What Benefits Does an Energy-Efficient Residential Complex Offer its Residents?

Maqro City Tbilisi is a new type of residential complex on Noah Ramishvili Street, the one where energy efficiency isn’t just a marketing gimmick but one of the core principles of the project . The company in charge of the project, Maqro Development, chose it as one of the non-negotiables at the early design stage, so those principles run through all parts of the building: the structure, the construction materials, and each unit’s heating system.

That said, the term "energy efficiency" tends to be used in a fairly opaque sense, so in certain situations it isn’t fully clear what it means when it comes to apartments in Tbilisi, exactly. 

This blog will take an in-depth look at each component that Maqro Development thinks is necessary to create an energy-efficient residential complex and why all of them are important for the comfort of the residents.

What is an Energy-Efficient Building?

First of all, let's define the term. A building is called energy-efficient when it needs to use less energy than average to maintain a certain desired temperature. Take two three-room apartments of the same size, for example. If one of them needs less electricity or natural gas to maintain the same levels of heating and cooling, then it’s the more energy-efficient one.

Energy efficiency is a measurable indicator, gauged by how many kilowatt-hours a building consumes per square meter over the course of a year. Based on that figure, the building is assigned an energy-efficiency class and gets a corresponding certificate.

What Determines Whether a Complex is Energy Efficient?

These days, apartments under construction in Tbilisi differ from each other not only in terms of area and layout, but also the materials and engineering systems. So, when determining their energy efficiency, you need to pay attention to several key components:

• Thermal insulation: the insulating layer applied to the facade of the building, the roof, and the inter-floor ceilings helps retain warmth in winter and shields the interior from excess heat in summer;

• Doors and windows: multi-layer glazing reduces heat loss and keeps the air from coming in;

• Heating system: the warmth rising from underfloor heating spreads evenly around the room, so in winter less energy goes toward maintaining the stable temperature in the apartment;

• Natural lighting: when the building's window placement is done right, there’s less need for artificial lighting during the day;

• Shared spaces: electricity gets used not only in the apartments but in the entrances, corridors, and courtyard. Using LED bulbs in shared spaces helps cut down on energy consumption.
  

Why an old building loses more energy

A large share of Tbilisi's buildings were built in the 20th century, and in Soviet-era Georgia energy saving wasn't really a part of construction norms. Many of these older buildings lack proper thermal insulation, so warmth drains away fast in winter, while in summer the apartments get very hot.

Heat escapes through outdated doors and windows. Single-pane glass and frames warped over the years can't hold heat properly, and it’s easy for cold air to seep into the living space through the gaps. On top of that, if an apartment is heated with individual heaters, warmth spreads unevenly from room to room, temperatures differ and dampness building up on colder walls can be a common problem.

Because of these reasons, an old apartment needs considerably more energy to hold the desired temperature. That's why it matters if at least current apartments under construction are designed with energy efficiency in mind, because improving a complex after it’s built might not be possible. And it's why the country now has legislation in force setting minimum energy-efficiency requirements for new buildings.

Energy-Efficiency Standards in Georgia

The 2021 government decree No. 354 established minimum energy-efficiency requirements for buildings, which took effect on July 1, 2023. The new construction needs to satisfy the following minimum requirements:

• The building's exterior: the thermal conductivity of the walls, the roof, and the windows must not exceed the established limit values;

• Engineering systems: the heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot-water supply systems must be selected and installed according to the energy-efficiency requirements;

• Construction permits: the project must get an energy-efficiency compliance declaration. If it fails to meet the established requirements, a construction permit won’t be issued;

• Energy-efficiency certificate: once construction is finished, the building must get an EPC certificate, confirming that the completed structure conforms to the approved parameters and the minimum requirements.
  

These requirements matter to the modern buyer too. A complex built to modern standards meets energy-efficiency criteria that most older buildings never had to. So when choosing an apartment, many tend to pay as close attention to the energy-efficiency as the building's structure and layout.

Energy Efficiency and Smart Technologies

Smart technologies can also play a part when it comes to using energy more sensibly. So, in many modern residential complexes the engineering systems are designed in such a way that allows for smart systems to be integrated later without extra work.

Systems like these draw on various functions for efficient energy use. Motion sensors, for instance, can register an empty room and switch the lighting off on their own. There are devices on the market that track energy consumption, analyze the data, and show which appliances burn the most.

You can read the Maqro City Tbilisi blog to find out more about what smart home systems are and what tech they integrate.

Energy Efficiency at Maqro City Tbilisi Complex

The energy-efficiency principles laid out in the previous sections fully apply at Maqro City Tbilisi. The modern residential complex is being built with energy-efficient Ytong blocks, which cut the energy used for heating and cooling by about 40% compared to standard materials. The underfloor heating helps save energy too: they’re being installed in every apartment, and are going to spread warmth evenly throughout the entire unit.

Additional information about the project, the apartments, and the technical details is available on the Maqro City Tbilisi website. Those interested in the project can also book a visit at the sales office and receive more detailed information from the representative.