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The present paper describes a holistic energy efficient retrofit of low income multiple social housing located in Athens, Greece. A holistic analysis was conducted in order to determine the optimum retrofit plan that includes innovative and state of the art commercially available technologies, passive techniques as well as renewable energy sources, aiming to reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint, improve indoor environmental conditions and be cost effective at the same time. An extensive experimental campaign including air leakage measurements, thermal imaging, energy consumption and indoor environmental quality measurements was conducted before and after the implementation of the retrofit. In addition, advanced building simulation, occupant surveys and socioeconomic analyses were performed in order to evaluate the impact of the retrofit and estimate specific performance indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of daylight to energy efficient building design and to the creation of a pleasant environment that provides visual comfort to its users has been a subject of study for years. This paper addresses the way in which daylight can be efficiently used in a typical classroom in Athens, Greece, by improving its distribution in the space and providing shade. Based on the conclusions drawn from the literature review, the system that is chosen for study consists of a light shelf (for shading and light redirection) and semi-transparent movable external blinds (for more shading, adjusted to the occupants’ needs), which are mounted on the glazing of a south-facing classroom. The experimental study consists of six stages, all performed in Radiance software. The individual results and conclusions lead to the definition of the optimum characteristics of the system, including the light shelf's width, mounting height, inclination and reflection index, which upgrade the daylight performance in the space under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]