Search

Environmental safety and the rational use of natural resources are among pressing present-day problems. Energy efficiency improvement is an important constituent of energy policies in many countries. This article examines the impact of the “rebound effect” on improving the energy efficiency of environmental safety programs implement-d at federal and municipal levels. There is still no consensus on how to take the “rebound effect” into account and whether it should be considered at all. Paradoxically, the “rebound effect” is the unintended side effect of energy efficiency activities. In this paper, different types of this effect are considered. The “direct assessment” method, based on the non-linear relationship between energy consumption and efficiency, is used to assess the “rebound effect” produced on individual household appliances. The factors hindering the implementation of energy efficiency activities are also identified. Having analyzed the impact of the effect on different sectors of economy, we can conclude that the most pronounced “rebound effect” is observed in the housing sector. Consequently, if we consider a major energy efficient renovation, we have to take account of the “rebound effect” caused by new energy saving activities.

The authors presented a mechanism for optimizing the results of studies of an integrated system for treating waste beet sugar production using cavitation hydrodynamic generators, a chemical treatment, and an ozonation system. As a result of the research, the synergy effect was confirmed when using the cavitator in conjunction with other methods of exposure. Also, the authors established the optimal modes for the selected types of exposure and processing environment. The scale of the problem is shown - more than 2 trillion tons of world beet sugar production waste and the alternative possibilities of using this cleaning system are described. The main problem of cleaning these wastes is the presence of saponin in them, which is a natural toxic substance that can cause hemolysis of red blood cells and is a depressing factor for the development of aquatic organisms when these wastes enter their environment. The emphasis of cleaning is shifted towards the maximum removal of saponins from the solution. Based on the purification performed and the use of control measurements by determining light absorption coefficients (transparency), a purification result was obtained that meets basic requirements, including European standards for wastewater treatment quality. The possibility of applying this technique to expand the number of optimization factors is shown.

This article analyzed the impact of the structural characteristics of old apartment buildings on actual energy consumption. The authors reviewed energy consumption in existing apartment buildings in Voronezh in order to determine the need for major repairs and energy efficiency. For this purpose, a comparative analysis of energy consumption in old apartment buildings and in new ones built in accordance with the current regulations was carried out. Three indicators of energy consumption were considered for analysis: total energy consumption by the end-user, heating of premises and electricity consumption depending on the year of construction of apartment buildings. The characteristics considered were used to quantify energy consumption (heating and power supply). Due to the results obtained, a statistical analysis of energy consumption in old apartment buildings and in new ones was carried out. It was noted that old apartment buildings consume more energy than those built at a late stage, in accordance with the current regulatory framework. The results can be useful in identifying priority elements of the building that will help to effectively reduce energy consumption during major repairs and classify existing residential buildings to build energy models.

At the moment, it is impossible to deny the appearance of the obvious problem of the effective implementation of energy-saving measures during the overhaul of apartment buildings. This article considered the possibility of using one of the methods for the section of mathematics of the Theory of Graphs during the overhaul of apartment buildings with the introduction of energy-saving technologies. In the course of the research, elements were used in the form of an oriented graph with the help of which the adjacency matrix was constructed. Thanks to the work done, it was possible to isolate the resource potential of introducing energy-efficient technologies in the overhaul and identified their optimal order of inclusion in the process of renovating apartment buildings. Based on the obtained combinations, a digraph is built showing the relationship between the planned energy-saving technologies in apartment buildings, and also presents the calculation of financial and economic indicators for assessing the implementation of energy-efficient measures and proposes a general scheme for the implementation of energy-saving technologies when carrying out major repairs in apartment buildings to simplify work. Based on the analysis of real existing technologies using the constructed cost functional, the directions for improving the efficiency of reconstruction processes and reducing the cost of capital repairs are formulated.

According to expert estimates, phosphogypsum is the largest technogenic waste in terms of volume. The purpose of this study is to develop a technology for the extraction of non-radioactive rare-earth metals from phosphogypsum and at the same time to get building materials and products using nonfiring technology. “Integra.Ru” Co Ltd developed an innovative technology for extracting rare-earth metals from phosphogypsum, based on the method of sulfuric acid decomposition. A pilot plant for the processing phosphogypsum with a capacity of about 15 thousand tons of phosphogypsum per year (produces up to 40 tons of collective concentrate of rare-earth metals per year) was designed, built and put into operation on the basis of the Voskresensk mineral fertilizer plant. Voronezh State Technical University has the patent of the Russian Federation “Raw mix for manufacturing building products using nonfiring technology” from phosphogypsum and pilot production of wall materials using nonfiring technology. Combining the two technologies will make it possible to establish non-waste production of phosphogypsum processing with the extraction of non-radioactive rare-earth metals and the direct production of building products. Waste-free phosphogypsum processing technology with the release of rare-earth metals and the simultaneous production of wall building materials will help solving the environmental problems of cities where phosphogypsum is located and reducing the cost of wall materials.

The issue of including energy efficient measures in the overhaul of residential real estate has been discussed for several years. The relevance of this issue is increasing in connection with the requirements established at the state level to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The article calculates the determination of the energy efficiency class of a residential property included in the “Regional program for the overhaul of common property in apartment buildings in the Voronezh region for 2014–2044”, after the implementation of energy efficiency measures. Improving energy efficiency is a strategic goal. However, energy efficiency improvements do not always lead to energy savings due to the “rebound effect”. Therefore, it is necessary to organize the implementation of energy-efficient measures during the overhaul of residential real estate and the implementation of energy-saving programs (municipal, regional, state, industry).