Financial Viability of Energy Efficiency Measures for Single-Family Houses in Three Urban Areas of Europe
Abstract
The financial viability of energy efficiency measures for single-family houses in three urban areas of Europe, each having different climatic conditions, building codes and energy prices, were investigated in this paper. Athens, Copenhagen and Stuttgart were selected for the purpose of the task. The energy efficiency measures are: upgrading of building thermal insulation and air-tightness, use of energy efficient windows instead of standard windows and installation of a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system. Present building codes, energy prices and economic parameters were incorporated in a computer code with hourly weather data of the selected locations. The level of financial viability for the specific energy efficiency measures is assessed through the net present value (NPV), the savings to investment ratio (SIR) and the payback period for the incremental costs.