Retrofitting strategy for building envelopes to achieve energy efficiency

Abstract

With the excessive energy consumption worldwide, the demand for saving strategies increases. Energy consumption in public buildings increased drastically over the last decade. Significant policy actions towards the promotion of energy-efficiency in the building sector have been developed with different intensity and structure. This study aims at proposing a retrofit strategy in an attempt to improve energy efficiency in a sample of higher educational buildings located in a hot arid climate (Egypt). Retrofitting some of the building’s envelope features can provide comfort without compromising functional needs. Comfort needs, which include thermal, visual and acoustical, can reduce energy consumption. Emphasis is placed on thermal comfort in terms of energy efficiency. Some of the important measures used in the retrofitting process of the building envelope include: external walls’ insulation, windows’ glazing type, air tightness (infiltration) and solar shading. The study results show that simple retrofit strategies such as solar shading, window glazing, air tightness then insulation can reduce energy consumption of an average of 33%. From the feasible envelope features’ used in this study, the research provides a suggestion for design codes that maintains thermal comfort, propose a feasible strategy for retrofitting and a baseline reference specifically devised for local energy efficiency. Keywords: Retrofit, Energy-efficiency, Thermal comfort, Building envelope, Higher educational spaces, Simulation tools, Hot aid zones