Possibilities for affordable, low environmental footprint passive house implementation in Serbia

Abstract

Sustainable housing is a worldwide challenge, while the case of Serbia could be an example of how complex the circumstances can be and how difficult it is to see the path towards sustainability. This paper sets out to answer multiple challenges; can energy-efficient, low-impact housing enter the market and respond to the needs of its population, potentially contributing to a more affordable and future-proof housing reality in Serbia? And does this demand rather different measures than the ones conventionally explored in innovative housing approaches elsewhere? To answer these questions, the paper starts from the preview of circumstances, then the methodology is proposed and explained, after which the possible building materials and technical installations for pilot multi-apartment Passive House are selected, and in the end, results are given and conclusions are drawn. Since the building is intended for a housing cooperative, both the affordability of the proposed solution and the environmental footprint has been comprehended by the methodology proposed. In the end, by carefully balancing the benefits of individual measures - favouring those that are cost-effective and discouraging the implementation of measures that are not, a viable pilot project that could step into the market-oriented society is selected.