Informed Building Retrofit based on Simulation and Data Analysis

With the availability of the many energy efficient technologies, significant reduction in energy consumption can be expected through retrofit of existing buildings. To achieve a cost-effective retrofit, however, a good understanding of the building system is necessary. In this study, two office buildings under retrofit in the Philadelphia area have been evaluated based on measured data and simulation outputs. The results showed that even with limited data points available, some inefficient operations and designs could be identified when combined with simulation of the integrated building systems. Thermal comfort could also be improved with appropriate redesign or controls of the buildings evaluated. By incorporating the hard constraints of the existing systems, the corresponding retrofit measures can be more cost effective. A sensitivity analysis of some key design and operation parameters provided further potential energy savings with relaxed system constraints.