Turning Up the Efficiency: The Office Building Retrofit Challenge

Abstract: This study is a single case study of a building situated in Malmö, Sweden, examining various retrofit measures and their potential impact on the building’s energy performance. A pre-study was carried out to gain knowledge on applicable retrofitting measures from existing literature. Subsequently, the case study consisted of three major phases. In the first phase, building information was collected to understand possible areas of improvement. In the second phase, a model was created to perform energy simulations to examine the efficiency of various retrofit combinations. Finally, in the third phase, the economic feasibility of the different options was evaluated. The data collection process involved a combination of existing blueprints, assumptions based on template data, a site visit, and information provided by the owner. Investment costs were collected from various sources, and energy prices were gathered from area specific yearly futures sources. The study results provide insights into retrofitting strategies for buildings with poor energy performance, where retrofitting measures to the HVAC system significantly impacted energy consumption and the energy saving rate. One optimal retrofit combination of measures was identified based on a trade-off between economic feasibility and potential energy savings. The study concludes that retrofitting existing buildings can lead to substantial energy savings. It is also concluded that adding additional insulation to the external walls and roof beyond a certain point resulted in marginal increases in energy savings. Concurrently, it was found that there is a limit towards which the energy consumption converged as the investment cost increased, magnifying the arguments for finding an optimal solution concerning energy savings and cost.