Valuation of Ecological Retrofitting Technology in Existing Buildings: A Real-World Case Study

Domenico Enrico Massimo, Vincenzo Del Giudice, Alessandro Malerba, Carlo Bernardo, Mariangela Musolino and Pierfrancesco De Paola
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Domenico Enrico Massimo: GeVaUL, Geomatic Valuation University Laboratory, Patrimony Architecture Urbanism (PAU) Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Vincenzo Del Giudice: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, Italy
Alessandro Malerba: GeVaUL, Geomatic Valuation University Laboratory, Patrimony Architecture Urbanism (PAU) Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Carlo Bernardo: GeVaUL, Geomatic Valuation University Laboratory, Patrimony Architecture Urbanism (PAU) Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Mariangela Musolino: GeVaUL, Geomatic Valuation University Laboratory, Patrimony Architecture Urbanism (PAU) Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Pierfrancesco De Paola: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-35

Abstract: The world’s existing buildings are aged, in a state of deterioration and in need of interventions. When selecting the type of possible intervention to be applied, the choice falls between two alternatives: simple unsustainable ordinary maintenance versus ecological retrofitting i.e., an increase in the quality of the indoor environment and building energy saving using local bio-natural materials and products. The present research seeks to respond to the requests of recent comprehensive reviews which ask for the retrofitting of the world’s huge existing building stocks and portfolios by proposing an approach and testing it in a specific case study (at the unit, building and urban block level) which can then be carried out and repeated in the future on a larger urban scale. The real-world experimentation in the provided case study achieved the important outcome and goal of a Green Building strategy and post-carbon city framework i.e., the significant enhancement of the thermal performance of the buildings as a result of a few targeted key external works and the consequent saving of energy in those already existing (but not preserved and not included in the state national register or record of monuments) Liberty-style constructions. All the above show that these important existing buildings can be ecologically retrofitted at an affordable cost, although initially slightly more expensive than the cost of ordinary unsustainable maintenance. However, this difference is offset by the favorable pay-back period, which is fast, acceptable and of short duration. The tried and tested approach, the positive proposed case study and the experimental database-GIS joint platform (the details of which can be found in an additional supplementary research which is currently being carried out) are the bases on which a future decision support system will be proposed. This support system can be carried out as a tailor- made solution for the ecological retrofitting of the enormous existing building stocks and portfolios which must be considered on a larger scale i.e., at ward, quartier, city, regional and country level.

Keywords: appraisal; valuation; valuation of green building; valuation of post-carbon city strategy; valuation of building energy; energy performance simulation programs (EPSPs); building portfolios and stocks; data base management system; DBMS; GIS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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