The building sector in industrialized countries is responsible for around 40% of the overall energy consumption and corresponding greenhouse gases emissions (ec.europa.eu, source #18). Retrofitting of buildings can yield large savings in energy; but despite the high potential and well-known urgency for action to mitigate climate change, the current retrofitting pace is very slow. The main bottleneck is the required high upfront investment cost for deep renovation versus relatively slow return rates; additionally, there is a common lack of awareness on one hand, and a lack of legislation, guidelines, and incentives on the other.
This document serves as a basic guide; the document deals with the main fields of action, and it sheds light on possible improvements that could increase the sustainability of buildings through the reduction of energy demand – within this spectrum, focus on improving the building’s envelope. The actions may consist of small but efficient improvements such as the introduction of mobile sun protection devices leading up to comprehensive renovation, where it is possible to implement facade improvement such as introducing or increasing thermal insulation and changing windows and doors.
The optimal building retrofitting strategy depends on various parameters such as the geographic location and meteorological conditions, the schedule of operations, the type of the building’s envelope referring to the walls and roofs, the lighting, and heating/ventilating/air conditioning system.
