Energy Use and Perceived Indoor Environment in a Swedish Multifamily Building before and after Major Renovation

Abstract

Improved energy efficiency in the building sector is a central goal in the European Union and renovation of buildings can significantly improve both energy efficiency and indoor environment. This paper studies the perception of indoor environment, modelled indoor climate and heat demand in a building before and after major renovation. The building was constructed in 1961 and renovated in 2014. Insulation of the façade and attic and new windows reduced average U-value from 0.54 to 0.29 W/m2·K. A supply and exhaust ventilation system with heat recovery replaced the old exhaust ventilation. Heat demand was reduced by 44% and maximum supplied heating power was reduced by 38.5%. An on-site questionnaire indicates that perceived thermal comfort improved after the renovation, and the predicted percentage dissatisfied is reduced from 23% to 14% during the heating season. Overall experience with indoor environment is improved. A sensitivity analysis indicates that there is a compromise between thermal comfort and energy use in relation to window solar heat gain, internal heat generation and indoor temperature set point. Higher heat gains, although reducing energy use, can cause problems with high indoor temperatures, and higher indoor temperature might increase thermal comfort during heating season but significantly increases energy use.

Design and Operation of Constructions: A Healthy Living Environment-Parametric Studies and New Solutions

“…The high humidity in building materials (which causes condensation on surfaces) must be differentiated from the humidity in the air in the living spaces. Several studies have associated slightly increased air humidity in houses or offices with beneficial effects on health and work capacity [35,36].…”

The Impact on System Performance When Renovating a Multifamily Building Stock in a District Heated Region

“…An extensive renovation with additional ventilation measures comprises scenario 2. The renovation package of scenario 2 also includes the measures carried out in 2014, and previously studied by La Fleur et al [71,79]. Furthermore, scenario 3 consists of a substitution from DH to GSHP, scenario 4 adds measures on the envelope and, lastly, added ventilation measures make up scenario 5.…”

Energy Renovation versus Demolition and Construction of a New Building—A Comparative Analysis of a Swedish Multi-Family Building

“…The analysis is based on the geometry of an existing 1960s building located in central Linköping, Sweden. The building underwent renovation in 2014, and the effects on the building from the renovation have been previously been studied with regard to energy demand and indoor environment, using an empirically validated whole building energy simulation model [16,50]. To address the choice between energy renovation and the demolition and construction of a new building with regard to the differences in thermal performance, three additional construction types have been included in the analysis.…”

“…The potential for a reduction in energy 2 of 27 use from insulation is revealed to be enormous. A significant reduction in heat demand has also been achieved by installing a balanced mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery as part of buildings renovation [12,13,16]. Several studies have shown that the implementation of EEMs in energy renovation of buildings have the potential to reduce the energy demand to a low energy building, passive house, or nearly-zero energy building standard [6,9,17,18].…”