Evaluations of energy upgrading interventions in social housing neighbourhoods in Greece: An approach that takes into account residents’ views

Hellenic Open University, School of Applied Arts and Sustainable Design, Laboratory of Technology and Policy of Energy and Environment, Parodos Aristotelous

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has committed to actions aimed at the energy efficiency of buildings, with a focus on the domestic sector. Most residential buildings in Greece are classified in the lowest energy categories, while the government attempts to upgrade them energy wise, through state subsidy programs. This study aims to evaluate the energy upgrading interventions in social housing areas, built in the capital of Greece, Athens. For this purpose, energy audits are performed in social housing in three different neighborhoods, in order to find the current building stock and later suggest energy upgrading solutions. The study is followed by a questionnaire survey to citizens of the neighborhoods under study. The majority of respondents consider significantly beneficial the energy-saving upgrade programs that the Greek Government has run in recent years, as they demand to be easier for everyone to participate. At the same time, respondents seem to be positive for future energy upgrade interventions, such as external insulation, frame replacement and implementation of renewable energy systems. Through the implementation of energy upgrade scenarios in the official national software for energy audits (TEE KENAK), results show that dwellings can upgrade up to 7 energy categories, with short payback time, reducing CO₂ and primary energy emissions.