Energy Efficiency Measures Applied to Heritage Retrofit Buildings: A Simulated Student Housing Case Study in Vienna

Abstract

One pavilion was selected for deep retrofitting from the Otto Wagner area situated in the west of Vienna. The retrofitting process involves sustainable and energy-efficient construction to improve the energy performance and energy production potential of the building while preserving the cultural heritage and significance. This four-story pavilion was re-designed according to the proposed regulations of a net positive energy university building to become a student residence. Architectural, building envelope, and engineering interventions along with various changes were simulated through the Sefaira tool in the SketchUp model. These included: optimization of the U-values of the roof, walls, and floor; the addition of different layers of sustainable energy-efficient insulation materials to decrease the overall energy demand. The specific energy demands for heating, cooling, and lighting were decreased in the proposed model to reduce the total energy use intensity from 248.9 kWh/(m2 year) to 54.3 kWh/(m2 year) resulting in a 78.2% reduction. The main goal of this study is to try and achieve a net positive energy status building as part of the Otto Wagner area by improving the building envelope and integrating renewable energies. A total of 22.5% of the annual energy consumption was generated by the designed PV system. The selected building achieved the passive house standards in Austria by optimizing the energy performance with the proposed energy efficiency measures.