Investigation on energy performance of existing commercial buildings with heritage values by incorporating retrofit options

Abstract

The buildings sector accounts for 24% of Australia’s indirect Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Due to the life expectancy of existing building stock the greatest reduction in emissions before 2030 could be achieved through retrofits. Research in the past has shown that energy consumption in commercial buildings is complex and diverse due to the wide range of building fabrics and mechanical systems employed. Typically, the most effective energy saving strategies in commercial buildings have been in improving the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) design and efficiency, including improving the efficiency of chillers and heat pumps, and design strategies such as efficient mechanical ventilation systems, night purges, thermal mass and daylighting. This paper investigates and evaluates the energy performance of four commercial case study buildings with heritage values with various retrofit options in different climatic conditions in Australia. The paper explored the use of thermal and airflow modeling in assisting to understand the impacts of various retrofit options unto the energy efficiency of the case study buildings. The findings suggest different retrofit options that should be considered for achieving optimum energy efficiency impacts for existing buildings in Australia.