Evaluation of the refurbishment potential of Mediterranean schools towards nZEB

EU energy policy encourages member states and public authorities to start converting building stock into nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) and adopting exemplary actions. ZEMedS project focuses on the issues related to the refurbishment of schools to nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) in France, Greece, Italy and Spain. Presently, there is a gap in national regulation of Mediterranean countries to embody the 2012/27 EED as far as renovation rates of public buildings are concerned. As there is no clear definition of nZEB concept, a roadmap for nZEB, with numerical indicator for energy demand and the share of renewable energy sources is needed. In this context, ZEMedS project aims to cover a complete renovation path, tackling strategies for the envelope, the systems and renewable energy applications as well as the energy management and users' behavior. Ten case studies of typical schools from Catalonia, Tuscany, Athens, Ancona, Montpellier, have been analyzed in terms of the energy efficiency and cost optimality so as to contribute to the ongoing development of a methodology on how to achieve energy efficient and cost optimal nearly zero energy schools while ensuring the IEQ aspects. The case studies are existent schools that do not fit the minimum energy standards and need a renovation. A number of measures dealing with the building envelope and energy systems, were taken into account and examined through energy auditing and simulations tools.
The results presented here ease the understanding of design and construction decisions on the rising cost of energy. In order to set up a common nZEB strategy and to analyze the available funding resources, this study proposes also an integrated Technical and Financial Toolkit. ZEMedS's Toolkit intents to clarify and unify various definition of nZEB, identifies main obstacles and restrictions that face its application and analyses possible social, environmental and economic impacts. Going one step further, the ZEMedS's Toolkit attempts to set-up requirements related to the annual energy balance, the share of RES and the IEQ issues for the renovation of MED Schools.