Archive for Greece
Energy efficiency (strategy and promotion)
Posted by: | CommentsEnergy efficiency offers a powerful and cost-effective tool for achieving a sustainable energy future. Improvements in energy efficiency can reduce the need for investment in energy infrastructure, cut fuel costs, increase competitiveness and improve consumer welfare. Municipality of Amaroussion is informing the members of the community about the energy efficiency and provides critical information and practical solutions for more energy-efficient living. The municipality has published a guide for “green offices”. An action that took place in the context of energy efficiency was the distribution of low-energy light bulbs to the citizens. Municipality of Amaroussion has replaced the sodium lamps of the municipal building by those of low energy. Municipality of Amaroussion is participating to a European project about energy efficiency procurements. Paying attention to the energy side of wastes cycle our municipality implements a holistic recycling system.
Citizen engagement and behavioural change initiatives
Posted by: | CommentsThis project is regarding citizen engagement and behavioural change initiatives. These initiatives are a very important component with regards to environmental protection as well as the improvement of life quality and health protection. Through initiative, citizen sensitization can be increased. As for the citizen engagement and behavioral change initiative, our municipality is in cooperation with the local environmental clubs, no-governmental organizations (NGOs), no-profit organizations, the ministry of education and other authorities. The citizens are aware of the initiatives through planning events, such as concerts, meetings, public discussions and lectures. Some eco- activities such as tree planting and city cleaning were held. The municipality itself holds seminars and distributes informative leaflets (for example leaflets about saving water, “greener” offices, eco-friendly transportation, etc). In addition, the municipality participates with eco-programs which are taking place in schools which are included in the framework of environmental education .e.g. the implementation of an educative program about recycling. The municipality environmental office is open to proposals and provides environmental information to every citizen. The office of volunteers participate by offering aid with all occurring environmental activities.
IT and other electrical/electronic equipment recycling
Posted by: | CommentsThis project concerns the IT and other electrical/electronic equipment recycling which is very important for the improvement of life quality, health protection, energy and resource saving. It is known that when electrical/electronic equipment is disregarded, the potential harm it can cause to the environment can very substantial then. As for the IT and other electrical/electronic equipment, the recycling system within our municipality is in cooperation with a collective alternative management system officially approved by the Ministry of Environment. There is a central collection point in which citizens can bring their apparatus. Alternatively, there are recycle bins at specific points, such as schools, public buildings, etc, where citizens can deposit their waste items. If waste collections are of a large size, citizens can contact the Municipality’s environmental department to arrange the pick up and transportation of their waste. At the same time citizens are aware through informative leaflets or planning events. After collection, the waste is transferred to the appropriate factories for further processing. Inclusion to this, the municipality has economical benefits as well.
The municipality of Thessaloniki and the Region of Central Macedonia commissioned the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources of Greece (CRES) to study the possibilities of integrating Renewable Energy Technologies to the former Municipal Abattoir building, which will be converted into an athletic and cultural centre.
The early 20th cent. existing building, which is protected by the Ministry of Culture, will be restored and reused for cultural activities. A new building will be constructed near it, in order to house practice halls for weight-lifting, fencing, target-shooting and dancing. Its southern façade supports an inclined surface for the integration of photovoltaics, which are expected to cover a significant part of the energy demands of the building.
CRES is contracted to investigate the following for the new building:-
– Measurements of the expected thermal performance of the building;
– Natural and artificial lighting;
– Integration of Photovoltaics;
– Heating and cooling systems using geothermal heat pumps;
Alternative Management of the Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment
Posted by: | CommentsAppliances Recycling S.A. is a collective take-back and recycling scheme for all WEEE (waste of electrical and electronic equipment) categories, both from private households and from users other than private households, including historical waste.
The company APPLIANCES RECYCLING SA is the approved body (by the Ministry of Environment Planning and Public Works) for the operation of the Collective System for the Alternative Management of the Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Greece. Its role is both organisational and controlling.
The HYDROSOL research team has developed an innovative, solar reactor, for the production of hydrogen from water vapour, resembling the familiar monolithic catalytic converter of automobiles. The ceramic multi-channelled monolith is heated by asborbing solar radiation and is coated with nano structured materials, which split water vapour passing through the reactor, by trapping its oxygen and leaving in the effluent gas stream pure hydrogen as a product. In a next step, the oxygen trapping material is solar-aided regenerated (i.e. releases the oxygen absorbed) and hence a cyclic operation is established on a closed reactor system. The uniqueness of the HYDROSOL approach is based on the combination of highly active nano particle materials (synthesised by novel routes based on aerosol processes, combustion techniques and reactions under controlled oxygen pressure) and their incorporation as coatings on special refractory ceramic monolithic reactors with high capacity for solar heat absorption.
IMMACULATE aimed to promote the improvement of urban environment quality of air and noise levels by an innovative combination of clean vehicle technology for different vehicle types (electric power-assisted bicycles, electric scooters, hybrid passengers cars and minibuses), with other recent advances in urban transportation schemes (such as application of transport information, management and telematic systems, smart cards technology, mobility management schemes).
The severe environmental problems and the continuous increase of oil prices have accelerated the development of applications exploiting Renewable Energy Sources (RES) for electrical energy production. However, the amount of energy produced is characterised by significant fluctuations, mostly because of its dependence on meteorological conditions, which makes it important to develop solutions for short- and long-term energy storage to be later utilised.
The system developed by the HYRES project utilises the time-varying surplus of energy to produce hydrogen which is stored and further utilised in Fuel Cells to produce electrical energy, as a means to compensate for lower RES energy. The system is developed for stand-alone applications of small energy consumers in remote areas.
The system will consist of:
– A 5kWp PV array and 3kWp wind turbines for electrical energy production.
– An electrolyser for hydrogen production, rated at 4kW.
– A hydrogen storage system (compressed hydrogen).
– A 4kW PEM fuel cell.
– Lead acid batteries for short-term storage, rated 3.000Ah at 48V.
– A gen-set for emergency conditions.
– Power electronics converters for power conditioning.
– Control hardware
“Green Roofs” in school buildings
Posted by: | CommentsThe “Green Roof” program is a pilot implementation of light-structured horizontal and vertical green surfaces in school buildings, as a low-cost example of upgrading their energy behaviour and appearance, which could be easily adopted by citizens and implemented on all types of public and private buildings.
Wishing to avoid the likelihood of having to reinforce the structural system of existing buildings in the seismic area of Thessaloniki, which would be necessary in the case of adding vegetation and soil on top of existing flat-roofs, the “green roof” program introduced the idea of creating light wooden or metal structures (pergolas) over the roofs of existing buildings, where climbing plants may develop on stainless steel grid structures.
The Municipality of Thessaloniki submitted to the Ministry of Development a proposal, accompanied by all the necessary studies, to gradually substitute heating oil by natural gas in all the school units under the Municipality’s jurisdiction. The proposal was submitted within the framework of the Operational Programme “Competitiveness” that is co-financed by the European Commission and was approved. The project’s 1st phase concerned the connection to the natural gas network of 48 school units and has already been completed since November 2006. The 2nd phase, concerning the remaining 56 school units, is expected to be completed by September 2008. The project was extended in order to also include 17 non-educational municipal buildings, including gyms, kindergarden units and offices.
