Transition to a green economy and its consequences for the Bulgarian construction market

Recent research from Market Links shows that more than 80% of the Bulgarian construction companies support the transition to a green economy. Apart Estate experts made an analysis of what this means and how this transition will affect the construction market in Bulgaria.The green economy is a subject which today attracts the attention of more and more politicians, businessmen, and ordinary citizens. For most of them the green economy is a holistic and gentle approach to the use of natural resources and the desire for a prosperous life for as many people as possible.

This approach is supported by many construction companies as well. They consider the transition to the green economy and a possibility to use its principles in a building industry necessary and even inevitable. From the point of view of the companies participating in the study, the changes will have a positive impact on the Bulgarian economy. Among the expected changes:

• Construction quality improvement;
• Bringing Bulgarian building codes into line with EU standards;
• Additional investment to developers and revitalizing the construction market;
• Reduction of the harmful impact on the environment, and reduction of energy losses in residential buildings and apartments in particular;
• Reduction of the level of bureaucratization and corruption in the construction sector;
• Reduction of the building costs and sales prices.

Traveling around Burgas and other cities of the Burgas region, you can see finished buildings and buildings under construction where solar panels and heat pumps are installed or are planned to be installed. The purpose of this initiative is to help to reduce electricity costs and the negative impact on the environment. Another initiative which is also getting popular in Bulgaria is to use recycled construction materials for erection of residential buildings.

To improve energy efficiency and reduce the harmful impact on the environment, capital renovation programs are applied to old residential buildings. Renovated living buildings can be seen in all neighborhoods of Burgas. The price of apartments in them is sometimes higher than for flats from developers.

Irrespective to all the facts, this process cannot be called universal. The developers often talk about problems that prevent them from being active. Among the main obstacles:

• Inconsistency of Bulgarian building norms with the criteria and standards adopted in the European Union.
• Lack of a clear and workable way to confirm energy efficiency.
• The bureaucratic process of obtaining approvals and the presence of loopholes for unscrupulous market players.
• Unpreparedness of property buyers in Bulgaria for changes. Many are satisfied with their apartments and houses which are equipped with standard equipment for obtaining electricity, heating and warm water. Another issue is the lack of desire to pay at least part of the costs for major repairs and renovation of old residential buildings.
• The ambiguity of the problem of recycling heat pumps and solar panels. According to many experts, they are produced of materials that cannot be recycled, which means they carry a potential threat to the environment.

Lack of specialists with sufficient experience and knowledge of how to use modern building materials that contribute to increasing energy efficiency and reducing the harmful impact on the environment.

All these factors significantly complicate the transition to a green economy. Today in Bulgaria, alternative sources of electricity and recycled building materials are more often used in the construction of private houses and small residential buildings built for constructors’ own needs. The new approaches are also popular among developers of residential complexes in Sunny Beach, Sozopol, and Sarafovo – in this case the developer has a separate department which takes responsibility for the operation of the building, i.e. is a management company and searches for budget construction and maintenance solutions.

Another trend is the installation of alternative energy sources directly by property owners. At the same time, other owners of apartments in the same residential building continue to use wood stoves, air conditioners, and heaters. You can install your own energy source both in your own cottage and in a multi-storey building if you obtain permission from other apartment owners.

Contact the Apart Estate real estate agency and we will find the best studio apartments and flats in residential buildings and complexes in Burgas, Sozopol, St. Vlas and other localities on the Bulgarian coast for you. Our database contains real estate in modern houses, as well as in old residential buildings, which have undergone major renovations and fulfilled the requirements for increasing energy efficiency and the use of modern energy-saving technologies that limit the negative impact on the environment.