Analysis of Useful Energy Demand for Heating Purposes in a Building with a Self-Supporting Polystyrene Structure in a Temperate Climate

This article presents an analysis of the useful energy demand for heating purposes in a single-family, single-storey building with a self-supporting polystyrene structure, which is a relatively niche solution, in relation to a traditional masonry structure with similar partition thickness. The structures considered met the requirements for passive buildings. The analysis was performed on three locations in Europe with a temperate climate, i.e., Kołobrzeg in Poland, Vienna in Austria, and Essen in Germany. The research showed significant savings in the energy demand of the polystyrene structure compared to the masonry structure for each location, ranging from 38% to 52%. Similarly, the heating period was 21% to 38% shorter in individual locations. This shows that polystyrene construction allows for a significant reduction in building energy demand, leading to lower operating costs.