ACTIVE SOLAR SPACE HEATING OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN NORTHERN HELLAS - A CASE-STUDY

The final energy consumption in Hellenic residential and tertiary sect or buildings represents almost one-third of the total energy budget. F rom this, space and water heating represents 70% of the total. Space h eating and electricity generation in Hellas are based on fossil fuels, with a serious environmental impact. Despite the popularity of simple solar domestic hot water systems, active solar space heating remains, for various reasons, marginal. The aim of this paper is to demonstrat e the potential of combined active space and domestic hot water solar systems, both technically and economically. An assessment of the reduc tion of the environmental impact is also included. The results confirm that modern solar technology constitutes a viable option for energy r etrofit in the building sector in Hellas. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S. A.