Four energy-efficient residential buildings will appear in the Vitebsk region by the end of the year

September 7, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Construction of four energy-efficient residential buildings is being completed in the Vitebsk region. All of them will be commissioned this year, Vladimir Belous, Chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Construction of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, told a BELTA correspondent. In accordance with the comprehensive program for the design, construction and reconstruction of energy-efficient residential buildings in Belarus for 2009-2010 and for the period up to 2020, two houses will be built in Novopolotsk, and one each in Orsha and Vitebsk. It is worth noting that this will be the second energy-efficient house in the regional center. The first was commissioned in March this year and is already being occupied by new residents of the Medtsentr microdistrict. The design of the new houses was developed by the Vitebskgrazhdanproekt institute and provides for increased thermal insulation of walls, a special ventilation system with heat recovery from outgoing air, and other innovative elements that reduce the heat energy consumption by 20-40% compared to a conventional house and reduce residents' payments for consumed heat energy. In the Vitebsk region, the average cost of one square meter in an energy-efficient house is Br2.7 million, while the average price per square meter in conventional houses is about Br2 million. At the same time, with the planned reduction in energy consumption for heating, the payback period will be about six and a half years. And with the increase in the cost of energy resources, the payback period will decrease, specialists claim. Construction of an energy-efficient house has also begun in Polotsk. There will be one more energy-efficient house in the regional center. It is planned that they will be commissioned next year. -0-