A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Finnish energy renovation subsidies in multifamily apartment buildings: Lessons learnt and best practices
Abstract This study analysed renovation measures implemented with ARA renovation subsidy in Finland in multifamily apartment buildings. Measured energy data was used to calibrate the energy simulation model of the most typical renovated building from the 1970 s. For the reference building, a comprehensive set of renovation packages were applied to assess the performance of ARA grants. It was noticed that official energy performance certificates (EPC) overestimated before the renovation energy use as well as energy saving by a factor of almost 2. It was notable that in calculated EPCs, after renovation, EP-value was higher than before renovation, EP-value based on measured energy use. The main reasons for faulty energy calculations were strong overestimations in the building leakage rate and ventilation airflow rate. Renovation packages reduced EP-value by 8 % to 27 %, including lighting and appliances. Those using district heat resulted in a small increase in electricity with a flat duration curve, but the combined ground source and exhaust air heat pump showed the highest peak electricity power increase by factor 6. Exhaust air heat pump, window replacement and photovoltaic were the most cost-effective options, while packages with additional insulation faced considerably higher costs than the sum of ARA support and monthly savings could cover bank loans; thus, ARA support was clearly too small to support deep renovation. The need to improve the accuracy of EPCs in assessing energy performance to facilitate more effective financial support was a finding that can be important for any support scheme to secure the necessary funding for renovation.
Finnish energy renovation subsidies in multifamily apartment buildings: Lessons learnt and best practices
Abstract This study analysed renovation measures implemented with ARA renovation subsidy in Finland in multifamily apartment buildings. Measured energy data was used to calibrate the energy simulation model of the most typical renovated building from the 1970 s. For the reference building, a comprehensive set of renovation packages were applied to assess the performance of ARA grants. It was noticed that official energy performance certificates (EPC) overestimated before the renovation energy use as well as energy saving by a factor of almost 2. It was notable that in calculated EPCs, after renovation, EP-value was higher than before renovation, EP-value based on measured energy use. The main reasons for faulty energy calculations were strong overestimations in the building leakage rate and ventilation airflow rate. Renovation packages reduced EP-value by 8 % to 27 %, including lighting and appliances. Those using district heat resulted in a small increase in electricity with a flat duration curve, but the combined ground source and exhaust air heat pump showed the highest peak electricity power increase by factor 6. Exhaust air heat pump, window replacement and photovoltaic were the most cost-effective options, while packages with additional insulation faced considerably higher costs than the sum of ARA support and monthly savings could cover bank loans; thus, ARA support was clearly too small to support deep renovation. The need to improve the accuracy of EPCs in assessing energy performance to facilitate more effective financial support was a finding that can be important for any support scheme to secure the necessary funding for renovation.
Finnish energy renovation subsidies in multifamily apartment buildings: Lessons learnt and best practices
Hajian, Hatef (author) / Pylsy, Petri (author) / Simson, Raimo (author) / Ahmed, Kaiser (author) / Sankelo, Paula (author) / Mikola, Alo (author) / Kurnitski, Jarek (author)
Energy and Buildings ; 307
2024-02-02
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
ARA , Finnish acronym for The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland , AWHP , Air-to-water heat pump , BPIE , Buildings Performance Institute Europe , EAHP , Exhaust air heat pump , EPBD , Energy Performance of Buildings Directive , GSHP , Ground-source heat pump , LTRS , Long-Term renovation strategy , NECP , National Energy and Climate Plan , Energy renovation , Energy Performance Certificate , Deep renovation , ARA renovation subsidies
Elsevier | 2024
|Cost-effectiveness of energy performance renovation measures in Finnish brick apartment buildings
Online Contents | 2017
|Indoor air quality in a multifamily apartment building before and after energy renovation
BASE | 2016
|