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RELS Sfax: Energy refurbishment of social housing

Sfax, Tunisia

1970 - 2024

Energy Management

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Project Description

Approach Words: Capacity Building

Public Policy Instruments: Organization

The RELS Sfax Energy Refurbishment Tunisia is a building rehabilitation initiative targeting residential and municipal housing in Sfax, Tunisia. ¹ The project addresses energy efficiency in the building sector, which accounts for 27 percent of Tunisia’s total energy consumption and is projected to increase to 35 percent by 2030. ² The project visions is to establish a pilot model for improving the energy performance and environmental sustainability of social housing and municipal buildings through thermal renovation and the integration of renewable energy sources. ³ Initiated around 2014 under the framework of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) program, ⁴ the project aims to assess the thermal and energy performance of municipal buildings, ⁵ improve lighting and air-conditioning systems, ⁶and promote renewable energy technologies, including solar water heaters and photovoltaic systems. ⁷

These objectives align with Tunisia’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which commits to reducing carbon intensity by 45 percent by 2030. ⁸ The RELS project forms part of broader national energy efficiency programs including PROSOL for solar water heaters (established in 2005), PROSOL ELEC for photovoltaic systems (since 2010), and PROMO ISOL for rooftop thermal insulation. ⁹

To implement this vision, the RELS Sfax Energy Refurbishment Tunisia includes several key components:¹⁰ ¹¹
– Renovation of a two-floor villa at Stade Taieb Mhiri ¹²
– Renovation of two apartments in the Cité Zitouna building ¹³
– Energy renovation of the top floor of apartment Block n°71, comprising 160 m² net floor area originally constructed in 1990 ¹⁴
– Development of a RELS methodology for comprehensive building energy refurbishment. ¹⁵

In terms of sustainability, the project integrates multiple energy-efficiency and renewable-energy measures. These include thermal insulation using Rockwool panels for façade and roof insulation, achieving U-values of 0.48 W/(m²K) for walls and 0.61 W/(m²K) for roofs. ¹⁶ The project also incorporates solar thermal collectors with a surface area of 2 m² and 200-liter storage tanks for domestic water heating, alongside a photovoltaic system with an installed capacity of 1 kWp. ¹⁷ Additional measures include LED lighting systems with an efficiency of 80 lm/W, PVC-framed double-glazed windows, and vertically configured aluminium sunshades designed to limit direct solar irradiation. ¹⁸

Owner/Developer (Public)

Municipality of Sfax ³⁰

Contractor/Implementer

ANME

Owner/Developer (Public)

Municipality of Sfax ³⁰

Contractor/Implementer

ANME

Project Link, Endnotes and References

Project Link

https://www.aes-tunisie.com/en/

Endnotes

This project demonstrates successful energy retrofit of municipal housing in North Africa using EU-funded support. Key interventions include thermal insulation, renewable energy systems, and modern building technologies to improve comfort and reduce operational costs.

References

Med Urban Tools. ‘Energy Refurbishment Project for Housing (RELS) – Sfax’. Available at: https://medurbantools.com/portfolio_page/rels-sfax/
Mitigation Action Facility. ‘Tunisia – Clean Energy in Buildings: Scaling-up Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Tunisian Building Sector’. Updated July 2025. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/projects/tunisia-clean-energy-in-buildings/
MedUrbanTools, ‘Energy Refurbishment Project for Housing (RELS) – Sfax’, MedUrbanTools, [online database], accessed 21 January 2026, https://medurbantools.com/portfolio_page/rels-sfax/
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Med Urban Tools. ‘Energy Refurbishment Project for Housing (RELS) – Sfax’. Available at: https://medurbantools.com/portfolio_page/rels-sfax/
Med Urban Tools. ‘Energy Refurbishment Project for Housing (RELS) – Sfax’. Available at: https://medurbantools.com/portfolio_page/rels-sfax/
Mitigation Action Facility. ‘Tunisia – Clean Energy in Buildings: Scaling-up Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Tunisian Building Sector’. Updated July 2025. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/projects/tunisia-clean-energy-in-buildings/
Mitigation Action Facility. ‘Tunisia – Clean Energy in Buildings: Scaling-up Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Tunisian Building Sector’. Updated July 2025. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/projects/tunisia-clean-energy-in-buildings/
Mitigation Action Facility. ‘Tunisia – Clean Energy in Buildings: Scaling-up Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Tunisian Building Sector’. Updated July 2025. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/projects/tunisia-clean-energy-in-buildings/
Med Urban Tools. ‘Energy Refurbishment Project for Housing (RELS) – Sfax’. Available at: https://medurbantools.com/portfolio_page/rels-sfax/
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
Mitigation Action Facility. ‘Tunisia – Clean Energy in Buildings: Scaling-up Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Tunisian Building Sector’. Updated July 2025. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/projects/tunisia-clean-energy-in-buildings/
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
Mitigation Action Facility. ‘Tunisia – Clean Energy in Buildings: Scaling-up Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Tunisian Building Sector’. Updated July 2025. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/projects/tunisia-clean-energy-in-buildings/
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
Buildings MENA. ‘Energy Renovation of a top floor of a multi-family house – Sfax’. Project Information Database, 2021. Available at: https://www.buildings-mena.com/project/sfax-energy-renovation-of-a-top-floor-of-a-multi-family-house
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf
AMBERO Consulting and Oxford Policy Management. ‘Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise of the Tunisia Clean Energy in Buildings Project’. Mitigation Action Facility, January 2023. Available at: https://mitigation-action.org/wp-content/uploads/230427-Mid-term-ELE-of-Tunisia-Clean-Energy-in-Buildings_final.pdf

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