Suitable and energy-saving retrofit technology research in traditional wooden houses in Jiangnan, South China

Abstract

The traditional houses in Jiangnan, South China are mainly wooden structures and are quite abundant. However, economic and social development and improvement in people's living standards now mean that these houses, with their low thermal comfort and high energy use, no longer meet the needs of modern society. This research explored commonly used energy-saving retrofit technologies that could be adopted for traditional Jiangnan wooden houses. An evaluation model for suitable and energy-saving retrofit technology was established for these houses based on the three indicators of “energy-saving effect, economics and protection of traditional cultural values”. This paper examines a typical case of a traditional Jiangnan wooden house, analyses the suitability of different retrofit technologies and puts forward a list of priority retrofit technologies for traditional Jiangnan wooden houses with a “日” plane layout. The goal of this research is to provide technical support for the implementation of energy-saving measures for traditional Jiangnan wooden houses and to promote sustainable development of traditional Chinese houses.