About the Project

PROJECT: SELF-HEATING ECO-HOUSE - FOR OUR ECOLOGICAL WORLD OF THE FUTURE Building a public and demonstrative promo eco-center - Novi Sad Energy House Summary

Project Name: "Self-Heating Eco-House - For Our Ecological World of the Future"

Project Topic: Self-Heating Ecological House - A Solar Earth-Sheltered Building

Areas: energetics, environment (ecology), construction (civil engineering)

Disciplines: sustainable architecture, healthy living, energy efficiency in buildings, renewable energy sources

Project Leaders: Veljko Milkovic Research & Development Center, City of Novi Sad Energy Agency

Objectives: raising environmental awareness, developing energy-responsible behavior and promoting the use of renewable and clean energy sources

Objective of the Project: construction of an open, public and demonstrational promo eco-center - Novi Sad Energy House

Place for Realization: City of Novi Sad, Serbia

Deadlines: 2010-2013

Estimated Project Cost: ~ 500,000 € (60,000,000 RSD)

 

Project Name

"Self-Heating Eco-House - For Our Ecological World of the Future"

Center for Promotion and Education on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Novi Sad Energy House

Project Topic

Self-Heating Ecological House - A Solar Earth-Sheltered Building

The concept of "Self-Heating Ecological House” by academician Veljko Milkovic is a highly energy efficient building with passive solar architecture, which is heated by solar energy and directed towards south. It is designed so that there is a soil layer around the structure of the house instead of a roof for a maximum preservation of free solar energy and it has reflective surfaces that are installed around the window frames. This represents an innovative solar technology which is used to increase the amount of heat and light that enters the house. Over a decades-long verified scientific monitoring of the results and effects of its usage, it has been confirmed that "Self-Heating Ecological House" saves up to 85% on heating, 100% on cooling, 30% on lighting and around 10% on building material. Therefore, it represents the only house building concept where highest energy savings are achieved with minimum investments.

Areas: energetics, environment (ecology), construction (civil engineering) Disciplines: sustainable architecture, healthy living, energy efficiency in buildings, renewable energy sources

Project Leaders

		Veljko Milkovic Research & Development Center - a non-profit organization dedicated to ecologically sustainable development, promotion and development of new products and technologies and their application in every day life.
		City of Novi Sad Energy Agency - administrative body of the City of Novi Sad responsible for professional activities to improve the conditions and measures for the rational use and saving of energy.

Vision
Ecological settlements and industrial facilities offering maximum comfort, maximum utilization of alternative energy sources and maximum energy efficiency with a healthy and safe life in harmony with nature.

Mission
Raising the awareness of the importance and benefits of using alternative energy sources by setting examples and developing ecological innovations and living in harmony with nature.

Objectives

Familiarizing the public and citizens with one of the most successful local examples of energy efficiency in buildings through the construction of an open, public, demonstrational self-heating eco-building, which will be in an easily accessible place, in order to raise environmental awareness, to develop energy-responsible behavior and to promote the use of renewable and clean energy sources.

Slogan: Let’s Start Building Our Ecological World of the Future Together!

Project Justification

Awareness of the need to save energy and increase energy efficiency of homes we live in is far from acceptable level. In order to achieve world standards in this area and use energy resources rationally, it is above all necessary to work harder to educate the public and promote sustainable solutions in energy industry, construction and architecture, and thus to increase awareness among people about alternative energy sources and acceptance of environment-friendly and energy efficient construction.

The concept of Self-Heating Ecological House, as a proven highly energy efficient facility that is completely in harmony with nature and neutral to the environment with maximum use of alternative energy sources, is the viable example how to solve the mentioned pressing problems of society, in a cheap, environmentally friendly and efficient way. As the best national example of energy efficiency in buildings in previous years, it has attracted the attention of the media, citizens and experts, and has increased the interest and desire to find out more about all the advantages and characteristics of this kind of ecological construction through direct personal contact.

Since the existing private residential buildings couldn’t meet the mission and enable all interested parties to personally see the benefits and efficiency of Self-Heating Eco-House concept at all times and in an accessible place, there was a need to bring this concept closer to the citizens in a new and modern way by constructing an open, demonstrational and promotional facility, in an easily accessible place where they will be able to see and feel the benefits of Self-Heating Eco-House any time they want.
Therefore, it is necessary to build a demonstrational and promotional self-heating home as a public building with attractive facilities, in a beautiful and easily accessible location in an urban environment, which will be available and open at all times, where the citizens and the professional community will be directly informed and educated about this way of both construction and life, and the positive experience of staying in them will enable everyone to see all the benefits and obtain all the necessary information on achievements in energy efficiency and application of solar energy in architecture.

The suggestion is, therefore, to build such a facility in urban green areas and parks because its architecture ideally fits protected areas since the layer of grass around the house does not reduce the green surface, on the contrary, it increases it and the building is virtually invisible on 3 sides.

Given the fact that our society is yet to significantly invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy, implementation of this project would achieve the goal and would be the perfect way to show how to rationally and carefully deal with energy resources and at the same time take care of the environment.

Expected Results

	construction of a new architectural brand of Novi Sad
	improving the tourist offer of Novi Sad
	practical familiarizing of the public and local citizens with the most successful example of energy efficiency in buildings
	setting new standards in construction and energy efficiency
	achieving an even greater percentage of energy efficiency in practice; savings in heating up to 90%
	increasing the use of renewable energy sources, especially solar energy in buildings
	increasing environmental awareness among citizens and increasing awareness of the necessity of developing energy-responsible behavior
	increasing citizens' interest in environmental and green architecture
	raising the knowledge of citizens and experts on the benefits of building self-heating eco-houses
	increasing media interest in local environmental solutions
	greater interest of the citizens living in these facilities
	interest in the implementation of new projects in residential, commercial and agricultural purposes

Target Group

	the citizens of Novi Sad and its surroundings
	ecologically aware citizens
	government agencies, companies, organizations and experts in energy industry, construction and architecture
	the young: technical high school students and technical faculties students
	local and foreign tourists

Objective of the Project

Construction of an open, public and demonstrational facility, in an easily accessible place.

Size of the facility

~ 600m2 neto - number of floors: two-storey building A, three-storey building B

Parcel of land necessary for construction: ~ 2,000m2 (35 x 60m), a south-orientated lot, urban area

Building site location: city construction land or any other public vacant lot in an urban area.
Alternative to building the facility in an urban environment is to build on suitable land around the City of Novi Sad.

The function and purpose of the facility

The content and purpose of the facility may be varied and multi-functional at the same time, in agreement with the local government: main office of the City of Novi Sad Energy Agency, seat of the Center for Promotion and Education on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, branches of power companies, representative office of local administration responsible for energetics, energy efficiency and environmental protection, research center, innovation center...

Place for Realization

City of Novi Sad, Serbia - a lot at an easily accessible place in an urban area.

Project Activities and Deadlines

Implementation of the project shall be carried out in 11 stages over the period 2010-2013. The beginning of construction of AENS-VEMIRC promo eco-center is planned during 2013.

Phases of the project:

	Phase I: Economic analysis of justifiability and feasibility - 2010 (done)
	Phase II: Formation of organizational expert team - 2010 (done)
	Phase III: Gathering support - 2010-2011 (done)
	Phase IV: Preparation of conceptual design of the building - 2012 (done)
	Phase V: Provision of building site location (in progress)
	Phase VI: Fundraising
	Phase VII: Preparation of main and detailed design
	Phase VIII: Preparation for construction
	Phase IX: Construction
	Phase X: Furnishing
	Phase XI: Opening ceremony

Financial Plan

The estimated project cost for the construction of Novi Sad Energie-Haus promo center is ~ 500,000 € (60,000,000 RSD).
The costs include only the construction costs of the facility (design, permits, building materials and construction works, ports and connections to municipal infrastructure, exterior and interior decoration, furnishing, technical equipment) size of ~ 600m2 neto at a construction cost around 500 €/m2.
Note: In case donations of building materials, construction services and equipment are obtained, cost of the project could be reduced. The lot for the construction will be granted by the local government (City of Novi Sad).