ENERGY SAVING PRINCIPLES OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN THE URBAN PLANNING ASPECT

The process of intensive industrialisation in the West, and later in many other countries around the world, has led to a number of economic and environmental challenges. According to rough estimates, at the current rate of growth of the world's population, basic energy resources will become increasingly scarce. The main amount of these energy resources is used for heat and power supply to buildings and structures of various purposes, depending on their use. Residential buildings are among the first in the list of such structures. Updating the energy-saving principles in the architecture of residential buildings, combined with ensuring comfortable living conditions, has been one of the most important priorities of modern design theory and practice for about forty years. Traditional methods of energy supply, which were developed in the early and middle phases of industrialisation, have become the subject of fair criticism from scientists, environmentalists and the public. In addition to the objective process of exhausting natural fossil resources, inefficient logistics of the traditional energy system, including transportation, installation and operation, can be noted. An important factor in energy-efficient architecture is use of building materials or elements that have sufficient strength, durability and require minimal maintenance, as well as maximum use of existing urban conditions, planning structure of housing, modern energy-saving materials, various technological materials that allow saving energy, energy-saving heating devices, water mixers, recovery of constant heat, use of alternative energy sources and education and training.