Assessment of Energy Efficiency of Retrofitting Existing Residential Buildings Using Multiple Energy-Saving Measures

Retrofitting of existing buildings is one of the most effective ways to decrease building energy consumptions and reduce CO2 emissions, making buildings more comfortable and sustainable. This research aims at improving the energy performance of existing buildings through minimizing lighting, cooling, and heating loads. The study has used a real case data and energy efficiency simulation using IES-VE, a software package for building energy analysis and sustainable design. A single existing family building in Jordan has been used as a case study. The paper has studied many energy saving measures based on the economical value, the technological and the architectural features of the building, in order to show how related variables could improve the building’s energy performance. The research has studied variables like roof insulation, shading devices, and double-glazing. A combination of all the strategies has resulted in an efficient retrofit measure that has helped reducing energy consumption by an average of 40% annually, controlling heat loss, and gain. Roof insulation and shading devices have been the most efficient measures for reducing energy consumption in buildings while the PV has been the most efficient as energy saving. The results of this research have approved that studying retrofit scenarios on real case and have helped to provide real measurements and real impact of applying energy measures and how to develop simulation setting. It has helped developing guidelines and references for decision and policy makers, future investments and designer based on the research results. A matrix has been developed to compromise between initial cost, performance, feasibility, payback period of retrofit technologies, and finally installation process.