Demonstration projects for the Energy Upgrade of North Evros Municipal Buildings

About this project

<p>The Municipality of Orestiada, under the GR-ENERGY Program, implemented an integrated project focused on the Northern Evros region, in collaboration with the neighboring municipalities of Didymoteicho and Soufli. The project aimed to enhance energy efficiency and integrate Renewable Energy Systems (RES) into selected public buildings, specifically, the former Primary School of Kastanies, the special Primary School of Thourio, the&nbsp;1^st Nursery School of Didymoteicho, and the minority Primary School of Megalo Dereio.&nbsp;</p> <p>Through targeted interventions, all buildings were upgraded to <strong>energy class A</strong> and now fully comply with national requirements for <strong>nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB)</strong>.</p> <p>Key interventions included:</p> <ul> <li> <p>Thermal insulation of building envelopes and roofs</p> </li> <li> <p>Replacement of existing frames with energy-efficient units&nbsp;featuring thermal breaks</p> </li> <li> <p>Lighting system upgrades using LED technology</p> </li> <li> <p>Installation of heat pumps combined with mechanical ventilation systems equipped with heat recovery mechanisms</p> </li> <li> <p>Integration of Fan Coil Units (FCUs) and underfloor heating systems</p> </li> <li> <p>Installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels with net-metering functionality</p> </li> </ul> <p>To enhance the project's innovative character, power-to-heat systems using phase-change materials (PCM) were installed. These systems store surplus PV-generated electricity in the form of thermal energy (“thermal batteries”) and operate in conjunction with lithium-ion batteries, creating a hybrid energy storage system.</p> <p>In addition, each building was equipped with:</p> <ul> <li> <p>A Building Management System&nbsp;for real-time monitoring and control of energy use</p> </li> <li> <p>Energy measurement equipment</p> </li> <li> <p>Smart thermostats with self-learning algorithms to optimize the efficiency of the heating and mechanical ventilation systems</p> </li> </ul> <p>These upgrades make the buildings more energy efficient, lower their operational costs and emissions, and set an example for sustainable building upgrades in both rural and urban contexts.</p>