 (The	 World	 Bank,	 2022)	. As	 Poland	 	
shifts	 its	 energy	 sector	 away	 from	 fossil	 fuels	 and	 towards	 renewable	 energy,	 it is important	 to 	
ensure	 opportunities	 for	 workers	 in highly	 affected	 areas.	 This	 has	 been	 taken	 into	 consideration	 	
in Poland’s	 Energy	 Policy	 until	 2040	 (PEP2040).	 One	 of the	 three	 pillars	 in Poland’s	 energy	 policy	 	
until	 2024	 is “just	 transition”,	 which	 states	 that	 in order	 for	 Poland	 to make	 a just	 transition	 	
towards	 renewable	 energy	 the	 country	 must	 provide	 new	 development	 opportunities	 for	 the	 	
coal	-dependent	 region	s. 	
 	
Source:	 	EEA	, 2021	 	
Building sector	Other sectors	
78,4% 	
of total PM2.5 
emissions in 	2021	
in Poland	was from 	
buildnings

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4	 	UN Development goals	 	
The project involves a series of upgrades increasing the school’s sustainability and energy 
efficiency, including improved insulation, installation of LED light fixtures, modernization of the 
heating system, upgraded ventilation systems, and installation o	f photovoltaic panels. The 	
upgrades collectively contribute towards a better learning environment, a lower carbon footprint 
and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. In addition, the project directly contributes 
towards UN development goal 4 (qua	lity of education), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 11 	
(sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (climate action), making an important contribution 
towards the global effort of mitigating climate change. 	 	
4.1	 	Improved insulation	 	
The first partial task of the project involves insulation improvements for the school building. This 
includes the insulation of external walls and walls in contact with the ground, ensuring a reduction 
in heat loss. Additionally, both ventilated and non	-ve	ntilated roofs will receive insulation 	
upgrades, alongside the roof areas above the atrium and the sports hall. The ceiling above the 
entrance will also be equipped with new insulation. New and improved insulation combined with 
replacement of windows and d	oor joinery will enhance the building’s overall thermal efficiency 	
and the indoor climate. 	 	
These sub	-projects contribute to 	UN development goal 4: Quality of education	, specifically target 	
4.a which states that one should build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability, 
and gender sensitive and provide safe, non	-violent, inclusive, and effective learning environments 	
for all. A key element in 	UN development goal	 7: Affordable and clean energy	 is to double the 	
global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030 (target 7.3). The project contributes to 
reaching this target by 	upgrading the building’s insulation and thereby improving the building’s 	
energy efficiency. 	 	
4.2	 	Energy	-saving LEDs	 	
As a part of the upgrade all the existing light fixtures will be replaced by energy	-saving LEDs. LED 	
lights can use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to twenty	-five times longer, compared to 	
incandescent lighting. This will lower the school’s energy	 consumption and increase their energy 	
efficiency, contributing to 	UN development goal	 7: Affordable and clean energy	 target 7.3.	 	
4.3	 	Modernization of the heating system	 	
Sub	-project four is a comprehensive modernization of the heating system in the building. This 	
involves the installation of a glycol	-water heat pump that cooperates with a gas boiler room 	
equipped with condensing boilers. The glycol	-water heat pump is used 	as much as possible as it 	
is very energy efficient and can utilize renewable energy, and the gas boiler acts as a backup to 
ensure a stable temperature on days with extreme temperatures. By not using coal as the primary 
heating source, the school contribut	es to minimizing emissions and improving air quality, aligning

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with 	UN development goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities	. Target 11.6 specifies that the 	
European Union by 2030 should reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, 
including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. 	 	
Modernization of the heating system also includes the installation of a heat buffer, replacement 
of the heating system with a new thermally insulated one, replacement of radiators, installation 
of thermostatic valves and sub	-vertical valves, and installati	on of an air	-to-air heat pump with a 	
cooling function. Additionally, hot water storage tanks are replaced with new ones and hot water 
and thermally insulated circulation systems are replaced.	 	
The upgrades to the heating system, coupled with the implementation of an energy management 
system, makes the school building more energy efficient, reduces its carbon footprint and 
provides a safe and reliable heating system for both students and staff. T	his contributes towards 	
UN development goal 7: Affordable and clean energy	, particularly target 7.3 regarding energy 	
efficiency and target 7.1: ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy 
services. 	 	
4.4	 	Improving the indoor climate	 	
The project also supports the achievement of 	UN development goal 4	, aimed at improving the 	
quality of education, through improvements of the indoor climate in the school building. 
Installation of mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation for the gym, replacement of ducts and 
implementation of thermal insulation, and the 	use of CO2 sensors to control the operation of 	
mechanical ventilation installations ensure quality education facilities and provide a safe and 
effective learning environment. 	 	
4.5	 	Renewable energy	 	
In addition to upgrades of the school building, a photovoltaic system with a total capacity of 
approximately 50 Kwa and an area of 235 m2 has been installed. Solar panels generate electricity 
without emitting greenhouse gasses and enhance the environmental	 effect of switching from coal 	
to heat pumps. Heat pumps makes temperature control more energy efficient and solar panels 
ensure that it runs on as much renewable energy as possible. Installation of a photovoltaic system 
increases the share of renewable en	ergy sources in the energy mix and thus support the 	
advancement towards 	UN development goal 7: Affordable and clean energy	. Target 7.2 	By 2030, 	
increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.	 	
4.6	 	Raising awareness on climate change and health 	 	
The project also includes educational and awareness raising activities, such as conferences and 
written material. These activities will contribute to identification, adaptation and implementation 
of best practices supporting the municipality on its way to 	becoming a sustainable and healthy 	
city. The next chapter will describe interesting and inspirational actions, measures and incentives 
implemented by Norwegian municipalities and NGOs and give an overview of Norwegian best 
practices to help reduce emission	s and protect the climate. The conferences and written material 	
contribute towards improving education 	awareness	-raising and human and institutional capacity

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on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning, as stated in 	UN 	
development goal 13 	target 13.3. The project and written report also enhance international 	
cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable 
energy, energy efficiency, and advanced and cleaner fossil fuel technology, and promote 
inv	estment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology as outlined in target 7.a in 	UN 	
development goal 7: Affordable and clean energy	. Lastly, the implementation of the project, 	
written report and conferences should contribute to all learners acquiring 	the knowledge and 	
skills needed to promote sustainable development, as mentioned in target 4.7 of 	UN 	
development goal 4: Quality of education.

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5	 	Best practice	 example	s	 	
Climate change is a global threat and requires international cooperation. In addition to 
implementing both national and international emission targets and sustainability goals, sharing 
of best practice contributes to effective implementation of climate mit	igation strategies. This 	
chapter compiles Norwegian best practice examples in climate leadership, awareness raising and 
education, energy efficiency, and renewable energy production. The objective of the chapter is 
to 	present examples of activities which c	an contribute to 	Kołaczkowo	 identifying and 	
implementing practices supporting the municipality on its way to becoming a sustainable and 
healthy city.	 	
5.1	 	Oslo Municipality: The European Green Capital 2019	 	
Oslo has one of the world’s most ambitious climate strategies and was the first city in the world 
with its own Climate Budget. In 2019 the city was awarded with the European Green Capital 
Award for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve qu	ality of air and water, 	
environmental innovation, access to green areas, biodiversity, and green mobility. 	 	
Since 2019 Oslo has continued their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and make the city a 
better place to live for their residents. The municipality has set an ambitious target to cut 
greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2030 relative to the baseline 	2009 levels. Moreover, the city 	
has committed to reducing energy consumption with 10 percent by 2030 compared to 2009. 
Working towards these objectives the municipality has identified 16 priority initiatives that will 
make it easier for individuals and bus	inesses to make climate	-friendly decisions. The priorities are 	
organized into seven categories; green areas, transport, construction and civil engineering, waste, 
energy, consumption, and climate leadership. Emphasizing climate leadership in municipal 
stra	tegies is crucial, as it ensures climate action is integrated into all decision making. 	 	
Oslo municipalities ambitions for climate leadership 2020	-2030:	 	
• 	Oslo municipality will, through communication, dialogue, training, and collaboration, 
stimulate residents and businesses towards climate	-friendly behavior. 	 	
• 	The municipality aims to foster climate	-friendly innovation and development by closely 	
collaborating with the city's businesses, researchers, organizations, and residents.	 	
• 	The climate management system of Oslo municipality will be further developed. Climate 
goals will guide the municipality's budgets, and a climate budget will be included in the 
municipality's annual budgets. Consideration for emission reductions and an alte	red climate 	
will be taken into account in all relevant decisions.	 	
• 	Oslo municipality will collaborate more closely with the state, region, and other major cities 
to ensure that the municipality becomes a zero	-emission city equipped to handle the 	
climate changes that are coming.	 	
• 	Furthermore, Oslo municipality will engage in international cooperation to acquire 
knowledge about the best climate solutions and to share experiences and spread climate 
solutions internationally that can quickly reduce emissions.

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Education and awareness	 	
An important part of Oslo municipality’s climate strategy and its commitment to climate 
leadership is to influence residents and businesses towards climate	-friendly behavior thorough 	
communication and training. To communicate information about climate acti	on, initiatives, and 	
best practices the city employs various methods including websites, educational materials for 
students, and in	-person training.	 	
KlimaOslo	 shares stories of how both small and large initiatives collectively reduce greenhouse 	
gas emissions while simultaneously making the city a better place to live. KlimaOslo aims to both 
inform about the city's climate efforts and inspire the implementation 	of climate action measures.	 	
Klimaskolen.no 	is a teaching portal that compiles, and quality	-assures teaching material on topics 	
related to climate and environment. The website was launched in 2020 following Oslo winning 
the European Green Capital Award and has been updated regularly since. The porta	l contains 	
teaching material related to the competency goals at all levels 	– from elementary to high school. 	 	
SirkuLÆR 	is an educational program focused on waste reduction, recycling, and source sorting, 	
operated by the waste management and recycling agency at Haraldrud sorting facility. The visiting 
students attend one educational session on source separation and the reso	urces in waste, 	
complete one practical task, and get a tour of the sorting facility. Each year Haraldrud welcomes 
several thousand children and adults to attend the SirkuLÆR program. In addition to this program, 
the facility provides the website 	klimaskole	n.no 	with educational resources for third to seventh 	
graders, alongside tips and ideas for activities that can be carried out in the classroom. 	 	
Figure 	5.1 	Elementary school students visiting Haraldrud sorting facility	 	
 	
Photo:	 	Silje Thoen	 	
5.2	 	University of Oslo: Energy management	 	
The University of Oslo (UiO) has been working towards reducing its energy consumption in 
buildings since 2016, with a dual objective of minimizing its greenhouse gas emissions and cutting

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down on energy	-related costs. The university manages over 100 buildings, which together make 	
up approximately 600	 000 square meters. The buildings house classrooms, laboratories, research 	
facilities, libraries, and administrative offices. 	 	
In the fall of 2016, UiO initiated a project aiming to reduce its energy consumption by 5	 % within 	
twelve months. The project focused on the most cost	-efficient measures first: Organization 	
(energy management), capacity building and operational optimization. After just ten months, the 
university had already achieved a 7.8 percent reduction, acc	omplished solely through operational 	
adjustments. 	 	
Since 2016, UiO has set ambitious long	-term goals for their carbon footprint. In its climate and 	
environmental strategy, UiO has defined targets for education, research, communication, “green 
campus”, and organization. As a part of further developing its g	reen campus the university has 	
set reduction targets for energy consumption of 25 percent by 2027 and 40 percent by 2040. It 
is already making significant progress towards these objectives. After three years, the goal for 
2027 was almost reached with a red	uction in energy consumption of 23.5 percent. 	 	
To identify which activities contribute most to the carbon footprint and to measure progress 
towards its emission targets, UiO conducts an annual greenhouse gas inventory. The inventory 
contains information on emissions related to energy consumption, build	ings, transport and travel, 	
procurement of services, and purchase of goods. 	 	
Figure 	5.2 	Emissions broken down by climate cost categories (2022)	 	
 	
Source:	 	University of Oslo, COWI	 	
As shown in 	Figure 	5.2, energy consumption accounted for approximately 26% of the university's 	
total emissions, and 25	 % of the energy is consumed in buildings in 2022. The consumption is split 	
evenly between electricity (51	 %) and urban energy (49	 %). Electricity is used for lighting, IT, lab	-	
equipment, technical facilities, and air conditioning. District heating is used to heat the 
university’s buildings. District heating utilizes surplus renewable energy from local sources, such 
as biofuel, waste 	and industry heat waste and makes use of resources that would otherwise be 	
wasted, and thereby lowers the university’s carbon	 footprint. 	 	
Purchase of goods	
26%	
Transport and 	
travel
18%	Procurement of 	
services
8%	
Energy 	
consumption	
26%
Buildings
22%

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Figure 	5.3 	Energy consumption (tons of CO₂ equivalents)	 	
 	
Source:	 	University of Oslo, COWI	 	
Figure 	5.3 shows the total energy consumption at UiO since 2018. The energy consumption has 	
gradually gone down since 2018, and the reduction from 2018 to 2022 has been just above 21 
percent. The emission reduction is mainly due to a reduction in purchased electrici	ty and district 	
heating. UiO produces its own energy in “Klimahuset” in Oslo botanical gardens, but the amount 
is too small to have any real effect on the GHG inventory. The university has an ambition of 
producing more energy in the upcoming years using so	lar energy and geothermal wells. 	 	
5.3	 	The Bellona house 	– Norway’s first A	-class office building	 	
Bellona	 is a non	-profit NGO focusing on environmental issues. When Bellona needed a new office, 	
it decided to put high demands for an energy efficient building, to set an example for others to 
follow. Together with the developer 	Aspelin Ramm	, Bellona 	created an office building that would 	
satisfy the demands for energy class A in the Norwegian classification scheme.	5 At its completion 	
in 2010, it was the first office building in Norway with energy class A. They achieved this using 
only technologies that were well known at the time. 	 	
Some energy efficient features of the building included: 	 	
• 	Solar water	-heaters on the south façade.	 	
• 	An energy center to redistribute surplus heat to neighboring buildings.	 	
• 	Geothermal wells.	 	
• 	Control system for ventilation, heating, cooling and light through motion and CO	2 sensors.	 	
• 	A ventilation system that reuses heat.	 	
• 	Thermal mass through exposed concrete.	 	
• 	Few and well insulated windows.	 	
 	
5 The classification scheme ranks a building on the need for energy per square meter based on normal use. The scale 
is from A to G, where A is the highest. 	 	
28,256	26,562	
23,663	22,604	22,246	
0	
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000	
2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	
Tons of CO
2-equivalents

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• 	Heat pumps.	 	
The south	-facing façade has two main functions: to capture solar heat and to reduce direct 	
sunlight in the office. The windows are equipped with automatic blinders and are tilted outward 
to reduce direct sunlight when the sun is at its highest and stronges	t, and thus reducing the need 	
for cooling in the summer. There are 291 m	2 of solar heaters mounted above the tilted windows, 	
with 350 liters of circulating water. The water is heated by the sun and circulated in radiators that 
heat the office space. The su	rplus heat is transferred to the 	energy center	 where it is distributed 	
to other connected buildings. 	 	
Figure 	5.4 	The Bellona house	 	
 	
Photo:	 	Aspelin Ramm	 	
The energy center supplies the Bellona house and neighboring buildings with heating and cooling. 
The center is based on geothermal wells, solar heating, and district heating. There are 14 
geothermal wells that are 300 meters deep. They are used for heating	 in the winter and cooling 	
in the summer through heat pumps. The energy center is connected to the district heating system 
in the city of Oslo, which supplies the building complex when the solar heating is insufficient. 	 	
The solar heaters provide 79 percent of the energy need for hot water and 23 percent of the 
energy need for heating. The heat pumps contribute 14 percent of the energy for hot water and 
50 percent of the energy for heating. The district heating contributes	 the remaining 27 percent 	
for heating and 7 percent of hot water. 	 	
Lighting, heat, and ventilation are automatically controlled through sensors. Motion detectors 
control the lighting, while the ventilation is connected to a CO	2-gauge that adjusts the ventilation 	
based on the current need. When many people gather in a room, the CO	2-concentration in the 	
air rises and the ventilation is increased. The ventilation system reuses heat by allowing the cold 
air entering from outside to be heated by the hot air going out. The efficiency rate of this process 
is reported to be 88 per	cent. 	 	
Around 50 percent of the concrete ceiling is left exposed to exploit the thermal mass in the 
concrete. Concrete is a material with high thermal mass, meaning it can help even out 
temperatures across the day.

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The additional measures needed to increase the energy classification from C to A reportedly 
increased investment costs about 10 percent. According to the developer, a significant portion of 
this was due to the increased need for planning and project manage	ment. Bellona agreed to a 	
slightly higher rent to mitigate the extra cost for the developer but reported that they 
recuperated the additional rent cost through lower utility bills. 	 	
5.4	 	Deichmann Bjørvika Library 	 	
Deichman Bjørvika is a public library in the center of Oslo that opened in 2020. The city of Oslo 
required high environmental performance when building the library. In contrast to the Bellona 
house, the architectural design of the building required customi	zation in many aspects of the 	
construction, meaning the costs are high and not directly comparable to other projects. 	But there 	
are still important principles to learn. 	 	
 
The building stretches across six levels with a glass façade and large open spaces inside. It is 
classified as energy class A in addition to being a 	passive house	, which means the building must 	
fulfil certain criteria on energy efficiency. Several measures were undertaken to achieve this.	 	
The building makes use of the thermal mass of concrete. Ventilation is provided through hollow 
spaces in the concrete floors on the second to the fifth level. The hollow spaces cover the entire 
floor area. This means that the circulating air has a large co	ntact surface with the concrete to 	
exchange heat. This exploits the concrete in order to reduce temperature variations in the 
building and reduce the need for cooling. Concrete is also left exposed where possible. 	 	
Figure 	5.5 	Deichman Bjørvika Library	 	
 	
Photo:	 	Vista Analyse

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Concrete does not have good acoustic properties. Good acoustics are very important in a library. 
To leave as much as possible of the concrete ceiling exposed, while maintaining good acoustics, 
the ceiling in the upper levels was partially covered with a so	und	-absorbing material shaped as a 	
“beehive”, as shown in 	Figure 	5.6. This allows 64 percent of the concrete to remain exposed while 	
still achieving good acoustics. 	 	
Figure 	5.6 	Bee	-hive shaped ceiling in 	
Deichmann Bjørvika	 	
Figure 	5.7 	Ventilation channels 
inside the floors 	 	 	 	
Photo: 	 	FutureBuilt	 	 	Photo:	 	FutureBuilt	 	
The building is heated and cooled through a 	thermal active building system	, which is an air 	
conditioning system with embedded heating and cooling pipes in the concrete in both the floor 
and ceiling. 	 	
The building’s need for cooling during summer is reduced by having automatic external solar 
shading on the large glass façade. The glass façade is also made up of a three glass layers, one 
outside glass for better insulation, one 3	-layered insulative glass	 in the middle, and a frosted glass 	
layer on the inside to diffuse light. The load	-bearing elements between the glass windows are 	
made of composite fiber filled with mineral wool, which provides superior insulation compared 
to elements made from steel and 	aluminum. 	 	
A water	-to-water heat pump and connection to district heating provides the building with energy 	
in addition to electricity. 	 	
5.5	 	Biogas 	 	
Biogas is the mix of carbon dioxide and methane that forms when organic material, such as 
manure, food waste and wastewater is broken down by microorganisms. When the material is 
digested in an oxygen	-free environment the biogas consists of approximately 6	0 percent methane 	
and 40 percent carbon dioxide. By scrubbing the biogas of carbon dioxide, one is left with bio	-	
methane, which is well suited as fuel in the transport sector, or it can be fed into the gas grid. 
Biogas can also be a part of the solution to	 waste management challenges by transforming 	
materials that would otherwise be discarded as waste into valuable energy resources. 	 	
5.5.1	 	Veas Wastewater treatment plant outside Oslo	 	
Veas is Norway’s largest wastewater treatment plant and collects wastewater from 800	 000 	
individuals in Oslo and surrounding municipalities. It is a good example of how to extract 
additional value from already existing biomass.

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Veas uses the organic content of the wastewater to produce biogas in addition to clean 
wastewater, liquid fertilizer, soil products, heat energy, and CO	2. In 2020, a new production 	
facility for liquified biogas was commissioned. Wastewater sludge is separated and processed 
through anaerobic digestion. In the upgrading facility, the biogas is upgraded to biomethane 
(liquified). The plant produces and sells 	around 60 GWh of liquid biomethane per year. One of its 	
customers is the city of Bergen, which uses the	 biogas as fuel in public buses. 	 	
The plant also produces around 5	 000 tons of liquid fertilizer (ammonium sulphate) per year and 	
40	 000 tons per year of soil products based on sludge, that is sold to the agricultural sector. 	 	
A subsidiary of the company, Hoop CO	2, was established in June 2023. CO	2 is a by	-product of the 	
biogas upgrading. Hoop CO	2 aims at collecting the CO	2 and purifying it to food	-grade quality. Thus, 	
the CO	2 produced in the making of biomethane is collected, purified, and can be resold to the 	
food and beverage industry, which uses it for example for sodas and beverages. It offers a non	-	
fossil source of CO	2 for the food and beverage industry. Hoop 	CO	2 plans to provide technical 	
solutions for the extraction of CO	2 at other biogas facilities. 	 	
Figure 	5.8 	VEAS’ biogas upgrading facility	 	
 	
Photo:	 	Torbjørn Tandberg	 	
5.5.2	 	Romerike biogas plant 	– utilizing food waste	 	
Food waste is separated from other types of waste in the city of Oslo and its surrounding 
municipalities. There are various ways this can be done. In Oslo, citizens sort their everyday 
garbage into three differently colored bags: a green bag for food waste	, a purple bag for plastics 	
and an arbitrarily colored bag for other trash. The green and purple bags are available for free in 
local supermarkets.

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The bags are disposed of in the same container outside the residences. The bags are sorted at 
the collection facility, which is made easier by the colored bags. Plastic is recycled, while the food 
waste is sent to 	Romerike biogas facility	. In addition to the household food waste, the facility 	
accepts liquid food waste from industry and other businesses. 	 	
Figure 	5.9 	Household separate waste in three 
containers	 	
Figure 	5.10	 	Green bags for food waste	 	
 	 	
Photo:	 	Oslo kommune	 	Photo:	 	Oslo kommune	 	
The food waste is 	processed and sterilized before it goes through anaerobic digestion that creates 	
biogas and digestate. The digestate is made into bio	-fertilizer. Similarly to VEAS biogas will contain 	
about 60 percent methane and about 40 percent CO	2 (in addition to small quantities of some 	
other gases). 	The biogas is upgraded in two steps. 	 	
First, it is purified through water scrubbing, resulting in a biogas with 97 to 99 percent methane 
that can be used as compressed biogas (CBG). In a second step, the biogas is purified further to a 
methane content of 99.9 percent, which can be liquified. 	The liquified methane is only one sixth 	
of the volume of compressed biogas, saving transport costs. The liquified biogas is used in public 
buses and in the garbage collection trucks. One green bag of food waste is enough to power a 
bus 250 meters.

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6	 	Documentation of the work 
performed	 	
In this chapter, we present photographs of the building before, during and after the renovation 
and thermomodernization of the school building. 	 	
6.1	 	Before the renovation	 	
The following pictures show the school building in Bieganowo before the renovation was started. 
The pictures were taken during Vista Analyses visit in August 2022. 	 	
 
Figure 	6.1 	School building in Bieganowo	 before renovation	, as seen from parking space

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Figure 	6.2 	School building in Bieganowo	 before renovation	, main entrance	 	
 	
 
Figure 	6.3 	School building in Bieganowo	 before renovation	, gym building

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Figure 	6.4 	School building, state of external walls	 	
before renovation	 	
Figure 	6.5 	School building, state of 
externall walls	 before 	
renovation	 	 	 	
 
Figure 	6.6 	School building in Bieganowo	 before renovation	, old heating system

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6.2	 	During renovation	 	
The following pictures shows the work performed, during renovation. All pictures were taken 
during Vista Analyse’s visit in May 2023. 	 	
Figure 	6.7 	School building in Bieganowo during renovation, main 	building

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Figure 	6.8 	School building in Bieganowo during renovation, main building	 	
 	
 	
Figure 	6.9 	School building during renovation, 
gym	 	
Figure 	6.10	 	School building during 
renovation, hallway

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Figure 	6.11	 	School building during renovation, 
replacement of windows	 	
Figure 	6.12	 	School building during 
renovation, replacement of 
windows	 	 	 	
 	
Figure 	6.13	 	School building during renovation, 
replacement of ventilation system	 	
Figure 	6.14	 	School building during 
renovation, replacement of 
heating system

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6.3	 	After renovation	 	
The following pictures shows the final results of the performed work, and was 	confirmed during 	
Vista Analyse’s visit in March 2024. 	 	
Figure 	6.15	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, main 	building showing the 	
photovoltaic panels installed on the roof

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Figure 	6.16	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, main building	 	
 	
 
Figure 	6.17	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, hallway

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Figure 	6.18	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, hallway	 	
 	
 	
Figure 	6.19	 	School building after renovation, 
hallway	 	
Figure 	6.20	 	School building after 
renovation, hallway

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Figure 	6.21	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, secretary’s office	 	
 	
 
Figure 	6.22	 	School building in Bieganowo after renovation, gym

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