ABSTRACT
This study explores comprehensive research on the prevalence of energy poverty in housing stock in Tirana, highlighting the vulnerability of households and providing potential passive retrofitting measures for its eradication. The research provides an adequate retrofit scenario, climate and typology-wise, by exploring different passive envelope retrofit scenarios to achieve the proper total comfort, minimize energy consumption, and thereafter reduce its cost. The research is based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. At first, a representative group of housing typologies for both cities is selected. To increase the impact and value of the study, the selection criteria are representative on a city scale. Secondly, a detailed questionnaire, designed based on reliable references, is conducted on the inhabitants of the selected buildings. It provides information on indoor temperature comfort, the impact of households' economic situation in shaping the heating and cooling regime, the type of heating and cooling used, electricity and biomass bills, etc. Additionally, calibrated simulation models are generated for each selected building typology to increase the relevance and credibility of the study. Several retrofit scenarios are explored to provide the optimal solution regarding sustainability and cost. Detailed construction activity, weather information, and occupancy patterns were applied in modelling the houses. Eighty scenarios were applied and examined for each building typology. The scenarios incorporate the use of thermal insulation of the walls and the roofs, as well as the use of different U-values of the glazing. The simulation results indicate that by retrofitting the building fabric, the buildings' energy performance could be improved up to 65.0%. The performed simulation results generate an integral framework towards retrofitting housing buildings typologies in the Mediterranean climate.
