Introduction

Re-building destroyed districts using the principles of bioclimatism

Objectives and target audience

- The Objectives are the below

• Saving energy, reduction of energy use

• Reduction of greenhouse emissions

• Saving resources, reduction of resources use

• Economic benefits

• Improvement of citizens quality of life

• Citizens activation and sensitization (Development of active citizens-formation of active behaviors)

-The target group was all citizens of Kalamata’s Municipality.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

Funding came from different sources:

• A loan from the European Investment Bank,
• Grants from the European Commission through the THERMIE programme,
• The Municipality of Kalamata gave the land free of charge to DEAK (the municipal corporation for the rebuilding of Kalamata).

Process

- Decision taking by the municipal authorities
- Pursuit for financial resources
- Choice of the area: The project concerned 120 new homes using direct or indirect solar heating. Buildings are 9 to 10.5 meter high up to the roof and include dwelling units of different sizes and types:

• Two-storey family houses,

• Family flats in blocks of flats,

• Student’s flats in blocks of flats.

-Analysis of the microclimate, building sitting, window orientation and roof ventilation, the use of natural ventilation and air-conditioning and the optimisation of natural light.
-Choice of the techniques:

• Insulation of external walls,
• Building orientation and optimisation of the distances between them
• Roof ventilation
• Solar collectors
• Optimised fenestration depending on solar radiation.

- Implementation of the construction
- Informative campaign carried out from 96 to May 97
-    Collaboration between the inhabitants and CRES for monitoring the energy savings: collection of statistic data per m² of building and financial comparisons.

Results

The innovative techniques used in this project appears however as interesting economic solution for this part of Europe. In winter, they allow to reduce energy consumption by 35 to 65% depending of the type of buildings. As regard pollutant emissions, 7.8 to 18.5 tonnes of CO2 per dwelling house are also avoided. In summer, the indoor temperature limited to 30 °C, a result which was confirmed by the inhabitants themselves in surveys.
Another remark would refer to the inhabitants’ behaviour. The huge differences in the energy savings achieved (from 35 to 65% depending on the flats) are exclusively linked to the inhabitants’ behaviour and their willingness to contribute to energy savings. This demonstrates the need for providing the inhabitants with suitable information when launching this type of experience.
The Kalamata experience in the field of low energy houses served also as an example for other projects in the region, including:
•improved insulation in private and public buildings,
•adaptation of a solar system for producing domestic hot water in the municipal slaughterhouse
•projects aimed at integrating energy savings in municipal stadiums and sports facilities.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

The key issues for success were:
- The coordination between the municipality’s services and the Athenian architects’ office selected for the operation.
- The cooperation with CRES (Center for Renewable Energy Resources)
-    -The dissemination of the monitoring results.