Energy Efficiency In Historic Buildings Research Articles

A model for improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings with environmental and comfort considerations

The article presents issues related to the possibility of improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings. This group of buildings, in Poland, currently has no defined requirements for minimum energy demand values. However, taking into account the long-term strategy of decarbonization of Europe and the Long-Term Strategy for Renovation of Buildings adopted in Poland, it is necessary to develop models and procedures for thermal modernization activities of historic buildings. The group of historic buildings represents a very large potential for possible energy savings in the construction sector. The article presents proposals for a system approach to achieve the standard of a historic building with near-zero energy demand and climate neutrality. Developed algorithms of procedure are presented, which can support the decision-making process in the selection of optimal thermomodernization measures.

Hygrothermal Performance Evaluation of Internally Insulated Historic Stone Building in a Cold Climate

In most cases, internal insulation is the only solution to improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings. However, it is one of the most challenging and complex energy efficiency measures due to changes in boundary conditions and hygrothermal behavior of the wall, particularly in cold climates. This study presents the long-term monitoring of the hygrothermal performance of an internally insulated historic stone wall building. The study aimed to assess the hygrothermal behavior of the dolomite wall if mineral wool insulation is applied internally on the north-east wall in the rooms with and without high internal moisture load. The measurements included temperature, relative humidity, water content, and heat flux. Monitoring results are compared with 1D hygrothermal simulations and a building energy consumption simulation. The in situ measurement results and hygrothermal assessment shows energy consumption decreased by 55% with relative humidity under the insulation staying belove 60% for most of the time, with short periods of increase over 80%. Energy consumption simulation shows an energy saving potential of up to 72% in the case of proper energy management.

Sustainability Rating Systems for Historic Buildings: A Systematic Review

Historic buildings are an integral part of the built environment that have historical, cultural, social, and economic value. Sustainable conservation/rehabilitation/renovation of historic buildings that will perform well for decades is therefore critical. Numerous sustainability-rating systems (e.g., LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, etc.) have been developed to deal with broader sustainability objectives in the design of new buildings, which are not adequate/sufficient in intervention in historic buildings. This paper aims to study and explore rating systems for historic buildings. It is hypothesized that using rating systems can help historic buildings achieve more sustainable outcomes. The paper begins by presenting comprehensive background information on existing sustainability-rating systems worldwide, followed by a systematic review of the literature on rating systems for historic buildings. The PRISMA flowchart (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) was used, searching Science Direct and Google Scholar databases. The study reveals most current studies focus on environmental aspects, such as improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings, which results in lowering economic costs and increasing occupant satisfaction with the indoor environment. We argue that all three traditional dimensions of sustainability should be balanced when developing or adapting the next generation of rating systems to assess/address the sustainability of historic buildings.

Internal insulation systems and their assessment for historic buildings by hygrothermal simulation

The paper examines possible solutions for the use of internal insulation in listed buildings. Massive thick walls of historic buildings represent large heat losses and the use of thermal insulation materials from the inside is a possible solution to increase the energy efficiency of historic buildings. However, the use of thermal insulation from the interior is accompanied by a number of risks associated with condensation, mould growth and damage to the perimeter structure. It is necessary to perform dynamic simulations to verify the thermal-humidity behaviour of the structure. The article describes materials suitable for the purpose of internal insulation, their advantages and disadvantages and a description of dynamic simulations by which their effects on the thermal-humidity behaviour of the perimeter wall of a historic building are assessed.

Integrated retrofit solutions for improving the energy performance of historic buildings through energy technology suitability analyses: Retrofit plan of wooden truss and masonry composite structure in Korea in the 1920s

Building energy consumption and carbon emissions must be reduced to decrease the rate of global warming. To improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings, energy retrofitting can serve as an effective strategy. Retrofitting historic buildings is difficult due to the conflict between the historical value and usefulness of the building, but a modern scientific approach can help ensure that valuable historical records and artifacts remain protected and available. In addition, the retrofit of historic buildings can contribute, although a small part, to reducing carbon emissions nationally, and can have a symbolic meaning as a combination of history and modernity.This paper proposes a package of appropriate measures to improve energy efficiency, reduce the energy consumption of buildings, and preserve regularly used historic buildings for 100-year-old wooden truss and masonry composite structured historic buildings in Korea. The proposed measures are applied to most historic buildings in Korea built in the 1920s and have the potential to improve building performance. A new approach to applying energy technology to historic buildings is proposed. The energy application suitability analysis process was established by integrating three analysis techniques: the energy-saving effect analysis technique, historical value impact evaluation technique, and economic analysis technique. To achieve an appropriate retrofit plan, the condition of a building was evaluated through on-site diagnosis. Thermal transmittance rate assessments, temperature, and humidity monitoring, and infrared thermal imaging analyses were performed to evaluate the building's condition. Consequently, thermal transmittance rates for the wall and roof of the historic building were 1.18 W/m2K and 1.67 W/m2K, respectively, which indicated a risk of excessive energy consumption and condensation. Then, the suitability of each energy technology was evaluated by analyzing its economic feasibility and impact on the historical value and by simulating the reduction in energy consumption of the building. Thereafter, based on the analyses, the energy technologies deemed suitable were integrated to form an energy-efficient retrofit package, and an appropriate solution was elucidated. In conclusion, the package with the lowest impact on the historical value and the highest energy reduction decreased the total energy consumption by 15.9%. According to the results of this study, the process and package solutions proposed in this study are appropriate measures for historic buildings built in the 1920s in Korea, and can be a strategy with the potential to reduce carbon emissions and energy.

Overheating Risks and Adaptation Strategies of Energy Retrofitted Historic Buildings under the Impact of Climate Change: Case Studies in Alpine Region

Energy retrofits can enhance the liveability and efficiency of historic buildings while preserving their historic and aesthetic values. However, measures like improved insulation and airtightness may increase their vulnerability to overheating and climate change may further worsen their performance in the future. This paper investigates indoor overheating risks brought by climate change in retrofitted historic buildings and proposes effective adaptation strategies. Firstly, local weather conditions are analysed to identify homogenous climatic zones. For each climatic zone, “a business-as-usual” emissions scenario is adopted, and most representative regional climate models are selected to obtain hourly output of future climate projection. A comparative study is adopted where typical alpine residential buildings, “Portici house”, are simulated with regard to future energy use and indoor thermal state using the dynamic model in EnergyPlus. Energy use and indoor thermal conditions are compared before and after energy retrofit, as well as under present and future climate conditions. The results demonstrate that retrofit interventions could significantly improve energy efficiency of historic buildings in both present and future scenarios. A change in climate together with retrofit interventions will, however, result in higher risk of indoor overheating in South Tyrol. Potential negative side effects of energy retrofit could be controlled by adopting adequate shading and ventilation approaches that minimise, or eliminate, the risk of overheating during high temperature periods while optimising historic buildings’ energy performance.

Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings

Cultural heritage is recognized as a vital component of the sustainable development [...]

Assessing and enhancing EN 16883:2017

This paper describes the work undertaken within the international project IEA SHC Task 59 Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy to produce a handbook for the planning of energy retrofits in historic buildings. The handbook is an attempt to increase use and usability of the European standard EN 16883:2017 - Conservation of cultural heritage -Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings. The standard provides a decision roadmap for how energy efficiency measures can be identified that both respect the heritage values of the building and improves the energy performance. It also provides general information about energy efficiency in historic buildings. There has been a lot of interest in this standard from researchers in the field of energy efficiency in historic buildings, but it has not been widely used in practice. The first part of the paper summarises an assessment of the use, or lack thereof, of the standard. The assessment is based on nine European case studies that identify how the European standard can be complemented with additional resources, examples and guidance. In the second part the work with a handbook complementing the standard is outlined, and recommendations to future revisions of the standard are suggested.

Swiss case studies examples of solar energy compatible BIPV solutions to energy efficiency revamp of historic heritage buildings

Nowadays the proper use of energy towards ever major energy efficiency is a topical issue also for heritage buildings (hereinafter HB) which have special value both as a material testimony of our past and as a cultural asset. Greater open-mindedness to find compatible integrated solutions to improve the sustainable use of our built heritage is growing which consider, not only revamping the structural integrity, the indoor air quality and user comfort, even appraise benefits on using innovative materials or construction techniques to increase energy efficiency and exploit renewable and solar energies. Technological advances in Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), hybrid photovoltaic thermal systems in combination with other renewable resources can be used as support for other smart measures applied to the historic building envelop, windows or the HVAC and ventilation systems. Main findings based on documented examples of best practices clearly demonstrate the maturity of these solutions and will be presented. This study in Switzerland in the framework of two Interreg projects allowed to collect documentation on case-studies with a high standard energy concept, from net zero energy (NZEB) to positive energy buildings (PEB), which demonstrate how solar BIPV technologies can be well-integrated to enhance energy efficiency in historic buildings

Criteria for building types selection in preserved areas to pre-assess the Building Integrated Photovoltaics solar potential -The case study of Como land area

The implementation of RES technologies in preserved areas encounters specific challenges and barriers due to the pre-existence of valuable heritage and natural values. This research aims at identifying a clear methodology to evaluate the potential application of Building Integrated Photovoltaics systems (BIPV) in heritage buildings and protected land areas. The study, realized in the framework of the Interreg V-A Italy-Switzerland project “BIPV meets history”, presents the methodology for analyzing the best BIPV exploitation possibilities to validate their applicability in a preserved land area in the province of Como (Italy). This methodology considered several characteristics such as the predisposition, limits, suitable BIPV technologies and so forth. After the identification of the most recurrent building types and the related relevant characteristics for the solar potential exploitation have been identified, the analysis focused on the historical buildings that despite the high energy retrofitting potential encounter the major technical and heritage constraints for BIPV. The study resulted into a building classification database, which lists a series of parameters and identifies the main architectural elements and compatible criteria with the BIPV application. This study creates the base for the evaluation of effective energy savings related to the use of BIPV technology on heritage buildings and landscapes and demonstrate their potential for improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings and sites, safeguarding their heritage values.

Squaring the Circle

Research into building-physics in the UK over the last 15 years has demonstrated the significant constraints to the extent to which the energy efficiency of historic buildings can sensibly be improved. While some of these include risk to character and heritage significance, others are linked to moisture movement, mould growth and the comfort of building fabric and users. In parallel with this research and project work, the UK has signed the Paris Accord and committed to delivering zero-carbon by 2050. Although there may be alternative sources of energy, such as hydrogen, to deliver the decarbonisation of industry and transport it seems unlikely that these will make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of building energy use. In these circumstances electricity will be the sole zero-carbon energy supply for the heating, ventilation and lighting of all existing and new buildings. This dependence suggests that any supply-side limitations on the energy available will inform or impose a requirement for improved performance and thus on the scale and nature of retrofit measures required to each building. This paper establishes potential energy allowances for existing residential buildings from the published future energy supply scenarios and cross references these with the existing metrics for retrofit and with the available post-occupancy performance data on completed retrofit projects for historic residential buildings. This analysis provides an indication of the nature and extent of the level of retrofit that will be required to existing buildings in order for the UK to deliver on its zero-carbon commitment and suggests the kind of approach and methodology that should be adopted for retrofit in order to avoid the fabric risks identified above.

Aerogel-Based Plasters and Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings. Literature Review and Guidelines for Manufacturing Specimens Destined for Thermal Tests

This paper presents a literature review about aerogel-based products for building, focusing on the plasters used within the architectural restoration sector. Aerogel has entered the construction field in the last two decades as a component of many insulation products, due to its high thermal performance. Aerogel-based plasters allow the matching of high thermal performance and limited thickness. This makes them suitable when retrofitting an existing building and also when restoring a heritage building. We analyze the results of recent research, focusing on the most commonly used methods for assessing the thermal performances and durability of aerogel-based plasters. As a result of this review, we propose a guideline for manufacturing samples destined for laboratory tests.

Interior Insulation of Masonry Walls—Selected Problems in the Design

This article addresses the important problem of improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings, where due to the architectural value of the facade, thermal insulation should be placed from the inside. As a part of this publication, the author, on the basis of their own experience and research, presents and discusses selected problems to which special attention should be paid when designing this type of insulation. These are among other things: disturbances in the distribution of the temperature field on the partition; defects related to partial thermal insulation of partitions; the lack of detailed analysis of wall systems in terms of construction and their technical condition; wood decay; the selection of inadequate calculation methods, e.g., the simple method of Fokin–Glaser and many others. The author, on the basis of measurements and computational analysis, presents the methodology of a correct solution of such problems. This significantly simplifies currently applied methods.

Improving the indoor climate of the traditional Ottoman houses in the Medina of Algiers

The implementation of energy efficiency in historic buildings is limited and different parameters inhibit the improvement of microclimate conditions or energy performance. The aim of our research is to study the residential buildings of the old city of Algiers and to highlight the colonial and post-colonial transformations. The hygrothermal comfort is studied in order to identify a typical model of house having undergone transformations. This work requires a scientific and multidisciplinary approach integrating historical understanding, modern non-destructive inspection techniques and advanced experimental and numerical analysis methods (modelling and thermal dynamic simulation). The results show that in some cases of traditional houses, the transformations have been positive. The modification had a good functioning to modulate the variations of temperature and an indoor air quality allowing the occupants to profit from various zones of comfort. In other cases the undergone transformations generated enormous disorder resulting from discomfort situations. This work will provide adequate solutions to improve energy efficiency and sustainability for this residential heritage.

Twelve Years of Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings in Sweden

Abstract The Swedish National Research programme for Energy Efficiency in historic buildings was initiated in 2006 by the Swedish Energy Agency. This article gives an overview of the programme: objectives, projects and the general results of the programme. The research programme aims to develop knowledge, methods and technical solutions that contribute to energy efficiency in historically valuable buildings without destroying or damaging the historical value of the buildings, including decoration, furnishings, interiors or equipment. The programme is not limited to listed and monumental buildings but covers a wider range of historic buildings that account for a large part of the energy use in the building sector. For one and two-family houses, around 25 % of the energy use is associated with buildings built before 1945. The same number for multifamily houses is around 15 %. The programme is currently in its third consecutive four-year-stage. Previous four-year-stages were completed in 2010 and 2014. Over time, the scope of the programme and the projects have developed from mainly dealing with indoor climate control in monumental buildings towards addressing more general issues in the much larger stock of non-listed buildings. Technical research, based on quantitative analysis, dominate throughout all three stages, however most projects have had interdisciplinary components. The results from the programme have been presented in 31 journal papers, 67 conference papers, five books and five PhD theses. The projects have also contributed to CEN standards and resulted in a number of Bachelors and Master’s theses. An equally important long-term effect of the programme is that the number of Swedish researchers in the field have increased from practically none in 2007 to 18 senior researchers and twelve PhD students from ten universities in 2014. The research programme on Energy Efficiency in historic buildings is unique in an international context. Hopefully it can serve as an example for other countries on how to address an important interdisciplinary research challenge.

The assessment of environmental conditioning techniques and their energy performance in historic churches located in Mediterranean climate

Abstract There is a particular approach to the energy performance and indoor microclimate of historic buildings. However, the implementation of energy efficiency in historic buildings is limited, given that the materials, structure, geometry and artworks to be conserved inhibit the improvement of microclimate parameters or energy performance. The main aim of this work is to study the use of environmental conditioning techniques in a historic building and its impact on the conservation of artworks prior to the refurbishment project. This study describes experimental research carried out on the church of Nuestra Senora de la Merced, a historic building in a Mediterranean climate. The building was monitored and measured to validate numerical codes using Design Builder 4.7.027 and Energy Plus 8.3. Software building models made it possible to evaluate the implementation of different environmental techniques – passive, active and combined – in the church with a view to conserving artworks. This study concluded that the use of passive environmental techniques does not completely eliminate the mechanical risk or bio-deterioration that are inherent to movable heritage. Proposals for the use of active systems in combination with passive techniques improve the initial conservation of artworks and decrease the risk of biological degradation. Although energy consumption is high due to the large size and thermal inertia of the building, consumption is considerably reduced when active and passive systems are combined.

역사적 건축물의 에너지 효율 향상을 위한 계획기법 - 서양의 연구동향 및 사례를 중심으로 -

역사적 건축물의 에너지 효율 향상을 위한 계획기법 - 서양의 연구동향 및 사례를 중심으로 -

Re-use of historic buildings and energy refurbishment analysis via building performance simulation: A case study

This paper analyses the possibility to apply energy refurbishment measures in restored historic buildings in order to ensure reuse. The objective of the paper is to provide an appropriate methodology for the structural restoration of historic buildings, their re-use and sustainable energy refurbishment in accordance with current needs and conservation principles. The study provides the analysis and evaluation of the realized goals regarding energy refurbishment and energy efficiency. The presented historic buildings belong to Hilandar Monastery, Mount Athos, Greece. Mount Athos has been listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site for decades. The paper deals with the expert analysis of abandoned and devastated structures included in the Haybarn Complex. This paper provides a positive outcome of the performed restoration in terms of energy refurbishment and repurpose, since these buildings were turned into unique accommodation facilities for visitors. This accomplishment can be seen as a useful recommendation for improving energy efficiency of historic buildings during their restoration. All the undertaken methods are in accordance with the environmental protection requirements. This study is a practical observation and analysis of energy refurbishment in the field of restoration of listed buildings. This certainly is the most important contribution of this paper. All energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sources were carried out in compliance with conservation requirements and visual authenticity of historic structures. Assessment and analysis of energy efficient refurbishment via building performance simulation method and energy efficiency optimization was applied to several different models of restoration that was carried out in the Haybarn Complex.

User-driven energy efficiency in historic buildings: A review

The paper draws from the general literature on energy efficiency and historic buildings to explain the importance and potential of user-driven energy efficiency in historic buildings. It is the fir ...

Integrated Methodologies Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings

For several years, Italian associations and research organizations have been developing strategies aimed at evaluating and increasing energy efficiency in historic buildings, offering a sort of guidelines about this issue. These strategies are intended to provide useful information for a correct approach to the energy retrofit of historic buildings, offering a framework as well as innovative technical solutions for integrated design intervention restoration of historic buildings. The purpose of the guidelines is investigating the relationship between architectural restoration and plant installations, which are – now – rarely explored problems theoretically and experimentally, by introducing the concept of improvement instead of adapting to the standards of safety and comfort, in accordance with the integrated conservation strategies (Amsterdam Declaration, 1975). Effective proposals of a historic building energy retrofit (or a cultural landscape) can be implemented in a conscious way, tending to an architectural and landscape integration, without changing the monumental building, as it often happens in the case of adaptation of a new building to the new rules. The proposed methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach, articulated in successive phases: analysis of plant systems, measurements of environmental quality, identification of vulnerabilities, defining appropriate intervention techniques, verification of the improvement achieved. The case study concerns a historic building in Salerno (Italy) dating back to the eighteenth century, used as a school complex. It will be investigated by the morphological, technological, static, energy point of view, by the use of a BIM platform, in order to identify energy efficiency measures consistent with the technological and structural aspects. The objective is, therefore, to identify an integrated methodology of energy retrofit of historic buildings.