Building envelope and energy demand in retrofitting office

Abstract

Building envelopes have a significant role in the protection of interiors against weather conditions. While wind, rain barriers and barriers against excessive heat gains were constructed from insufficient elements in the past, the current requirements for envelope functions are different. New materials and technologies allow for more complex design and evaluation of parameters in regard to the needs of occupants and economical interior performance. This paper is focused on the daylighting solutions inside lit office space in which renovation of the lighting system is expected. Several retrofit scenarios based on window shading variations and lighting systems are investigated. Achieved results are evaluated from the point of view of energy demand. The integrative multi-platform tool, the Lighting Retrofit Adviser (LRA) is applied to calculate energy renovation preferences and to accept decision.