Conservation-Compatible Retrofit Solutions in Historic Buildings: An Integrated Approach

Alessia Buda, Ernst Jan de Place Hansen, Alexander Rieser, Emanuela Giancola, Valeria Natalina Pracchi, Sara Mauri, Valentina Marincioni, Virginia Gori, Kalliopi Fouseki, Cristina S. Polo López, Alessandro Lo Faro, Aitziber Egusquiza, Franziska Haas, Eleonora Leonardi and Daniel Herrera-Avellanosa
Additional contact information
Alessia Buda: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Ernst Jan de Place Hansen: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU), 2450 Copenhagen, Denmark
Alexander Rieser: Department of Energy-Efficient Buildings, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Emanuela Giancola: Department of Energy, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológica (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Valeria Natalina Pracchi: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Sara Mauri: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Valentina Marincioni: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER), University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK
Virginia Gori: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER), University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK
Kalliopi Fouseki: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER), University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK
Cristina S. Polo López: Department for Environment Construction and Design (DACD), Institute for Applied Sustainability to the Built Environment (ISAAC), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), 6850 Mendrisio, Switzerland
Alessandro Lo Faro: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Università di Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Aitziber Egusquiza: TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Spain
Franziska Haas: Eurac Research, Institute for Renewable Energy, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Eleonora Leonardi: Eurac Research, Institute for Renewable Energy, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Daniel Herrera-Avellanosa: Eurac Research, Institute for Renewable Energy, 39100 Bolzano, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: Historic, listed, or unlisted, buildings account for 30% of the European building stock. Since they are complex systems of cultural, architectural, and identity value, they need particular attention to ensure that they are preserved, used, and managed over time in a sustainable way. This implies a demand for retrofit solutions able to improve indoor thermal conditions while reducing the use of energy sources and preserving the heritage significance. Often, however, the choice and implementation of retrofit solutions in historic buildings is limited by socio-technical barriers (regulations, lack of knowledge on the hygrothermal behaviour of built heritage, economic viability, etc.). This paper presents the approach devised in the IEA-SHC Task 59 project (Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy) to support decision makers in selecting retrofit solutions, in accordance with the provision of the EN 16883:2017 standard. In particular, the method followed by the project partners to gather and assess compatible solutions for historic buildings retrofitting is presented. It focuses on best practices for walls, windows, HVAC systems, and solar technologies. This work demonstrates that well-balanced retrofit solutions can exist and can be evaluated case-by-case through detailed assessment criteria. As a main result, the paper encourages decision makers to opt for tailored energy retrofit to solve the conflict between conservation and energy performance requirements.

Keywords: compatible retrofit solutions; built heritage; energy efficiency; sustainable preservation (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 (4)

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