Description
Retrofitting an existing building can often be more cost-effective than building a new facility.
Since buildings consume a significant amount of energy, particularly for heating and cooling and because existing buildings comprise the largest segment of the built environment, it is important to initiate energy conservation retrofits to reduce energy consumption and the cost of heating, cooling, and lighting buildings. Increasing the size of the energy renovation/retrofitting market would move investments towards research , innovation and modernisation of the sector through industrialisation.
Energy renovation is a unique economic opportunity for the GCC region to improve the performance of its existing building stock to be in step with the new building stock constructed currently. Innovation can occur along the overall value-chain of the building sector. Designing major renovations and retrofits for existing buildings to include sustainability initiatives will reduce operation costs and environmental impacts, and can increase building adaptability, durability, and resiliency
An integrated recording tool is needed in order to create a data basis of the energy consumption status of the existing building stock and based on that to evaluate its renovation/retrofitting potential in terms of cost per energy saved and CO2 abated and a decision tool to propose appropriate policy measures.
Publications List
Energy Transition of the EU Building Stock Unleashing the 4th Industrial Revolution in Europe (European Commision)
Retrofitting Existing Buildings to Improve Sustainability and Energy performance (National Institute of Building Sciences)
Building Codes | FEMA.gov (Department of Homeland Security)
Existing Buildings Portal | The Building Codes Assistance Project (Building Codes Assistance Project)