Energy retrofits in historic and traditional buildings: A review of problems and methods

Energy retrofits have the potential to reduce building energy consumption and carbon emissions, but face particular challenges when implemented in historic and traditionally constructed buildings. Retrofitting these buildings is a complex balancing act, in which many criteria are balanced against one another in order to achieve continued, long-term use of the building. This article reviews the criteria, analysis methods, and decision-making processes used to assess energy retrofits in historic and traditional buildings. First, the criteria are discussed. While energy consumption and conservation are the dominant criteria, a number of others are also important, including the needs of the building fabric, occupants, and collections, as well as economics, embodied energy, and climate change. Second, several analysis methods for estimating or measuring retrofit performance have emerged as particularly useful for historic and traditional buildings, and these are examined. Third, recent efforts to develop consistent guidance and decision-making processes for selecting retrofits are reviewed. Overall, energy retrofits in these buildings are seen not only as a way to reduce energy consumption, but as a means of preserving them for future generations.