Energy Refurbishment Towards Nearly Zero Energy Multi-family Houses, for Cyprus

Following Europe's 20:20:20 objective, this case study investigates refurbishment scenarios in order to achieve Nearly Zero Energy houses, in Cyprus. The study investigates amongst other aspects of the European recast, two approaches that will be decisive for the development of the building sector in Cyprus: The measures and techniques to be implemented in order to achieve nearly Zero Energy Houses (nZEB) in Cyprus and the analysis of cost optimisation. The research focuses on the Multi-Family House typology as classified in the framework of EU project EPISCOPE. The building was modelled using the official governmental software iSBEM_cy tool, according to the European Directives 2002/91/EC and 2010/31/EC. The aim was to upgrade it into a nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) by investigating the effectiveness of the energy refurbishment both in terms of energy savings and payback period. Two scenarios were developed in order to evaluate the energy efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the conservation measures. Through analysis of the results, the efficiency of each strategy and technique employed towards minimising the energy consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions was evaluated, in terms also of its cost effectiveness. Furthermore, the results of the research were investigated in order to assess whether the nZEB requirements, as developed by the MECIT, are appropriate for the existing Multi-Family houses in Cyprus and whether alternative strategies may be employed in order to meet the target of nZEB and to reduce effectively the energy consumption and the CO2 emissions.