The building being retrofitted into a Passivhaus in Tavros will produce more electricity than it consumes, resulting in zero energy costs for its residents. This retrofitted building will be a living example and model for the retrofits of apartment buildings in Attica and beyond.
The event we organised themed “The Tavros Project: a guide to large-scale energy renovations in Attica” was held on June 12th at the M. Cacoyannis Foundation with great success, where the first Greek retrofitted to Passivhaus apartment building was presented to the public and the media.
The event, held by the Hellenic Passive House Institute in collaboration with the Athenian Energy Alliance, the Municipality of Moschato-Tavros and the Municipality of Athens, began with a foreword by the Mayor of Moschato-Tavros, Andreas Efthymiou, who stressed that this flagship project will be a milestone for energy efficient retrofits in Attica and expressed his enthusiasm that the project is being implemented in his municipality.
The Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, highlighted that, “the best form of energy saving is that, which is not consumed in the first place.” He also enjoyed a tour of the apartment building whose retrofit is still in progress and spoke with its residents. He also stressed the urgent need for initiatives such as the Tavros Project to be implemented on a larger scale and for funding to be sought so that low-income and poor households can receive 100% funding for such energy upgrades.
The purpose of the event was to present the interventions made to the building according to the Passive House standard, and at the same time to showcase the ways for large-scale energy upgrades in the Attica region – and beyond, in order to live up to the 2030 climate targets set by Greece and the EU, to fight energy poverty and to improve indoor living conditions and quality of life.
A volunteer project supported by sponsorships
It is worth noting that the materials and equipment for the retrofit of the building were provided by sponsorships and the European RINNO project, so that the tenants did not have to pay a single euro. The project is in its final phase and will be completed in early autumn. There is one last opportunity for any company or private investor wishing to participate in the Tavros Project, to sponsor 6 A/C units and frames for the last apartment.
Significant opportunities for partnerships, training & investment
In the coming years this apartment building will continue to be a living lab in order to foster a culture of collaboration between all stakeholders in such projects and education on the Passivhaus standard.
Dimitris Pallantzas, Building Physicist and Head of Education at HPHI, and Nektarios Tsakoumakis, Mechanical Engineer & Certified Passive House Consultant, explained what Passivhaus is, the basic principles and how they are applied in the Tavros building, while they spoke about the volunteer team of Passivistas, the group that is carrying out the Tavros Project.
Stefanos Pallantzas, President of HPHI, and Maria Kaltsa, Architect, wrapped the talk, presenting a comprehensive proposal, in order to explain how the logic of energy efficiency achieved in a Passivhaus, and combined with solar panels on the roof, can be multiplied from individual buildings to the whole city in a massive and organized way. In addition, they highlighted the opportunities for ESCOs to accelerate the energy retrofit of buildings in Athenian neighbourhoods.
Improved quality of life with better air quality and reduced humidity & noise pollution
The event ended with a discussion, moderated by journalist Elli Spyropoulou, with residents of the building, who stressed that air quality has improved inside the house, while humidity has been reduced thanks to mechanical ventilation. They also unanimously agreed that thanks to the new triple glazed windows, noise pollution from the street has been significantly reduced, as the building is located right on Pireos Avenue, one of the busiest avenues in Athens.
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See some highlights from the event below:
