Renovation Of Residential Buildings Research Articles

The risk of shifting environmental burdens in biobased construction - Life cycle assessment of a residential renovated building case study in Belgium

Abstract The construction industry is a major contributor to environmental degradation, resource depletion, and energy consumption. As global concerns about sustainability and environmental impact continue to rise, it becomes imperative to reassess the materials used in building construction. This research paper presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) using the Belgian TOTEM tool according to EN15804+A2 for evaluating material choices in building construction with a focus on the renovation of residential buildings in Belgium. The study aims to provide a holistic understanding of the environmental implications associated with biobased construction materials enabling informed decision-making for sustainable building practices. To achieve this, we conducted an analysis of the life cycle environmental performance of biobased materials used in external walls of a renovation case study project and compared it to common built-up scenarios of conventional construction materials applied in the same case study. The research results show that using biobased materials for renovation can significantly reduce embodied GHG emissions but can lead to burden shifting such as resulting in an increased impact on land use, particulate matter emissions, depletion of abiotic resources and eco-toxicity. The study not only underscores the importance of comprehensive cradle-to-grave life cycle thinking but also provides valuable insights for stakeholders in the construction industry.

Hot Summers in Nordic Apartments: Exploring the Correlation between Outdoor Weather Conditions and Indoor Temperature

As the incidence of extended hot summers in the Nordic climate increases due to climate change, non-mechanically cooled apartments face high risks of overheating. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the temporal effects of heatwaves on indoor temperatures and examine the correlation between outdoor weather conditions and indoor temperature levels. A comprehensive field study was conducted across over 6000 apartments in the Helsinki region during the hot summer of 2021 and its heatwaves. Results indicated that nearly half of the apartments experienced indoor temperatures above 27 °C for over 7 consecutive days. It was found that an outdoor daily average temperature of 19 °C could cause indoor daily average temperatures higher than 27 °C. Further, the study revealed a strong correlation between indoor temperatures and outdoor 5-day moving average temperature, allowing occupants time to take preventative measures. Additionally, a linear relationship was found between the indoor average temperature, the outdoor 5-day moving average temperature, and the 7-day moving average solar radiation. The strength of the correlation and the magnitude of the effects of outdoor temperature and solar radiation varied depending on the duration of heatwaves. This highlights the importance of considering heatwaves in the design and renovation of residential buildings in the Nordic climate.

Circular Economy Strategies in Densification and Refurbishment of Residential Buildings – State of Application and Future Directions

The fast population and economic growth put tremendous pressure on the planet’s resources. In this context, the building sector is recognized as one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and the use of raw materials. The Circular Economy (CE) is expected to contribute to a reduction of waste landfills, extraction of raw materials, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to understand to what degree and how CE strategies can be applied to the refurbishment and densification of residential buildings. Using a qualitative approach, this study examines the application of CE strategies in the building sector through five semi-structured expert interviews. The literature identifies five CE principles for buildings: building in layers, designing-out waste, designing for adaptability and flexibility, designing for disassembly, and selecting materials. From the interviews, designing-out waste was the most common approach for refurbishment and densification of residential buildings. Nevertheless, the implementation of CE strategies within the building sector is still limited and challenging due to various barriers and little encouragement. More stimuli from governments through regulations and guidelines, increased collaboration between stakeholders, and technological advancements are expected to reduce the obstacles to implementing CE strategies in refurbishment and densification.

Strategies for robust renovation of residential buildings in Switzerland

Building renovation is urgently required to reduce the environmental impact associated with the building stock. Typically, building renovation is performed by envelope insulation and/or changing the fossil-based heating system. The goal of this paper is to provide strategies for robust renovation considering uncertainties on the future evolution of climate, energy grid, and user behaviors, amongst others by applying life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis. The study includes identifying optimal renovation options for the envelope and heating systems for building representatives from all construction periods that are currently in need of renovation in Switzerland. The findings emphasize the paramount importance of heating system replacements across all construction periods. Notably, when incorporating bio-based insulation materials, a balance emerges between environmental impact reduction and low energy operation costs. This facilitates robust, equitable, and low-carbon transformations in Switzerland and similar Northern European contexts while avoiding a carbon spike due to the embodied carbon of the renovation.

Performance assessment of residential building renovation: a scientometric analysis and qualitative review of literature

PurposeProper performance assessment of residential building renovation is crucial to sustainable urban development. However, a comprehensive review of the literature in this research domain is lacking. This study aims to uncover the study trend, research hotspots, prominent contributors, research gaps and directions in this field.Design/methodology/approachWith a hybrid review approach adopted, relevant literature was examined in three stages. In Stage 1, literature retrieved from Scopus was screened for their relevance to the study topic. In Stage 2, bibliographic data of the shortlisted literature underwent scientometric analyses by the VOSviewer software. Finally, an in-depth qualitative review was made on the key literature.FindingsThe research hotspots in performance assessment of residential building renovation were found: energy efficiency, sustainability, thermal comfort and life cycle assessment. After the qualitative review, the following research gaps and future directions were unveiled: (1) assessments of retrofits incorporating renewable energy and energy storage systems; (2) evaluation of policy options and financial incentives to overcome financial constraints; (3) establishment of reliable embodied energy and carbon datasets; (4) indoor environment assessment concerning requirements of COVID-19 prevention and involvement of water quality, acoustic insulation and daylighting indicators; and (5) holistic decision-making model concerning residents' intentions and safety, health, well-being and social indicators.Originality/valuePioneered in providing the first comprehensive picture of the assessment studies on residential building renovations, this study contributes to offering directions for future studies and insights conducive to making rational decisions for residential building renovations.

Evaluation of Residential Buildings Savings for Various Envelope Retrofits and Heating Energy Sources: A Simulation Study

The paper considers the issue of the thermal refurbishment of residential buildings built between 10 and 40 years ago in some European countries. It suggests that, while facade retrofitting is the most effective solution for older dwellings, all actions are equally less effective for newer dwellings built in this millennium. According to the current situation, as society shifts away from the use of fossil fuels, this paper presents the expected energy and financial savings that were calculated using one of four different heating sources. The study shows that the efficiency of the additional thermal retrofitting of the structures is low when the building is heated with a heat pump. The addition of thermal insulation to already well-insulated roofs or floors results in minimal savings of approximately 0.15 kWh per square meter of heated floor area per year. The potential advantage of replacing existing windows with new windows in a top thermal quality was shown. After window replacement, the financial benefits could be twice as high in houses heated by district heating compared to houses heated by gas or a heat pump, including an alternative heat pump with photovoltaics.

Policies and measures for energy efficiency improvement at households: A bibliometric analysis

Recently, governmental subsidies have led to increased renewable energy adoption and household CO2 emissions reduction. However, energy efficiency improvement and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential in households’ sector are not yet fully realized. Decision-making by individuals is also a crucial factor in adopting energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies, which is why this study analyses some important behavioral change-linked issues. This study also focuses on various policies and measures to achieve energy efficiency improvements in households, such as use of renewable energy sources, renovation of residential buildings, use of energy efficient appliances etc. The methodology of the study contains a bibliometric analysis in the field of energy efficiency at households, covering the years of publication 2010-2023 and organizing all documents into 9 classifications. Among them 6 classifications have been further considered: Citation analysis; Authors’ networks; High impact journals of publishing; Knowledge mapping of co-authorship collaboration among institutions; Co-authorship among countries; Keywords concurrence analysis. Following a systematic literature review the bibliometric findings reveal the steady increase of literature production in the field of energy efficiency at households, showing also the pivotal role of institutions among developed and industrialized economies. Moreover, there is a densely and steadily growing network of keywords reported, implying the thematic expansion of this topic from the modelling-pilot scales towards the real world and in field applications. Finally, identified research constraints of energy efficiency improvement are that of: high costs, lack of information and knowledge, low priority to environmental and climate change mitigation concerns, and resistance to behavioral change.

Technical-economic and financial feasibility of new technologies in the energy refurbishment of residential buildings

The revision of the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) provides for the construction of zero-emission buildings. The present work investigates possible solutions aimed at phasing out fossil fuel systems in buildings, in accordance with the EPBD requirements. An insulated residential building located in Rome is presented. The proposed refurbishment approach is based on the heating system replacement (heat pump, hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen-ready boiler), and the use of renewable energy produced by a photovoltaic system. The results show that, although the energy optimal solution consists of the replacement of the heat plant with a heat pump coupled to both a PV and a fuel cell system, from the economicfinancial point of view the proven solution of heat pump coupled with PV is still the only feasible one.

ОРГАНИЗАЦИОННО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ПРОЦЕССОВ РЕНОВАЦИИ ЖИЛИЩНОГО ФОНДА

The authors’ study of the organizational and economic problems of the implementation of the State Housing Renovation Program revealed the relevance of the problem of accurately determining the level of budget financing in the presence of various series of mass-built buildings and renovation technologies (demolition, reconstruction or dismantling). The organizational and economic aspects of improving the efficiency of housing renovation processes are considered. The author analyzes modern approaches to the renovation of residential buildings. The main focus is on possible ways to optimize renovation processes in order to increase their efficiency. At the same time, there is no inclusion of measures for possible compensation of budget costs for renovation of the housing stock.

An Automated Prefabricated Facade Layout Definition for Residential Building Renovation

The rising global energy demand has made it essential to reduce energy consumption in the residential building stock. Adding a new insulating envelope with Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) onto the existing buildings’ facade is one way to achieve zero energy consumption in residential buildings. The ENSNARE project aims to semi-automate this process by using prefabricated facade modules and developing new building data acquisition techniques. Prior to this research project, an analysis was carried out and several research gaps were identified. One of the obstacles to using prefabricated modules with RES is that the layout needs to be drawn and adjusted during different phases of the project. That is time-consuming. For this reason, this article describes two new solutions: (1) automated drafting of the optimized layout of prefabricated modules of the facade and the number of solar panels based on the existing residential building model, and (2) automated adjustment of the layout depending on the phase of the renovation project and the accuracy of the measurements in each step. The proposed semi-automated approach has the potential to significantly reduce the time used in drafting the layout of the prefabricated modules, which benefits the whole renovation process, contributing to a more sustainable future for the residential building stock.

Renovation of Residential Buildings of the First Mass Series from A Sustainable Development Point of View

Renovation of Residential Buildings of the First Mass Series from A Sustainable Development Point of View

Overview of international and Moscow experience in urban renovation

Introduction. The problem of rehabilitation and modernization of panel residential buildings covered many European countries in the nineties. The renovation programme started in Moscow in 2017. Despite the typical panel mass housing construction in European countries and in Russia, there are still many urban planning, architectural and construction differences, and therefore different methods of residential renovation have been adopted. Considerable positive and negative construction experience has been accumulated over the past period which should be taken into account for the extension of the renovation to Russian regions.
 Materials and methods. The analysis of socio-economic methods of rehabilitation and modernization of residential buildings in several European countries was carried out, and the experience of residential buildings renovation in Moscow was studied in detail. The organizational and financial conditions for the implementation of residential rehabilitation and renovation programs have been studied and a number of features have been noted.
 Results. Based on the studied methods of implementation of rehabilitation, modernization and renovation programs in Euro­pean cities and in Moscow, a table with positive and negative factors was compiled. Considering these factors, a flowchart for the choice of renovation method in relation to the specific built-up area was developed. The socio-economic vector ofthe renovation programme on the management of the housing and communal services has been proposed.
 Conclusions. When choosing a method of renovation of residential buildings, it is necessary to consider the interests of residents and business entities. For megacities where the number and density of the population is high, the Moscow model of renovation may be preferable, taking into account positive and negative experience. For small cities in Russia, where low-rise buildings are of historical and architectural value and a population density is low, the European renovation experience can be applied. When developing renovation programs, it is important to maintain a balance between new construction and the preservation of historically established urban development.

The impact of building-renovation program on the city’s environment

Implementation of the residential renovation program, which is currently underway in the city of Moscow, as well as in other cities of the Russian Federation, helps to create comfortable and safe living conditions for citizens. In addition, one of the most important tasks of this program is the integrated development of urban areas: development of public spaces, landscaping of districts, organization of parks and recreation areas. These aspects help to create more favorable living conditions and also have a positive impact on the environmental component of the area. As renovation of residential buildings is a combination of renovation or modernization of existing buildings, more attention is being paid to the energy efficiency of buildings, as well as their impact on the environment. For example, modernizing the engineering systems, improving the thermal conductivity of the building envelope and other aspects can reduce greenhouse gas emissions; reduce energy consumption and so on. Thus, the implementation of the housing renovation program, due to its massive scale, has a favorable impact on the environmental condition of the city and its districts.

Environmental and economic optimization and prioritization tool-kit for residential building renovation strategies with life cycle approach

The most recent regulations, as well as the scientific studies, remark the importance of the evaluation of the entire life cycle on building renovations, relative to the environmental impact and economic feasibility, making the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) the prioritizing analysis. The objective of the study is to develop a simplified methodology for the environmental and economic assessment of residential building renovations with life cycle approach. For this, a script-based tool-kit is developed: the first tool optimizes the thickness of envelope insulation based strategies; the second tool is for the prioritization of strategies by assessing their environmental performance and economic feasibility. In order to follow the objective, the development of the two tools is presented: both tools follow a parallel scheme where the input parameters are required by an excel file and the calculation script provides the results automatically by exporting the results excel file. The evaluation provides the quantification of the relative environmental improvement with the net energy ratio (NER), and the economic feasibility by the financial indicator of internal rate of return (IRR). The tool-kit is applied in a case study of a multifamily residential building. The results show, on the one hand, that the usability of the tool-kit can be determinant in the decision-making of stakeholders; and in the other hand, the importance of carrying out a dynamic assessment, taking into account the variation of the results caused by the uncertain parameters that differ in time. Moreover, the tool-kit can assist the development of cost-effective decarbonisation strategies.

A Conceptual Methodology for the Renovation of Multi-apartment Buildings with a Combined Performance and Lifecycle Approach

Background. Renovation of existing buildings has become a crucial tool to keep the built environment functional, by which unnecessary waste of resources can be reduced. Although many assessment methods and indicators are set, with the booming “renovation wave”, a question that counters us is how influential and intact these are as a measuring tool. Several debates have emerged in the literature on the integration of different indicators and approaches to have a better way of accessing the buildings. Purpose. The aim of the study was, first, to have a set of integrated indicators for the renovation of residential buildings and, second, to develop an assessment methodology aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of the renovation process throughout its lifecycle stages. A requirement specification and an outline of the tool were developed based on the literature review and the survey. Design. The study has applied a qualitative multi-method research approach, including an online survey with experts, and case studies. The survey was part of renovation needs, barriers and evaluation methods and indicators comprising four sections addressed to experts about building renovation. The aim was, besides collecting general knowledge about the renovation in practice, to identify key indicators and areas where development or modification could have effect during the renovation. The developed methodology was applied in a case scenario of a multi-apartment building in Lithuania. Conclusions. This paper included the development of a combined methodology which applies to the renovation of the existing multi-apartment buildings with a checklist of indicators corresponding to environment, economic, and social aspects.

Comparing public- and private-driven one-stop-shops for energy renovations of residential buildings in Europe

Energy efficiency in buildings remains an important priority for the European Union. Towards that direction, therole of the one-stop-shops (OSSs) that will offer integrated renovation services has been further enhanced. Thepaper aims to compare public and private-driven OSSs to increase knowledge regarding the way they operate.The business models of ten OSSs for renovation of residential buildings, operating in six European countries havebeen analysed, and further evaluated for their engagement in the critical moments of the renovation customerjourney. Findings show that the majority of examined OSSs have managed to reach some level of standardizationin the way they deliver their service. Additionally, the examined OSSs appear to be engaged in the critical momentsof the renovation customer journey, which can attract the interest of potential customers. Public-drivenOSSs appear to operate smoother in the renovation market and offer services that are considered crucial for theirpotential customers. Their viability though in the absence of public funding needs to be further examined. On theother hand, private-driven OSSs are called to deal with greater challenges in their effort to consolidate their presencein the renovation market. Providing access to financing remains a challenge for private-driven OSSs, whichto attract more customers resort to value additions to their service, which might affect their viability. The studyprovides valuable information and insights about OSSs in operation that could be useful to stakeholders that areactive in the renovation market or interested to enter it.

Policy instruments for energy-efficient renovations at district level

IEA EBC Annex 75 aims to investigate, amongst other policy for reducing carbon emissions and energy use in buildings at district level, combining both energy efficiency measures and renewable energy measures. Particularly policy instruments deployed at the local level targeting owners and investors could increase residential building renovation and renewable energy systems to a district scale. A desk and empirical research using 38 expert interviews from 8 European countries was used to investigate the use and development of various types of policy instruments, including regulations, incentives, communication and facilitating instruments. The research confirms interest of frontrunners to use or develop specific policy instruments further, such as enforcement of energy standards and inspections, financial incentives for district stakeholders and for groups of homeowners, renovation services and energy desks, digital communication and network meetings in districts. It also finds that low relative advantage for some stakeholders, lack of good examples, an incompatible legal or national framework and high complexity are serious risks that can further hinder adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems in districts. Renovations at district scale including energy efficiency and renewable energy can benefit from adapted or improved regulations, incentives, communication and facilitation to better support renovations at district scale including energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.

Reno-DM: A Knowledge model to support the decision-making process in the context of residential building renovation projects

The decision-making process to select solutions in residential building renovation projects is a complex task. These projects encounter rigid governance and ownership structures, participation of multiple stakeholders, diverse requirements, and a lack of consensus regarding methodologies and tools used within the decision-making process. Addressing some of these challenges requires a shared understanding of this domain. Therefore, this paper presents the Renovation-Decision-making (Reno-DM) model mapping key knowledge from the decision-making in renovation projects. It considers project characteristics, context information, building features, and their relation to aspects of the decision-making itself. The development of the Reno-DM model relies on an existing decision-making representation and the extraction of new concepts from interviews with stakeholders taking part in renovation projects and related literature. The interviews are analysed following an inductive content analysis approach. The Reno-DM model is developed in the form of an ontology. It provides a basis from which future knowledge management and reuse applications can be developed and deployed to support improvements in the decision-making process in the renovation field.

Learning and Energy-efficient Renovation of Residential Buildings: The user Perspective

Renovation of residential buildings has gained more attention in recent years. There are several challenges connected to energy efficient renovation of existing buildings. European Commission acknowledges the challenges and emphasizes the need to replicate best practices and learn from lessons. Several research studies have been conducted on the topic of energy-efficient renovation of residential buildings, some of which have highlighted significant aspects that are to be considered in the renovation efforts / projects. One of the aspects is user perspective that encompasses, among other things, user involvement and user behaviour. Knowledge sharing and learning play a significant role in developing and ensuring the user behaviour that is suitable for harvesting the intended benefits of energy-efficient renovation efforts. There can be wonderful energy-efficient solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emission and promote sustainability. But, if the solutions are not used appropriately by the user, then it will hinder achieving the expected positive effect. As a result, developing and implementing the solutions in the first place will lose its very purpose. This paper looks at the user perspective in energy-efficient renovation of residential buildings and describe the learning-points associated with it. Focusing on these learning-points and the user perspective itself has its implication on wider issues such as policy making and future energy consumption. In addition, this paper summarises basic knowledge on understanding users' behaviour regarding energy and consumption, as well as briefly describes tools and examples of research projects that incorporate the users' perspective in their design. This paper is based on narrative literature study. It touches upon aspects related to the Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (Climate action), at least to a certain extent. This paper is connected to an EU-project called "REZBUILD" (https://rezbuildproject.eu/), which focuses on developing decision and planning support for accomplishing near zero-emission in renovation of residential buildings.

A Sequential Multi-Staged Approach for Developing Digital One-Stop Shops to Support Energy Renovations of Residential Buildings

Buildings account for 40% of the European Union’s energy consumption. Deep energy renovation of residential buildings is key for decarbonization and energy poverty alleviation. However, renovation is occurring at far below the needed pace and depth. In this context, building renovation one-stop shops, which bring all project phases under one roof and provide advice, support, and finance to households, are highlighted as a promising solution. Nevertheless, this model is still absent or under-developed in most European countries and remains understudied in the scientific literature. Therefore, the present research goals are as follows: (i) to provide a critical review of emerging one-stop shop models; (ii) to streamline the deployment of building renovation digital one-stop shops by piloting a sequential multi-staged approach for Portuguese households and proposing it for replication elsewhere; and (iii) to compare case-study insights with other one-stop shops and discuss the notion in the context of the European Renovation Wave. In total, for the Portuguese case-study, five steps were conducted. The first three—stakeholder mapping, expert interviews, and customer journey—aimed to gather intel on the local energy renovation market. The results from these stages informed the design of the platform (fourth step). Finally, a post-launch market consultation survey gathered user feedback (fifth step). Insights from this study suggest that digital one-stop shops, while providing a helpful tool to close information gaps and activate specific audiences, may be insufficient on their own. As such, a more comprehensive set of instruments supporting households is needed to accelerate building renovation.