IMPLEMENTATION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS IN LATVIA'S HOUSING STOCK AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Development of the housing and utilities sector for provision of necessary living conditions is one of the most significant areas in the national socio-economic transformation. Residential construction, housing services and public utilities, that ensure regeneration and maintenance of housing stock and bring housing and utilities to their direct consumers, are the key industries of the sector. The development of the housing sector in Latvia fails to meet the EU requirements: tasks placed on the sector are not carried out properly thus significantly lowering quality of life of the population. Therefore, the issue of housing and utilities stands to be one of the most pressing social problems in the country. The housing and utilities sector suffers from substantial difficulties due to lack of financing, weak physical infrastructure, an insufficient number of skilled personnel, lack of a forethought housing and utilities policy, and inadequately developed regulations for companies operating within the area of housing services maintenance. To the author, the key issue of the housing services in Latvia is renovation of obsolete housing stock. In the presented scientific paper, based on studies of the economic effect from the implementation and development of energy efficiency projects (renovation) of multi-apartment buildings in Latvia, an analysis is performed of the influence of renovation projects on the construction industry in Latvia. Therefore, the aim of the research is to examine the potential of the energy efficiency (renovation) projects of multi-apartment buildings in Latvia as a tool for development of the construction industry and of the economy of the country in general.

Econometric methods as well as methods of sociological research and statistical analysis are applied in this work. In the final part, the author demonstrates that the programmes for raising the energy efficiency of housing stock are an effective tool for development of the construction industry in Latvia.