Optimal design in energy retrofit interventions on building stocks: A decision support system

Abstract

During the last years, a growing interest has pivoted around strategies and methodologies for energy efficiency in buildings. Nevertheless, the attention has always been primarily directed to single properties, while the scientific research still lacks in solutions for building portfolios. Assets owners, instead, would require reliable decision-support systems in order to implement the most effective retrofit solutions. Hence, this study intends to elaborate a process to identify the optimal allocation of financial resources for energy enhancements in large building portfolios. Some novelties characterize this research. First, the approach developed covers each aspect of energy retrofits, from energy consumption assessment to on-site construction and management. Second, the level of detail requested is not excessively burdensome, ensuring good reliability. Third, the approach is interdisciplinary, connecting energy forecast techniques, economic analyses with operational research. The method developed has been implemented on a portfolio of 25 buildings in North Italy for testing and validation. It was possible to compare several design alternatives and reach for the best outcome, which demonstrated how this decision support system could be successfully used for real applications.