Long-term effects of additional insulation of building façades in Sweden

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate long-term effects of previous policies for energy efficiency on energy performance and heritage values. A further ambition is to better understand the relationship between energy and preservation by exploring a quantitative method of combining energy performance data with official heritage designation. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a quantitative analysis of energy performance, completed additional insulations, and official heritage classification for individual buildings. Data have been collected and analysed for a sample consisting of 289 multi-family buildings heated with district heating and constructed 1940–1949 in an urban area in Stockholm, Sweden. Findings The data exhibit a significant correlation between the studied features. The study further shows that additional insulation has been installed in roughly half of the buildings. The large majority of them were carried out in the national programme for home improvement called ROT. Research limitations/implications The findings indicate that previous policies for energy efficiency had an important effect on energy performance and heritage values in the studied area. They continue to affect urban planning and building permit administration today. Research of the physics of individual buildings would be needed in order to determine the reason for differences in the sample. Originality/value By presenting a novel method, the study provides a useful tool for policy makers to bridge the gap between issues of energy and preservation and adopt a more holistic approach towards a sustainable built environment.

Energy policy and conservation planning in Sweden: a longitudinal evaluation

“…In Sweden, building conservation has had to step aside for policies ultimately designed to boost IJBPA 38,4 the level of employment in the building sector and to upgrade the housing stock (Tunefalk and Legn er, 2019a). A study of Arsta (a district of multi-family buildings built in the 1940s) in Stockholm showed that façade insulation improved energy efficiency considerably, while at the same time, permanently diminishing the architectural values and thus giving the buildings weaker legal protection (Tunefalk and Legn er, 2019b). Even when carried out in a seemingly sensitive way and according to guidelines, thermal insulation of facades has diminished the architectural values of even modern buildings.…”