Assessing the energy savings potential in public buildings through retrofit measures in tropical climates — A case study in Mauritius

Abstract

Until recently in Mauritius, the energy efficiency aspect was largely overlooked during the design of buildings. Retrofitting of existing buildings therefore presents significant opportunities for the country to curtail its energy consumption. In this study, a number of energy-saving retrofit measures are considered for a ten-level building at the University of Mauritius. An energy audit was first conducted in the building to identify potential areas of energy inefficiency. A comprehensive analysis of the collected data was then performed to select the most cost-effective retrofit options for each identified area. The proposed retrofit measures consisted mainly of actions carried out on the air conditioning system, lighting or building envelope. Subsequently, the forecasted energy savings caused by each of the recommended measures was estimated. Calculations showed that implementation of those measures would result in a reduction in the annual energy consumption of about 33% for lighting and 37% for air conditioning. The retrofit measures would have a payback period of 1.2 and 6.6 years respectively. The results further revealed that a 13% decrease in the monthly charge would be achieved if the recommended measures to reduce the peak demand charge were applied.