Attaining sustainability in built environment: Review of green retrofit measures for existing buildings

Abstract

Building retrofit is a critical measure for achieving sustainability in architecture and built environment. It adopts the use of a variety of retrofit technologies to enhance building energy performance at a beneficial cost-effectiveness. This may include certain approaches of building envelope improvement, mechanical systems improvement etc., while keeping the building indoor environment comfortable for human. Besides retrofitting of building envelope and the mechanical system, the improvement of operating and management practices should also be considered for whole general improvements. Therefore, this paper presents a brief overview of previous studies on retrofit measures, its application, performance evaluation and related challenges on a variety of buildings are provided. Furthermore, it defines an average mix of retrofit measures and ranks the related challenges for various building typologies. The objective of this study is to lay a foundation for building researchers, practitioners and decision-makers to effectively evaluate retrofit measures for achieving sustainable building performance globally.