Energy Savings after Comprehensive Renovations of the Building: A Case Study in the United Kingdom and Italy

Abstract

The housing sector is one of the largest energy consumers in the world. There is an urgent need to renovate the housing stock of existing buildings. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly calculate the energy savings that can be obtained in a renovation project. The correct collection of energy data, the main variables that affect consumption, and people’s usage habits are fundamental elements to quantify the success or consequences that occur in an energy efficiency project. This research study quantifies the results of the energy savings of the European project DREEAM (District Scale Renovation for Energy Efficiency and Market Uptake). This article aims to facilitate the calculation of energy savings with mathematical linear regression models in two different climatic zones in Europe. Furthermore, it aims to improve the calculation of energy savings with mathematical models based on energy data and variables that affect consumption before and after renovations. The variables used for the calculation are hours of use, degree days, and reading days. Tenant behavior has been found to play an important role in actual measured savings. Additionally, the energy consumption patterns of the tenants are different after the renovations.