Case study of the energy performance of a school building in Laholm, Sweden : Energy modeling for the formulation of efficient renovation strategies

Abstract: This study has been focusing on a school located in the municipality of Laholm, South of Sweden. Employing an energy balance of the last five (5) years, a proposal for measures is made in terms of performance for comparison with the baseline of the current consumption trend. This comparison allowed us to narrow down the alternatives for the renovation with the potential to have a great impact on the school's energy use and indoor environment, but also on the preserved characteristics without any violation of the laws and regulations. A complementary analysis was used to analyze important variables for decision-making and implementation of improvements. This analysis consists of an exergy analysis which was utilized as a pre-design tool for an optimized building renovation proposal. Exergy losses were calculated to assess the performance of the systems. The study revealed that in relation to the use of new technologies and materials, aerogel and vacuum insulation panels bring relevant savings as their insulation mechanisms are the most efficient for such a building in a climate like Laholm. As for the heating system, it was evident that the use of a geothermal heat pump associated to PV panels brings considerable energy benefits when compared to the current oil boiler system and given that the village does not yet have a local district heating system. When the proposed measures are applied during 2022- 2023, the results will show that also older buildings can be energy efficient which is demanded of the buildings stock throughout the European Union.