Thermal insulation of a house or building is the most effective way to reduce heating costs and mitigate the impact of fluctuations in energy prices, emphasized Margareta Zidar, Head of the Energy Efficiency Department at the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar, during Sunday’s main central Dnevnik on Croatian Television (HTV). Insulation can reduce energy demand by 50 to 70 per cent, although achieving such savings requires significant upfront investment.
According to the data she presented, approximately 60 per cent of thermal energy consumption for heating in Croatian households is covered by firewood, while natural gas accounts for 24 per cent. Other forms of biomass, including pellets and briquettes, account for just 3.5 per cent. She also linked this distribution to the availability of energy sources. Since the natural gas network does not cover all parts of Croatia, households choose energy sources that are both accessible and affordable.
Zidar highlighted the low efficiency of traditional wood-burning heating systems and pointed to pellets and briquettes as alternatives. She explained that burning these fuels has a lower impact on ambient air quality, while the heating appliances that use them can achieve higher efficiency.
The full article is available at the following link: https://vijesti.hrt.hr/gospodarstvo/zidar-izolacija-moze-smanjiti-potrebnu-energiju-za-grijanje-od-50-do-70–12963919
