transformation through renovation an energy efficient retrofit of an apartment building in athens

Abstract A 7 story social housing apartment building in Athens, Greece has been renovated following a holistic energy efficient retrofit process. The retrofit plan, resulting from tenant surveys, environmental parameters monitoring and extensive energy simulations, included commercially available technologies like insulation and energy efficient windows, innovative technologies like energy efficient lighting and smart coatings, passive techniques like night ventilation as well as RES, aiming to transform this inefficient building into a near zero energy one, achieving a reduction of the energy consumption and CO 2 emissions by 80% and significant improvement of thermal comfort conditions. An experimental campaign has been executed in order to measure and validate the energy savings and indoor comfort conditions before and after the retrofit. The results of this monitoring procedure are reported and analyzed. Measurements include air leakage and thermal imaging for determining leakage rate and heat loss through the building fabric, smart meters to record energy consumption and indoor and outdoor environmental measurements. The opinion of the occupants is taken into account through pre- and post-retrofit surveys

Local climate change and urban heat island mitigation techniques - The state of the art

Increase of the ambient air temperature in cities caused by the urban heat island phenomenon has a seri- ous impact on the economic and social system of cities. to counterbalance the consequences of the increased urban temperatures important research has been carried out resulting in the development of efficient mitigation technologies. the present paper aims to present the state of the art in terms of local climate change and urban heat island mitigation techniques. In particular, developments in the field on highly reflective materials, cool and green roofs, cool pavements, urban green and of other mitigation technologies are presented in detail, while examples of implemented projects are given

Measurement and verification of zero energy settlements: Lessons learned from four pilot cases in Europe

Measurement and verification (M&V) has become necessary for ensuring intended design performance. Currently, M&V procedures and calculation methods exist for the assessment of Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) for existing buildings, with a focus on reliable baseline model creation and savings estimation, as well as for reducing the computation time, uncertainties, and M&V costs. There is limited application of rigorous M&V procedures in the design, delivery and operation of low/zero energy dwellings and settlements. In the present paper, M&V for four pilot net-zero energy settlements has been designed and implemented. The M&V has been planned, incorporating guidance from existing protocols, linked to the project development phases, and populated with lessons learned through implementation. The resulting framework demonstrates that M&V is not strictly linked to the operational phase of a project but is rather an integral part of the project management and development. Under this scope, M&V is an integrated, iterative process that is accompanied by quality control in every step. Quality control is a significant component of the M&V, and the proposed quality control procedures can support the preparation and implementation of automated M&V. The proposed framework can be useful to project managers for integrating M&V into the project management and development process and explicitly aligning it with the rest of the design and construction procedures

design and performance analysis of a zero energy settlement in greece

Zero-energy and zero-carbon buildings would be a huge opportunity for contrasting the climatic changes and, more in general, the deterioration of the microclimate inside and around cities. About it, a question appears compulsory: are zero-energy and zero-carbon concepts applicable at urban scale? This paper tries to answer to this question, by discussing the possible effects of the application of appropriate city planning techniques when a new settlement is designed. An integrated approach to urban planning is applied to a case study, for promoting the design of buildings with very low (or zero) energy needs, characterized by high indoor comfort conditions, by taking into consideration whole city areas, with different kinds of services. Passive heating, cooling and daylighting techniques have been combined, as well as the integration of renewable sources, in order to minimize the energy demand and environmental impact, for having a sustainable 'urban balance' and, in general, a sustainable urban growth. As real case study, the design of the holiday village 'Olympiad' is presented; it should be built in an unstructured seaside area in Greece. Several indexes are introduced to evaluate the global sustainability of the settlement, through the application of the definition of 'on-grid ZEB', with reference to each building as well as for the entire village. This kind of research could help city planners for a growth inspired to general goals of urban sustainability

Progress in urban greenery mitigation science – assessment methodologies advanced technologies and impact on cities

Urban greenery is a natural solution to cool cities and provide comfort, clean air and significant social, health and economic benefits. This paper aims to present the latest progress on the field of greenery urban mitigation techniques including aspects related to the theoretical and experimental assessment of the greenery cooling potential, the impact on urban vegetation on energy, health and comfort and the acquired knowledge on the best integration of the various types of greenery in the urban frame. Also to present the recent knowledge on the impact of climate change on the cooling performance of urban vegetation and investigate and analyse possible technological solutions to face the impact of high ambient temperatures

SI: Survivability under Overheating: The Impact of Regional and Global Climate Change on the Vulnerable and Low-Income Population

The present special issue discusses three significant challenges of the built environment, namely regional and global climate change, vulnerability, and survivability under the changing climate. Synergies between local climate change, energy consumption of buildings and energy poverty, and health risks highlight the necessity to develop mitigation strategies to counterbalance overheating impacts. The studies presented here assess the underlying issues related to urban overheating. Further, the impacts of temperature extremes on the low-income population and increased morbidity and mortality have been discussed. The increasing intensity, duration, and frequency of heatwaves due to human-caused climate change is shown to affect underserved populations. Thus, housing policies on resident exposure to intra-urban heat have been assessed. Finally, opportunities to mitigate urban overheating have been proposed and discussed

Achieving greater energy efficiency through the transition from Net Zero Energy Buildings to Net Zero Energy Settlements

The transition from NZE buildings to NZE settlements requires the optimum management of the energy loads and resources through the application of solutions for the distribution network, energy storage and micro-grid control on a district level, and through an optimum climatic management of the open spaces. The development and implementation of a comprehensive, cost-effective system for Net Zero Energy (NZE) settlements is composed of innovative solutions for the building envelope, for building energy generation and management, and for energy management at the settlement level. The developed solutions will be implemented in four different demonstration projects throughout the EU, with varying climates and building types, while the results of their implementation will be monitored and analyzed. The aim of the NZE settlements’ development is to achieve a reduction of operational energy usage to an average of 0-20 kWh/m2 per year and the reduction of the investment costs for the development of the system by at least 16% compared to current costs, through the employment of an approach of mass customization that will reduce "balance of system" costs. This research is carried out in the framework of a project called “ZERO PLUS” funded by the EU under the H2020 programme. In this paper, the overview and objectives of the ZERO PLUS project are presented. The case studies and technologies involved are described. The approach that will be followed in order to achieve the project goals is analysed

Development of net zero energy settlements using advanced energy technologies

The research activities described in this paper focus on the development and implementation of a comprehensive and cost-effective system for Net Zero Energy (NZE) settlements. The system is composed of innovative solutions for the building envelope, for building energy generation, and for energy management at the settlement level. The developed solutions will be implemented in 4 different demonstration projects throughout the EU, with varying climates and building types. The results of their implementation will be monitored, analyzed. The target is to achieve a reduction of operational energy usage to 0-20 kWh/m2 per year through a transition from single NZE buildings to NZE settlements, in which the energy loads and resources are optimally managed. In addition, investment costs will be at least 16% lower than current nZEB costs. In this paper, the methodology that was developed in order to optimize the energy, environmental and cost plans of the four case studies through the best integration and combination of the selected innovative energy technologies with excellent architectural and engineering design is described. In addition the evaluation of the four NZE settlements in terms of energy, environmental and cost performance is presented. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

On the potential of demand-controlled ventilation system to enhance indoor air quality and thermal condition in Australian school classrooms

Producción CientíficaEl confort térmico interior y la calidad del aire en las aulas escolares son de interés en todo el mundo, principalmente debido a sus posibles impactos en la salud, el rendimiento del aprendizaje y la productividad de los estudiantes. Además, la creciente preocupación por el cambio climático y la eficiencia energética de los edificios resalta la importancia de la ventilación y el confort en los entornos educativos. La literatura existente sobre la calidad del aire interior (IAQ), la ventilación y el confort térmico en las aulas de las regiones subtropicales de Australia es escasa. Aquí presentamos los resultados de un estudio de campo realizado en aulas de escuelas secundarias de Sydney durante el año escolar 2018 y 2019. Recopilamos datos con encuestas subjetivas a través de cuestionarios y con mediciones de campo relacionadas con la IAQ y el confort térmico en dos aulas similares adyacentes. Las tasas de infiltración y ventilación se midieron durante el período no ocupado utilizando el método de caída de concentración. Analizamos el rendimiento de un sistema de ventilación mecánica por extracción (DCV) controlado por demanda conectado a la nube, que se instaló en una de las dos aulas encuestadas a mitad de temporada. Antes de la aplicación del DCV, los niveles de CO2 eran similares en ambas aulas con una concentración máxima de aproximadamente 2418 ppm durante la temporada de frío. El DCV redujo la concentración máxima de CO2 a 1335 ppm, mientras que el CO2 aumentó a 2981 ppm en las aulas sin DCV durante la mitad de la temporada. Además, los compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COV) analizados a partir de muestras de aire muestran una mejor calidad del aire en el aula con DCV. Nuestros resultados resaltan el impacto de la temperatura interior y la concentración de CO2 en la sensación de fatiga de los estudiantes. Los estudiantes mostraron adaptabilidad al cambio de temperatura interior. Se necesita un período de una semana para que los estudiantes se adapten a un cambio radical en la temperatura exterior media. Comprender la calidad del aire interior de las aulas y el ambiente térmico, así como la comodidad percibida por los estudiantes, es vital para desarrollar pautas de diseño para las escuelas basadas en los niños

Promotion of cool roofs ιn the EU-the cool roofs project

Summarization: Cool roofs technology is an energy efficient, financially viable and sustainable solution for mitigating the heat island effect and its consequences and for reducing building energy consumption for cooling. This technology is well known and applied in the U.S.: it is a part of the energy code in many states, organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, Energy Star) and the U.S. Cool Roof Rating Council and programs and incentives are promoting it. In Europe, this technology is not extensively known and very little information exists on cool roof products and their benefits. Several barriers explain this situation and they can be summarized in four categories: Lack of awareness, Lack of experience, Lack of incentives and Skepticism. This paper presents the Cool Roofs project, an EU supported project aiming to remove these barriers by the implementation of an Action Plan for the promotion, market transformation and changing behavior towards cool roofs technology in the European Union. The work will be developed in four axes: technical, market, policy and end-users. The Action Plan will be steered by the development of the EU Cool Roofs Council that will bring together under the same umbrella all related stakeholders.Παρουσιάστηκε στο: 2nd International Conference on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Island