A House Like a Thermos: How to Properly Insulate a Single-Family Home, a Multi-Story Building, and at the Community Level

One room is warm, while another is cool. If you’ve noticed this kind of problem in your home, it most likely needs energy-efficiency upgrades.

According to estimates bythe International Energy Agency(IEA), nearly 80% of Ukraine’s housing stock is energy-inefficient. Most apartment buildings were built in the 1960s–1980s, when energy efficiency standards were significantly lower than they are today. Buildings lose heat through uninsulated walls, roofs, basements, outdated windows, or other structural elements.

Insulation helps reduce these heat losses, lower heating and cooling costs, and decrease dependence on expensive energy resources.

How to insulate a home properly, where to find effective solutions, and what homeowners, residents of high-rise buildings, and community representatives—is explained by the“Window of Recovery” media network using examples from homeowners’ associations in Mykolaiv and the Avangardivska community in the Odesa region.

What Does Home Insulation Entail?

Effective and high-quality home insulation primarily means comprehensive energy modernization, in which all key elements of the building are improved, emphasizesIryna Klymas, an expert in the energy department of the NGO “Ekodiya.” If, in an apartment building, only the facades of a few apartments are insulated, neither their residents nor the building as a whole will experience the desired result. Heat loss will continue, and additional problems may arise.

Ownersofindividualapartments in a multi-story building sometimes seek to quickly reduce heating costs, sothey insulate onlytheir section of the facade. However, piecemeal insulation creates new problems: cold bridges form at the boundary between the insulated and uninsulated parts of the building,moisturecanaccumulate, and mold can appear in the room,”the expert explains.

Comprehensive building insulation involves a series of measures to reduce heat loss through the building envelope. This includes insulating the walls, roof, and basement; replacing or upgrading windows and doors; eliminating cold bridges; and sealing joints. According to Iryna Klymas, it is precisely this approach that provides the greatest reduction in energy consumption for heating, andthanks to the insulation of building envelopes, the modernization of heating systems, and other measures,heating costs can be reduced by two, and in some cases even three, times.

In addition to savings, residents enjoy a stable, comfortable temperature in their homes.

Modernization of a 10-story building in Zhytomyr. Photo from the Energy Efficiency Fund’s Facebook page

How to Prepare for Insulation and Achieve Maximum Results

Successful insulation begins not with choosing materials, but with identifying the sources of heat loss. Whether it’s a single-family home, an apartment building, or a municipally owned building, Iryna Klymas advises first figuring out exactly where a specific building loses the most heat.

1. Energy audit of the property

To do this, you shouldconductan energy auditor consult a qualified specialist. This will help you identify which structural elements are losing the most heat and which measures will provide the greatest savings and comfort in your specific case.

You can find such specialists through the state registryof building energy efficiency audit specialists and engineering systems inspection specialists. You can also contactthe Association of Energy Auditors of Ukraine. 

2.Seeking Funding

After the energy audit, it’s worthlooking into state and local programs that support energy-efficient retrofits. Iryna Klymas notes that Ukraine currently hasa Long-Term Strategy for the Thermal Modernization of Buildings through 2050, which aims to reduce energy consumption in the housing stock by at least 30% through building retrofits. The programprovidesphased support for thermal modernization measures—ranging from the installation of individual heating units to comprehensive building insulation. One of the program’s objectives is to develop financial support mechanisms for homeowners, homeowners’ associations, and communities.

For apartment buildings, the “Energodim” energy modernization program is in effect; however, the Energy Efficiency Fund has announcedthat,effective April 22, 2026, a temporary technical pause has been implemented in the acceptance of new applications under the “Energodim” program to adapt it to the requirements of the Ukraine Facility.

Another option is to obtain a preferential loan for energy retrofitting. In this case, the terms for receiving the funds are determined by the banking institutions.

Where to Start When Insulating a Private Home

The owner of a private home can make all decisions regarding insulation and retrofitting independently. As Iryna Klymas explains, the priority of measures depends on the condition of the home.

1. Home Inspection

Before purchasing materials or hiring contractors, it’s best to start with a heat loss assessment or an energy audit. This will help you understand exactly where the house is losing the most heat.

2. Sourcing Materials and Hiring Contractors

Choosing materials and contractors is the sole responsibility of the homeowner, and there is a risk of encountering unscrupulous contractors. To avoid this, ask to see material certifications and check the company’s or contractors’ track record through reviews. This will partially minimize the risk of substandard insulation work.

3. Analyzing and Avoiding Mistakes

Iryna Klymas notes that during insulation work, homeowners often make mistakes, such as insulating only the facade (significant heat loss can also occur through the roof, basement, or poor-quality windows), choose insulation that is not thick enough, fail to provide ventilation after sealing the house, or install new heating equipment before reducing heat loss.

These points should be taken into account to maximize the benefits of insulation, avoid unnecessary expenses, and ensure comfortable living conditions for many years to come.  

Insulating a house with foam. Photo from the Obrii website

What should an apartment owner do?

Apartment owners can replace windows, ensure they are installed properly, insulate window jambs, install thermostats on radiators, and improve ventilation. This will help make the home warmer and more comfortable while reducing heat loss.

At the same time, it’s important to understand that insulating just your own apartment from the outside isn’t enough to solve the problem of heat loss for the entire building. Furthermore, so-called “patchwork” insulation can create new problems: moisture, condensation, and mold may appear on the walls.

The largest sources of heat loss are located outside the boundaries of an individual apartment. The exterior walls, roof, and basement are part of the common property of the co-owners, so decisions regardingtheirinsulation are made collectively and help achieve the best results,”adds Iryna Klymas.

Insulating an Apartment Building: How a Homeowners’ Association Can Make It Happen

Residents of the Mykolaiv homeowners’ association “Parusny 7A” have seen firsthand the effectiveness of a comprehensive building renovation. According tothe Energy Efficiency Fund,heat consumption here has been cut in half, representing significant savings for residents.

Svitlana Poznyak, chair of the “Parusny 7A” homeowners’ association, explainsthat the building’s modernization began in 2016 and encompassed various types of work: with the support of municipal programs, they repaired the water supply and sewer systems, carried out a major roof renovation, installed an individual heating unit, and replaced the windows, and later submitted an application for comprehensive energy modernization under the “Energodim”program of the Energy Efficiency Fund.

Under the program, 70% of the funding was to come from the Energy Efficiency Fund, and 30% from the homeowners’ association. Of that 30%, 10% was allocated by the city, and another 20% was paid by the homeowners’ association. When funds ran short, they took out another loan.

Work began in 2021 but was halted for a year due to the full-scale invasion. They managed to insulate two of the building’s four entrances. The facade insulation was completed in June 2023. 

Approximately 15 million UAH was spent on facade insulation, and the total cost of the comprehensive thermal modernization was 19 million UAH. 

Throughout this time, discussions continued with residents who did not believe the insulation work would ever be completed and, in general, disputed the advisability of any changes to the building. 

No amount of persuasion could convince them. They only felt the results of the energy retrofit after their first winter with a fully insulated facade and attic.“The buildingbecame like a thermos—nothing leaks or lets in drafts,”says Svitlana Poznyak.

1. Convincing Residents of the Need for Insulation

For homeowners’ associations that are just planning to carry out energy retrofits, the chair of the Mykolaiv homeowners’ association advises starting with a residents’ meeting, where you need to explain why insulation is necessary, who will pay for it, and what the benefits will be.

“People are often afraid of high estimates or don’t believe in the results. Clear calculations help here: when residents see that, withthe supportof state or municipal programs, their investment will pay for itself in 2–3 heating seasonsthroughsavings on utility bills, their doubts disappear,” comments Iryna Klymas.

The building of the Mykolaiv HOA “Parusnyi 7A” before insulation. Photo by Svitlana Poznyak

How the building of the Mykolaiv HOA “Parusnyi 7A” changed after insulation. Photo by Svitlana Poznyak

2. Finding Funding

Government or donor programs enable HOAs to implement projects that residents could not afford on their own.

“You have to participate in all available programs. Our HOA applied for every possible program offered by the city and the Energy Efficiency Fund. The residents wouldn’t have been able to raise the necessary funds on their own,”concludes Svitlana Poznyak.

3.Inspecting the Quality of the Work Performed

High-quality insulation is impossible without a qualified designer and a reliable contractor: the selection of materials and the final result depend on this. In the case of the “Parusny 7A” HOA, the Energy Efficiency Fund inspected the materials and the work performed. The contractor was required to provide documentation and certificates for the materials, and after the work was completed, representatives of the Fund inspected the insulation of the attic, basement, facade, radiators, and other elements.

If a homeowners’ association carries out the insulation work on its own, Svitlana Poznyak advises arranging for independent technical oversight and requesting documentation for the materials. If necessary, seek out specialists and organizations at the community level that support such programs and can advise the homeowners’ association.

After the energy retrofit was completed, European Union Ambassador Katarina Maternová (pictured on the left) visited the building. Photo from the Energy Efficiency Fund’s Facebook page

What a community can do to insulate municipal buildings

Thanks to thermal modernization, a dilapidated school in Nova Dolyna, Odesa Oblast, has become a comfortable learning environment. The experience gained from insulating the school is now being applied to other municipal facilities in the Avangardivska community.

Following the completion of decentralization in 2019–2020, five settlements—including the village of Nova Dolyna—became part of the Avangardivska community in Odesa Oblast. Hundreds of children attended the local school, but the building required immediate repairs. Even before the community was formed, the school’s walls had been reinforced (essentially a major renovation intended to make the building sturdy and safe), but this did not produce the desired result. 

The Novaya Dolina Gymnasium before repairs. Photo from Artem Syritka’s archive

Artem Syritka, headof the Department of Capital Construction, Housing and Utilities, and Municipal Property of the Avangardivka Village Council, recalls that they first set about preparing the design and cost estimate documentation, and in 2021, they began implementing the project, which included:

• insulation of the facades;
• additional construction of the entrance area;
• replacing the roof;
• structural reinforcement of the building;
• landscaping of the grounds.

Due to the start of a full-scale invasion in February 2022, all construction work was suspended. The contractor encountered staffing difficulties, which prevented it from resuming work. Construction was halted for several years. Subsequently, the design and cost estimate documentation was revised due to rising prices and the need to incorporate a shelter into the extension in accordance with martial law requirements. A new tender process was conducted to select a new contractor, and in 2024, work began on insulating the facades and other finishing work.

The community allocated32.6 million hryvniasfor the reconstruction of the school in Nova Dolyna.The necessary amount was included in the 2020 budget, and additional funds were allocated each year thereafter to complete the work. As Artem Syritka emphasizes, education is one of the community’s top priorities, with 70% of the budget consistently allocated to its needs.

In addition to insulating the building with mineral wool, we plastered the walls, finished the facades with decorative stucco, and landscaped the grounds—the building has been transformed into a modern facility. It has been given a new lease on life, and the children were amazed. Parents are happy to send their children here to study. We have school buses that pick up children from Avangard and take them to Nova Dolyna,”adds Artem Syritka.

Now, the experience of insulating the Novodolynska School (which became a gymnasium following changes to the school system) has been extended to other community facilities. All schools have already undergone thermal modernization, and next in line is the cultural services center in the village of Prylymanske. 

The Novodolynska gymnasium after insulation and major renovations. Photo from the Avangard Village Council website

1. Preparation of design and cost estimate documentation

It is best to involve a working group in the preparation of design and cost estimate documentation; this group will oversee and be responsible for the quality of all processes. It should include specialists in water and heat supply, landscaping, and other relevant fields. High-quality work on the documentation will help avoid mistakes and problems during project implementation. And having various specialists on the working group will help properly plan the work at the site.

2. Search for Modern Solutions

If a community wants to make its facilities energy-efficient, it must analyze what solutions the market offers and which ones other communities have implemented. For example, when renovating an old boiler room, it makes sense to consider not only modernizing the existing equipment but also the possibility of completely replacing it with modern boilers. This option may cost more than repairing the old equipment, but in the long run, it will improve the boiler room’s energy efficiency, reduce fuel costs, and ensure higher system efficiency.

3. Funding Sources

When a community lacks the funds for insulation or comprehensive thermal modernization of buildings, it’s worth looking into grants or loan programs.

It’s better to take out a loan now, implement a 10-million project, and start saving on energy costs. “The interest payments on the loan can effectively be covered by the funds that would otherwise have to be spent on additional gas to heat the facility,”adds Artem Syritka.

4. Long-Term Planning

The Avangardivska community plans its development at least 10 years in advance. They’ve calculated that if one of the projects is postponed for two or three years, its cost will increase by an average of 20–30% each year. So instead of the planned 10 million hryvnias, they’ll have to spend 12–13 million hryvnias—and there’s no question of budget savings then.

Thus, as Iryna Klymas emphasizes, thermal modernization for communities is not only a matter of energy efficiency but also a tool for regional development and reducing budget expenditures.

This material was prepared by the NGO “Window of Recovery” as part of the “Unity for the Community” project, implemented by ISAR Unity with financialsupport fromthe EuropeanUnion.The content of this document isthesoleresponsibility of the NGO “Window of Recovery” and does not necessarily reflect the views of ISAR Unity ortheEuropeanUnion.

Intent is a co-founder and one of the first members of the “Window of Recovery” media network.

Лиховид Інна