Innovation in early planning and design for energy efficient retrofitting

The research and development work within the EU-project E2ReBuild, covers the whole renovation process, from early planning to operation of the building following completion and the behaviour of the people living there. This paper will focus on early planning and design and how to create decision criteria for energy efficient retrofitting of resident buildings in cold climates. The aim is a formalised process for early integration of production planning, cost estimation, environmental impact, design and socio-architectural parameters. Many Swedish and European apartment buildings are about 40 – 60 years old, and in an urgent need of extensive renovation and modernisation. However, clear criteria for choosing a renovation strategy are often missing, and decisions are based on emotions and short-term investment costs, rather than on a thorough analysis. Renovation works are therefore not always optimal; they may even hinder future renovations. This project will provide in-depth information of the European building stock in order to analyse and evaluate the refurbishment potential of different building types and to identify successful renovation strategies. Within E2ReBuild, seven different demonstration buildings, from Finland and Sweden in the north to the alp region in southeast France, serve as best practice examples of retrofitting strategies for buildings in cold climates. Information about building location, construction and energy use as well as ownership structures of these demos, are systematically recorded and evaluated. The replication potential for retrofit measures as well as the potential for added values are investigated and mapped. A socio-architectural method will be developed with the aim of bringing the issues of technical refurbishment and added value for tenants up at the same time, providing the opportunity to make energy-efficient retrofitting socially attractive. The energy and environmental impact of the proposed retrofit strategies will be evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment and energy simulations to ensure that the chosen renovation strategies can meet the energy goal of 30-50 kWh/m² for heating, ventilation and domestic hot water. The building typology, socio-architectural model, collaboration models and environmental impact of the chosen retrofit strategies result in an early decision tool: the European Retrofit Advisor. This excel-based tool can be used for a quick evaluation of renovation potential, environmental and social issues, possible solutions and their costs. This paper will present and discuss this European Retrofit Advisor as an early decision tool for sustainable renovation concepts.