EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE
This study presents an analysis and assessment of the annual levels of solar radiation and the duration of sunshine across the regions of Ukraine. It establishes that these parameters are sufficient to achieve a level of energy efficiency in solar-passive external wall structures that ensures a stab...
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Institute of Renewable Energy National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
2025
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| author | Kyrnos , L. Zaks , H. |
| author_facet | Kyrnos , L. Zaks , H. |
| author_institution_txt_mv | [
{
"author": "L. Kyrnos ",
"institution": "Institute of Renewable Energy, National Academy Of Sciences Of Ukraine"
},
{
"author": "H. Zaks ",
"institution": "Los Altos High School, CA, USA"
}
] |
| author_sort | Kyrnos , L. |
| baseUrl_str | https://ve.org.ua/index.php/journal/oai |
| collection | OJS |
| datestamp_date | 2026-07-18T06:32:22Z |
| description | This study presents an analysis and assessment of the annual levels of solar radiation and the duration of sunshine across the regions of Ukraine. It establishes that these parameters are sufficient to achieve a level of energy efficiency in solar-passive external wall structures that ensures a stable reduction in energy consumption for heating low-rise residential buildings constructed from straw adobe blocks.                                                 
The research identifies key factors influencing the effectiveness of straw and clay adobe block use across Ukrainian regions, namely:  
 
The climatic conditions of the region;
The seasonal gross yield of straw;
The cost of primary building materials (clay and straw), as well as the costs associated with transportation and storage under forced ventilation conditions. 
 
It was determined that the territory of Ukraine can be conditionally divided into three zones with high, medium, and low efficiency of adobe-clay block use for low-rise residential construction. |
| doi_str_mv | 10.36296/1819-8058.2025.2(81).133-139 |
| first_indexed | 2025-07-17T11:40:03Z |
| format | Article |
| fulltext |
133
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
УДК 621.311.: 620.97: 697:329 https://doi.org/10.36296/1819-8058.2025.2(81).133-139
EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS
ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE
Received May 05, 2025; accepted Jun. 27, 2025
Available online Jun. 30, 2025
Kyrnos L.1, Zaks H.2
Author for correspondence: Kyrnos Larysa,
e-mail: larakirnos@gmail.com
Abstract. This study presents an analysis and assessment of
the annual levels of solar radiation and the duration of sun-
shine across the regions of Ukraine. It establishes that these
parameters are sufficient to achieve a level of energy efficiency in solar-passive external wall structures that en-
sures a stable reduction in energy consumption for heating low-rise residential buildings constructed from straw
adobe blocks.
The research identifies key factors influencing the effectiveness of straw and clay adobe block use across Ukrainian
regions, namely:
• The climatic conditions of the region;
• The seasonal gross yield of straw;
• The cost of primary building materials (clay and straw), as well as the costs associated with transportation and
storage under forced ventilation conditions.
It was determined that the territory of Ukraine can be conditionally divided into three zones with high, medium,
and low efficiency of adobe-clay block use for low-rise residential construction.
Keywords: straw adobe blocks; efficiency of use; solar-passive wall design; thermal resistance of exterior walls;
economic-regional factor.
Introduction
The restoration of low-rise residential buildings in Ukraine’s
private households requires addressing numerous chal-
lenges, including a shortage of human resources and build-
ing materials, a high demand for heating energy, and exist-
ing developments with low energy efficiency, which
contribute to increased CO₂ emissions. These challenges
can be mitigated through the following measures:
− ensuring environmentally friendly housing develop-
ment by utilizing local, inexpensive materials in combi-
nation with accelerated construction technologies;
− applying energy-efficient external wall structures that
integrate both accessible local materials and advanced
materials enhanced in thermal performance;
− reducing energy consumption through passive solar
heating constructions integrated into the external walls
of buildings.
Energy Efficiency of Adobe-clay Block in Single-story Resi-
dential Construction
This article evaluates the effectiveness of using adobe
blocks for solar-passive and thermally stable external wall
structures in low-rise residential construction, ensuring an
energy efficiency level that meets the standards of passive
houses under the requirements of the European Union
Directive (EU/2024/1275), as well as the national energy ef-
ficiency policy of Ukraine [1- 4].
To determine the energy efficiency of adobe-clay block en-
closing structures, a single-story residential building is con-
sidered as a single heated volume enclosed by slabs and
thermal-protective walls, which are constructed from the
following energy-efficient structures:
1) One wall, oriented southward, serves as a solar-passive
enclosing structure that generates low-potential ther-
mal energy from solar radiation and accumulates it
within the adobe-clay block wall mass [13]. The external
surface of the wall is plastered and painted black to
maximize solar absorption. Additionally, enclosed air
layers are attached to the wall surface, bounded exter-
nally by transparent glass or plastic covers.
2) The other external walls serve as thermal-protective en-
closure structures constructed from adobe blocks with
optimized thermal properties that meet European pas-
sive house standards [3,14-15].
Determination of Thermal Resistance of Energy-Efficient
Thermal-Protective Enclosing Structures
The heat-shielding enclosure proposed in this study has to
satisfy the following condition [14]:
RΣпр ≥ Rq min , (1)
1 Chief Architect of the project
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2503-3071
2 Student
http://orcid.org/0009-0001-4532-1671
1 Institute of Renewable Energy, National Acad-
emy Of Sciences Of Ukraine,
2 Los Altos High School, CA, USA
134
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
where RΣпр is the calculated adobe blocks, and thermal re-
sistance of the energy-efficient enclosure structure made
from Rqmin is the minimum (normative) thermal resistance
of the reference enclosure structure. According to the EU
standards for nearly zero-energy buildings [3, 4], and the
Ukrainian construction norms DBN B.2.6-31:2021, the min-
imum required thermal resistance of an external wall is:
Rqmin,= 4,0 m2 ·K/W for Building-Climate Zone I;
Rqmin,= 3,5 m2 ·K/W for Building-Climate Zone II.
Calculations for adobe-clay block enclosure structures with
various wall thicknesses (0.51 m; 0.40 m; 0.34 m) confirm
that the proposed structures satisfy the normalized re-
quirements of thermal resistance [14,15]. The structure
consists of multilayer walls with plane-parallel layers (from
interior to exterior:
1. Adobe-clay block masonry on adhesive, with a density
of ρгсб =1000 kg/m3, and thermal conductivity λгсб =
0,77 W/(m·K), with wall thicknesses δ1 = 0,4 m; δ2 = 0,51
m; δ3 = 0,34 m.
2. Insulation layer made of mineral wool boards on syn-
thetic binder, with density ρтш, = 70 kg/m3, thermal
conductivity λтш = 0,039 W/(m·K), and thickness δ1 =
0.15 m.
3. Ventilated air layer with density ρп= 1,247 kg/m3 (at 10
°C), thermal conductivity λп = 0,0026 W/(m·K), and
thickness δp = 0.05 m.
4. External finishing with siding panels.
We use the following formula to obtain the heat trans-
fer resistance Rгсб40 of the heat-shielding enclosure struc-
ture [6,7, 9, 14] made of adobe blocks with a masonry width
of 0.4 m, a thickness of the heat-insulating layer of 0.15:
e
1 0
1 1
R
n
i
t
iвн i зв
=
= + + = 0,1119+0,519+3,846+0,0435
= 4,520 m2·K/W (1)
where αвн , αзв – heat transfer coefficients of the inner and
outer surfaces of the enclosing structure, W/(m2·K); δі –
thickness of the first layer of external walls, m; λір – calcu-
lated thermal conductivity of the material of the first layer
of external walls in the design, Вт/(м·К). So we conclude
that, Rгсб40 = 4,520 m2·K/W, which meets the regulatory re-
quirements as per DBN V. 2.6-31:2021 "Thermal insulation
and energy efficiency of buildings".
According to formula (1), the heat transfer resistance of the
enclosing structure made of adobe blocks with a masonry
width of 0.51 m, the thickness of the heat-insulating layer
is 0.15 m is Rгсб51 = 4,663 м2·К/Вт, that meets regulatory
requirements.
According to formula (1), the heat transfer resistance of the
enclosing structure made of adobe blocks with a masonry
width of 0.34 m, the thickness of the heat-insulating layer
is 0.15 m is Rгсб51 = 4,663 м2·К/Вт, that meets regulatory
requirements.
Table 1. Dependence of the width of the masonry of external walls on solar energy parameters by regions of Ukraine
Name of the solar
energy region
Annual total solar
radiation,
kWh/m²
Hours of sunshine
per year (hours
per year), hours
The width
of the ma-
sonry, B, m
Administrative regions of Ukraine
that belong to the solar energy re-
gions
1st Solar Energy
Region
1400 - 1250 2400 -2000 0,34 Odesa, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kherson,
Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson,
Дніпропетровська
2d Solar Energy
Region
1250 -1125 2000 -1900 0,40; 0,45 Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kharkiv (0.45
m), Poltava, Cherkasy, Zakarpattia,
Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi
(0.45 m)
3d Solar Energy
Region
1125 - 1070
1900 - 1800 0,51; Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy
0,52; Ternopil
0,54 Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn, Rivne,
Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr
In Table 1 shows the dependence of the width of masonry
of external walls on solar energy parameters [5] by regions
of Ukraine: indicators of annual total solar radiation
(kWh/m²); duration (per year) of sunshine in hours. When
analyzing the amount of annual total radiation [5, 9, 11] in-
flow to the territory of the regions of Ukraine, we observe
that its largest amount (1400-1250 кВт·год/м²) is received
in the southern regions, which we refer to the I solar energy
region; average amount (1250-1125 kWh/m²) – in the cen-
tral and eastern regions (II solar energy region); the small-
est amount is in the western and northern regions (1125 –
1070 kWh/m²), which are assigned to the III solar energy
region). The width of the masonry of external walls made
of adobe blocks is determined by the region the building is
constructed.
Efficiency of the Use of Straw Adobe Blocks by Regional
and Climatic Factors
The paper considers the effectiveness of using adobe
blocks (with a filler - wheat, barley straw) with a density of
135
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
1000 kg/m3 with a straw content of 20%. The effectiveness
across the different administrative regions of Ukraine is im-
pacted by the following factors:
1. The required width of the masonry of the outer wall
made of adobe blocks, (B, m).
2. The period of their production (month).
3. Cost (m1, UAN) and physical characteristics of the main
building materials (clay, straw).
4. Cost of transportation of raw materials to the produc-
tion and use site,. (m2 UAH).
5. The cost of storing straw in warehouses with forced
ventilation, (m3 UAN).
The efficiency of using straw adobe blocks in the territories
of the regions of Ukraine is determined by the economic
and regional factor N UAH/m2, which takes into account the
amount of material costs for the manufacture of 1 m2 of the
façade of the external wall from adobe blocks in accord-
ance with different climatic and economic conditions in the
regions of Ukraine. The N indicator is determined by the
following formula:
N(UAH/m2) = m1(UAH/m2 )+ m2(UAH/m2 )+ m3(UAH/m2); (2)
m1(UAH/m2 ) = mс(UAH/m2)+ mг(UAH/m2). (3)
The volume and weight of the main components of adobe
blocks (clay, straw) is determined using the width of the
masonry of the outer wall of the building (B, m) and the
density of the blocks - 1000 kg /m3, with 20% straw content.
The width of the adobe block must meet the requirements
for the standardized heat transfer resistance index of the
external enclosing structure of the house, which for the І
climatic zone is calculated as Rq min, = 4,0 (m2 ·K/W); for the
ІІ climatic zone is calculated as Rq min, = 3,5(m2 ·K/W) accord-
ing to DBN V. 2.6-31:2021.
Below is the detailed breakdown of the parameters and
cost metrics used:
− B is the width of the masonry of the outer wall of the
building (m) as determined by the thermophysical char-
acteristics of the materials and by the climatic charac-
teristics of the area of use;
− m1 consists of the cost (UAH/m2) of the main building
materials (clays mг, straw mс);
− m2 is the estimated cost (UAH/m2) of transportation of
raw materials. We assume that the production and use
sites are co-located to lower overall transportation
costs and the environmental impact of transportation.
Red building clay is a fairly common building material in
Ukraine, the delivery of which can be within 5-10 km.
Straw is the key material that impacts the transpiration
cost. In areas with a high yield of grain crops (wheat,
barley) we assume transportation distance of up to 10
km. In areas with a low yield of grain crops (where the
gross harvest of straw is not more than 700 thousand
tons), the straw is delivered from neighboring regions;
− m3 - cost (UAH) of straw storage in warehouses with
forced ventilation.
The paper discusses two modes of production of adobe
blocks [10]:
• 1 mode – from straw, which is used to manufacture
adobe blocks during the harvest period of grain crops
(months: June, July, August);
• 2 mode – from straw, which is stored in ventilated ware-
houses (months: September, October, November).
In December - May, it is not rational to make adobe blocks,
since the quality of straw deteriorates significantly, and the
drying conditions of the material also deteriorate.
According to this indicator N, it is possible to determine the
feasibility of using adobe blocks in different regions of
Ukraine, depending on climatic conditions and yield [10-12]
of grain crops (wheat, barley) in these regions.
In Table 2 shows the main indicators of the efficiency of the
use of adobe clay blocks (in June, July, August), and in Table
3 the same indicators, but for September, October, Novem-
ber.
Cost indicators:
1. Cost of primary raw materials:
− construction clay when delivered at a distance of up to
10 km, by a truck with a dump truck Kamaz 10 tons -
4200 UAH; for delivery up to 20 km - 7900 UAH [Elec-
tronic resource]: htpps//samosval.ddp.ua;
− clay is readily available in all regions, we assume it’s
transported locally;
− straw in bales weighing 15 kg - 25 UAH/piece (when
straw can be cheaply stored under cover - in June, July,
August) [Electronic resource]: htpps //flagma.ua
2. Transportation of straw up to 5 tons – 23 UAH/km, [Elec-
tronic resource]: htpps //saf.org.ua;
we assume average distance of 10 km within each region
and use Google Maps APIs to calculate distance between
regions when straw is transported between different re-
gions, using the following software [Electronic resource]:
(https://github.com/syzygy137/Ukraine-Regions).
3. The cost of storing straw in warehouses with forced ven-
tilation was determined as an average statistical value and
amounted to up to 1% of the cost of straw.
4. The indicator of the gross straw harvest was determined
according to statistical data [12] for 2021.
We developed a software tool ([Electronic resource]:
https://github.com/syzygy137/Ukraine-Regions) to calcu-
late straw transportation costs for use in the production of
adobe by using an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) solver.
The program is used to determine optimal straw transpor-
tation routes. The tool integrates Google Maps API to esti-
mate travel distances between regions. Our analysis shows
that for small to medium-scale adobe block production,
straw supplies can be locally sourced or imported from
nearby high-yield regions without competition. The routes
for low contention case are listed in Table 4. Once the total
production scales to approximately 5,000,000 m² across
Ukraine (enough to build around 33,000 single-story
136
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
homes, each requiring 150 m² of adobe blocks), we begin
to observe gradual resource contention as the necessity for
low grain yield regions to import straw from more distant
regions arises as shown in graphic (Figure).
Table 2. Main indicators of the efficiency of the use of adobe blocks (in June, July, August)
* the cost indictor represents 1 m2 of the adobe masonry wall
Table 3. Main indicators of the efficiency of the use of adobe blocks (in September, October, November)
Region of Ukraine
The
width
of the
ma-
sonry,
B, m
Gross
straw
harvest,
thousand
tons
Cost* of
straw, mс,
(UAH/м2)
Cost* of
construc-
tion clay,
mг,
(UAH/м2)
Cost* of
basic mate-
rials, m1,
(UAH/м2)
Cost* of
straw
transpor-
tation, m2,
(UAH/м2
Cost* of
straw stor-
age in
ware-
houses, m3,
(UAH/м2)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Vinnytsia 0,40 1458,6 80/ 133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68 2,68
Volyn 0.54 550,0 108/180,0 432/181,44 361,44 83,64 3,61
Dnipropetrovsk 0,34 2433,6 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3.13 2,28
Donetsk 0,34 1107,1 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3,13 2,28
Zhytomyr 0,54 521,8 108/180,0 432/181,44 361,44 63,50 3,61
Transcarpathian 0,40 1043,5 80/133,33 320/134,42 267,73 3,68 2,68
Zaporizhzhia 0,34 536,5 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 26,63 2,28
Ivano-Frankivsk 0,54 201,5 108/180,0 432/181,44 361,44 65,77 3,61
Region of Ukraine
Ma-
sonry
width,
B, м
Gross
straw har-
vest,
thousand
tons
Distance
to straw
produc-
tion site
(km)
Cost* of
straw, mс
(UAH/м2)
Cost* of con-
struction clay,
mг (UAH/м2)
Cost* of
basic ma-
terials in
blocks,
m1,
(UAH/м2)
Cost* of
straw
transporta-
tion, m2,
(UAH/м2)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Vinnytsia 0,40 1458,6 10 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68
Volyn 0,54 550,00 168.35 108/180,0 432/181,44 361,44 83,64
Dnipropetrovsk 0,34 2433,60 10 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3.13
Donetsk 0,34 1107,10 10 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3,13
Zhytomyr 0,54 521,80 127.81 108/180,00 432/181,44 361,44 63,50
Transcarpathian 0,40 1043,50 10 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68
Zaporizhzhia 0,34 536,50 85.15 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 26,63
Ivano-Frankivsk 0,54 201,50 132.38 108/180,00 432/181,44 361,44 65,77
Kyiv 0,51 780,40 10 102/170,00 408/171,36 341,36 4,69
Kirovohrad 0,40 1401,70 10 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68
Luhansk 0,40 695,80 155.04 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 57,05
Lviv 0,54 587,6 127.77 108/180д,00 432/181,44 361,44 63,48
Mykolayiv 0,34 1859,3 10 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3.13
Odessa 0,34 2414,6 10 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3,13
Poltava 0,40 890,7 10 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68
Rivne 0,54 415,0 159.94 108/180,00 432/181,44 361,44 79,46
Sumy 0,51 615,7 176.47 102/170,00 408/171,36 341,36 82,80
Ternopil 0,52 849,1 10 104/173,33 416/174,72 348,05 4,78
Kharkiv 0,45 1870,0 10 90/150,00 360/151,20 301,20 4,14
Kherson 0,34 1395,1 10 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3,13
Khmelnytskyi 0,45 954,2 10 90/150,00 360/151,20 301,20 4,14
Cherkasy 0,40 817,7 10 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68
Chernivtsi 0,54 140,6 171.03 108/180,00 432/181,44 361,44 84,97
Chernihiv 0,51 588,4 148.35 102/170,00 408/171,36 341,36 69,61
137
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
Kyiv 0,51 780,4 102/170,0 408/171,36 341,36 4,69 3,42
Kirovohrad 0,40 1401,7 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68 2,68
Luhansk 0,40 695,8 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 57,05 2,68
Lviv 0,54 587,6 108/180,0 432/181,44 361,44 63,48 3,61
Mykolayiv 0,34 1859,3 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3.13 2,28
Odessa 0,34 2414,6 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3,13 2,28
Poltava 0,40 890,7 80/133,33 320/134,40 267,73 3,68 2,68
Rivne 0,54 415,0 108/180,00 432/181,44 361,44 79,46 3,61
Sumy 0,51 615,7 102/170,00 408/171,36 341,36 82,80 3,41
Ternopil 0,52 849,1 104/173,33 416/174,72 348,05 4,78 3,48
Kharkiv 0,45 1870,0 90/150,00 360/151,2 301,20 4,14 3,01
Kherson 0,34 1395,1 68/113,33 272/114,24 227,57 3,13 2,28
Khmelnytskyi 0,45 954,2 90/150,00 360/151,2 301,20 4,14 3,01
Cherkasy 0,40 817,7 80/133,33 320/134,4 267,73 3,68 2,68
Chernivtsi 0,54 140,6 108/180,00 432/181,44 361,44 84,97 3,61
Chernihiv 0,51 588,4 102/170,00 408/171,36 341,36 69,61 3,41
* the cost indictor represents 1 m2 of the adobe masonry wall
Table 4. Distance to the closest region with high yield grain production for regions with low gain yield production (less
than 700 thousand tons), assuming no straw contention.
Figure. This graph shows the increase in the average cost of adobe blocks with an increase in their production in Ukraine
Region of Ukraine Gross straw harvest, thou-
sand tons
Distance to straw produc-
tion site (km)
Closest region with high yield
grain production
Volyn 550,00 168.35 Ternopil
Zhytomyr 521,80 127.81 Vinnytsia
Zaporizhzhia 536,50 85.15 Dnipropetrovsk
Ivano-Frankivsk 201,50 132.38 Ternopil
Luhansk 695,80 155.04 Donetsk
Lviv 587,6 127.77 Ternopil
Rivne 415,0 159.94 Ternopil
Sumy 615,7 176.47 Poltava
Chernivtsi 140,6 171.03 Ternopil
Chernihiv 588,4 148.35 Kyiv
138
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
To determine which the regions have the highest efficiency
for building and using adobe blocks for low-rise residential
construction we compute the economic and regional factor
N UAH/m2, N under low straw contention conditions.
Table 5. Rating of regions of Ukraine by the efficiency of using adobe blocks for low-rise residential construction
Zone I: High Efficiency Zone II, Medium Efficiency Zone III, Low Efficiency
Meaning N,
UAH/m2
Region Meaning N,
UAH/m2
Region Meaning N,
UAH/m2
Region
1 2 3 4 5 6
232,98 Donetsk 274,09 Vinnytsia 414,38 Chernihiv
232,98 Dnipropetrovsk 274,09 Kirovohrad 427.57 Sumy
232,98 Odessa 274,09 Poltava 428.53 Lviv
232,98 Mykolaiv 274,09 Cherkasy 428.55 Zhytomyr
232,98 Kherson 274,09 Transcarpathian 430.82 Ivano-Frankivsk
256,48 Zaporizhzhia 308,35 Kharkiv 444.51 Rivne
308,35 Khmelnytskyi 448.69 Volyn
327,46 Luhansk 450.02 Chernivtsi
349,47 Kyiv
356,31 Ternopil
Table 5 shows the rating of the regions of Ukraine in terms
of the efficiency of using adobe blocks for low-rise housing
construction.
The analysis of the results of the study and the assessment
of the obtained indicators establishes that the regions of
Ukraine can be conditionally divided into three zones: with
high, medium and low efficiency of the use of adobe blocks
for low-rise housing construction.
The rating of regions of Ukraine by economic and regional
factor N takes into account both the climatic characteristics
of the region and the gross harvest of straw for the season,
transportation and storage of straw. The high efficiency of
using adobe blocks for low-rise adobe construction (Zone I)
includes the areas with the lowest value of the indicator N
= 232,98-256,48 UAH/m2. The efficiency of using adobe
blocks for low-rise residential construction is lowering (al-
most twice) in the third zone N = 415,9- 439,4 UAH/m2.
We conclude that it’s highly advantageous to open enter-
prises for the industrial production of adobe blocks in zone
I, which is characterized by high rates of straw collection
(up to 2414.6 thousand tons) per season as well as fairly
favorable climatic conditions.
Conclusion
1. We conclude that the annual amount of solar radiation
and its duration in hours per year on the territory of
Ukraine is sufficient for efficient passive solar structures,
providing a sustainable reduction of energy resources
needed to heat low-rise residential buildings made of
adobe blocks.
2. The use of heliopassive structures in low-rise buildings
made of adobe blocks in Ukraine will reduce energy con-
sumption for heating by about 25-30%, and as a secondary
effect, will reduce the dependence of households on fluc-
tuations in fuel prices.
3. The paper determines that the indicator of efficiency of
the use of adobe blocks N, in the various regions of Ukraine
is influenced by:
− climatic conditions of the region, determining the ma-
sonry width indicator (B, m ) for an external wall made
of adobe blocks, which affects heat losses and also af-
fects the length of production of adobe blocks (N, days),
which are impacted by the time required to dry the
blocks (to a normalized moisture content), which in turn
depends on the duration of sunlight;
− the amount of gross straw harvest per season, depend-
ing on the duration of sunlight;
− the cost of the main construction raw materials (clay,
straw), from which adobe blocks are made, their trans-
portation and storage in warehouses with forced venti-
lation.
4. We developed a new software tool and used it in our
analysis:
− to determine the optimal routes for transporting straw
imported from neighboring high-yielding regions of
Ukraine;
− to analyze the growth of the average cost of adobe
blocks with an increase in their production across re-
gions of Ukraine.
5. As a result of the analysis and evaluation of the results of
the work, it was determined that the regions of Ukraine can
be conditionally divided into three zones with high, me-
dium, and low efficiency of using straw and adobe blocks
for energy-efficient low-rise housing construction.
6. All of the regions in the highest efficiency zone for the
use of straw adobe blocks are characterized by favorable
climatic conditions making walls with low masonry width
indicator sufficient. Most of these regions also have high
rates of straw production, with the exception of Za-
porizhzhia, which requires straw transportation (though
over a short distance). We recommend that the enterprises
139
Відновлювана енергетика. № 2/2025 | Сонячна енергетика
for the industrial production of adobe blocks are opened in
these regions and for the blocks to be used to build local
low-rise residential buildings.
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|
| id | veorgua-article-534 |
| institution | Vidnovluvana energetika |
| keywords_txt_mv | keywords |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-19T01:16:06Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Institute of Renewable Energy National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
| record_format | ojs |
| resource_txt_mv | veorgua/76/a73d3ae8d318ea2c53af5fd0b5f40376.pdf |
| spelling | veorgua-article-5342026-07-18T06:32:22Z EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE Kyrnos , L. Zaks , H. straw adobe blocks; efficiency of use; solar-passive wall design; thermal resistance of exterior walls; economic-regional factor. straw adobe blocks; efficiency of use; solar-passive wall design; thermal resistance of exterior walls; economic-regional factor. This study presents an analysis and assessment of the annual levels of solar radiation and the duration of sunshine across the regions of Ukraine. It establishes that these parameters are sufficient to achieve a level of energy efficiency in solar-passive external wall structures that ensures a stable reduction in energy consumption for heating low-rise residential buildings constructed from straw adobe blocks.                                                  The research identifies key factors influencing the effectiveness of straw and clay adobe block use across Ukrainian regions, namely:     The climatic conditions of the region; The seasonal gross yield of straw; The cost of primary building materials (clay and straw), as well as the costs associated with transportation and storage under forced ventilation conditions.    It was determined that the territory of Ukraine can be conditionally divided into three zones with high, medium, and low efficiency of adobe-clay block use for low-rise residential construction. This study presents an analysis and assessment of the annual levels of solar radiation and the duration of sunshine across the regions of Ukraine. It establishes that these parameters are sufficient to achieve a level of energy efficiency in solar-passive external wall structures that ensures a stable reduction in energy consumption for heating low-rise residential buildings constructed from straw adobe blocks.                                                  The research identifies key factors influencing the effectiveness of straw and clay adobe block use across Ukrainian regions, namely:     The climatic conditions of the region; The seasonal gross yield of straw; The cost of primary building materials (clay and straw), as well as the costs associated with transportation and storage under forced ventilation conditions.    It was determined that the territory of Ukraine can be conditionally divided into three zones with high, medium, and low efficiency of adobe-clay block use for low-rise residential construction. Institute of Renewable Energy National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2025-06-30 Article Article application/pdf https://ve.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/534 10.36296/1819-8058.2025.2(81).133-139 Vidnovluvana energetika ; No. 2(81) (2025): Scientific and applied Journal renewable energy ; 133-139 Возобновляемая энергетика; ##issue.no## 2(81) (2025): Scientific and applied Journal renewable energy ; 133-139 Відновлювана енергетика; № 2(81) (2025): Науково-прикладний журнал Відновлювана енергетика; 133-139 2664-8172 1819-8058 10.36296/1819-8058.2025.2(81) en https://ve.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/534/442 Copyright (c) 2025 L. Kyrnos , H. Zaks https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | straw adobe blocks efficiency of use solar-passive wall design thermal resistance of exterior walls economic-regional factor. Kyrnos , L. Zaks , H. EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title | EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title_alt | EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title_full | EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title_fullStr | EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title_full_unstemmed | EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title_short | EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR-PASSIVE STRUCTURES MADE FROM STRAW ADOBE BLOKS ACROSS REGION OF UKRAINE |
| title_sort | efficiency of solar-passive structures made from straw adobe bloks across region of ukraine |
| topic | straw adobe blocks efficiency of use solar-passive wall design thermal resistance of exterior walls economic-regional factor. |
| topic_facet | straw adobe blocks efficiency of use solar-passive wall design thermal resistance of exterior walls economic-regional factor. straw adobe blocks efficiency of use solar-passive wall design thermal resistance of exterior walls economic-regional factor. |
| url | https://ve.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/534 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kyrnosl efficiencyofsolarpassivestructuresmadefromstrawadobebloksacrossregionofukraine AT zaksh efficiencyofsolarpassivestructuresmadefromstrawadobebloksacrossregionofukraine |