Optimal energy retrofit plan for conservation and sustainable use of historic campus building: Case of cultural property building

Abstract

In the past several decades, global population growth and rapid economic development have resulted in significant increases in building energy consumption. To reduce green house gas emissions and building energy consumption, building materials and energy technologies must be optimized. Building retrofitting is a more efficient method than reconstruction to improve building energy performance. Because historical buildings are typically characterized by relatively low-performance construction and energy systems as compared to modern buildings, retrofits are essential for older historical buildings. Furthermore, energy retrofitting of historical buildings is becoming increasingly common. This study presents an energy-saving retrofitting methodology for historical buildings that have low energy performance to facilitate the continued use and conservation of cultural buildings. The building energy retrofit (BER) package combines passive, active, and renewable-energy technologies for each of four targets. Based on an energy-consumption analysis, the BER3 package of target 2 for preserving the historical value and building usability and improving energy savings reduced the total energy consumption by 61.2% and the heating and cooling loads by 45%. This study demonstrates that BER3 is the optimal solution for realizing energy-saving retrofits of historical buildings while preserving their historical value and usability. The application of BER3 reduced the average energy consumption of Underwood Hall by 54.2% in winter and 42.6% in summer. The application of BER3 also reduced the annual energy costs of Underwood Hall by 47.9%.