Exploratory and Multi-Objective Decision-Making Methods for Retrofit Planning Processes

Abstract

Existing buildings are seen as a potential field where effective carbon-saving and energy-efficiency strategies can be applied. Their lifetime and performance can be increased by implementing different retrofit measures. The retrofit processes remain a complex task that necessitates long-term planning and costly operations and requires a consensus of their stakeholders to identify an ultimate solution from many alternatives. This paper demonstrates a simulation-based exploratory approach, allowing a broader consideration of alternative retrofit solutions to increase non-technical and technical stakeholders’ involvement over design decisions. A hypothetical office building was selected, and a list of retrofit parameters and their combinations focusing on multiple objectives was determined, modeled, simulated, and visualized. Three different decision-making approaches are presented and discussed over the case study results. The study suggests that giving a voice to all stakeholders in decision-making processes might lead to achieving more robust retrofit solutions.