ZERO ENERGY IS POSSIBLE!
TIMA Charitable Foundation and INZEB – Initialising Energy Balance towards Zero joined forces and are working together towards the energy upgrade and energy independence of Diamantidion Care Home in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The project is being realised with the technical support of INZEB
and the financial support of the TIMA Charitable Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation, The John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, The Hellenic Initiative Canada, and through significant price discounts of construction materials offered by several companies.
DIAMANTIDION CARE HOME IN THESSALONIKI, GREECE
TRANSFORMING
A HIGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION BUILDING
INTO A ZERO-ENERGY
Diamantidion Care Home has a total surface area of 2,235.16 m2 and was built between 1991-1992.
The current average building’s energy consumption is 564.40 kWh/m².
Based on the electricity bills for the reference year 2021, the annual energy cost of its operation amounted to 40,332.99 euros, which corresponds to 20.33 euros/m2 of heated/cooled surface per year.
PHASE 0
PROJECT INITIATION
A detailed technical energy status was completed followed by a study presenting the roadmap of the needed actions to transform the building into a net zero energy care home.
PHASE 1
ENERGY REDUCTION
Involves the interventions in three main building components, the building envelope, windows, and HVAC to reduce the current energy needs of the care home.
PHASE 2
ENERGY AUTONOMY
Working towards securing the energy independence of Diamantidion Care Home through the installation of PV panels on its roof.
BUILDINGS
The building sector contributes to 40% of total final energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions. It is therefore critical that this sector be addressed to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, as set by the European Union. Investing in the energy transformation of buildings has multiple micro- and macro-environmental, societal and economic benefits. Studies have shown that a comprehensive approach for the energy-efficient renovation of commercial buildings increases productivity by about 12%, leading to a potential benefit of an estimated €500 billion to the economy per year, while well-designed and executed energy renovation of hospitals reduces the average patient stay by about 11%, producing potential monetary savings of about €45 billion per year to the healthcare sector.
CARE HOMES
The need to support the vulnerable group of elderly citizens through institutionalised care is set to continue to grow in the coming years. Care homes are also, by default, heavy energy consumers, typically accommodating between 30-60 elderly residents and employing an average of 15-30 staff. Most elderly care homes are housed in old buildings with limited or no insulation, inadequate windows, and old-style heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) installations. As a result, they have high energy consumption needs to heat their premises during the winter and cool them in the summer months.
Energy consumption is also high due to the constant demand for hot water throughout the year, the supply of which, in Greece at least, is usually provided using electricity. The same applies to other energy requirements, such as lighting and running the kitchen. The ever-increasing energy costs add an unjustified and unnecessary burden to the basic operating costs of care homes and, by extension, their ability to provide better services. Reducing energy consumption enables care homes to leverage resources spent on energy to provide better services for the elderly.
© 2023 NET ZERO CARE PROJECT