Thermal Bridges - Effects and Solutions in the Energy Renovation of Buildings

Today, the building industry is one of the largest energy consumers in the world. In addition to the loss of energy through the building envelope and openings on the building, there is also a loss of energy on the surface due to thermal bridges. A thermal bridge is a smaller area on the facade of the building where the heat flow is increased due to a change in the material, thickness, or construction part geometry. Due to the existence of thermal bridges, the building loses up to 30% of heat. To avoid the problem of thermal bridges, proper planning, design, and performance are necessary. During the renovation of existing buildings, thermal bridges must be properly evaluated in the energy audit. In this paper, the basic types of structural, systemic, and geometric thermal bridges will be discussed, as well as how their impact can be reduced during the energy renovation of existing buildings. The use of materials with low thermal conductivity in the energy renovation of buildings could help reduce the impact of thermal bridges.