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Heritage
Special Issues
Sustainable and Comprehensive Energy Renovation of Heritage Buildings
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Sustainable and Comprehensive Energy Renovation of Heritage Buildings

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 7009

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jørgen Rose

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: energy efficiency in buildings; renewable energy sources; building renovation; disctrict scale renovation; thermal bridges; building simulation and building physics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Kirsten Engelund Thomsen

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: energy efficiency in buildings; renewable energy sources; building renovation; energy requirements

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building sector accounts for approx. 40% of primary energy use and associated CO2 emissions, and it is expected that 85–95% of the existing building stock will still be extant in 2050. Therefore, energy-efficient renovation and the utilization of renewable energy sources will be vital in the transition towards a low-emissions society.

The European Union has set a goal of completely decarbonization of building stock by 2050. As such, there is a need for strategies and initiatives that can speed up the process considerably if ambitious goals are to be reached.

Historic and heritage buildings present a significant challenge when it comes to reducing energy consumption to mitigate climate change. These buildings need careful renovation. In fact, increasing their energy efficiency is often associated with a high level of complexity since considerations for heritage values can often reduce and impede possibilities, sometimes even ruling out certain improvements completely. Compared to new buildings, the building physics of historic buildings are more complicated in terms of hygrothermal performance. In particular, if internal insulation is applied and the building’s cultural valuable is to be maintained, then dehumidification is needed for robust and risk-free future. Ventilation in historic buildings, by avoiding the damage caused by moisture accumulation, is also a key parameter in terms the enhancement of comfort and health for the inhabitants as well as the conservation of the building structure.

This Special Issue intends to present a selection of papers addressing a wide range of examples of sustainable and comprehensive energy renovation of heritage buildings.

Dr. Jørgen Rose
Guest Editor

Kirsten Engelund Thomsen
Co-Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • historic buildings
  • sustainable building renovation
  • life-cycle analysis
  • life-cycle costing
  • balancing energy efficiency and renewables
  • sustainable policies and tools
  • energy requirements
  • indoor climate

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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23 pages, 6299 KiB  
Article
Methodological Proposal to Resolve the Dichotomy between Improving Energy Efficiency and Preserving Heritage—Case Study: Brutalist Built Heritage
by Eneko J. Uranga, Iñigo Lizundia and Leire Azcona
Heritage 2024, 7(7), 3554-3576; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7070167 - 3 Jul 2024
Viewed by 938
Abstract
The debate about how to conduct energy interventions in built heritage remains open. At present, the various European and national regulations allow the absence of energy intervention in cases where the character of a building with recognized heritage value would be jeopardized. This [...] Read more.
The debate about how to conduct energy interventions in built heritage remains open. At present, the various European and national regulations allow the absence of energy intervention in cases where the character of a building with recognized heritage value would be jeopardized. This situation means that heritage preservation and energy improvement are divided into two airtight and unconnected blocs. It is possible and necessary to break that dichotomy by taking steps that enable both blocs to interrelate. Based on a methodology previously proposed by the authors to regulate changes in the urban landscape due to the rehabilitation of residential building façades, as a novel aspect, this article proposes taking a further step in the methodological process. Several criteria to balance the level of energy intervention for all buildings are thus introduced, according to the urban and architectural characteristics of each building, irrespective of their use and degree of protection. It is concluded that such a balance is possible when certain indicators are used and when determined action criteria are applied. However, one of the architectural characteristics more susceptible to being affected when undertaking an energy intervention on a building’s thermal enclosure is the materiality, which becomes especially important in the case of brutalist architecture with reinforced concrete, one of its most identifying features, giving it a specific personality. That architectural movement was therefore chosen for a case study, applying the proposed methodology to three brutalist buildings in the area of San Sebastián, Spain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Comprehensive Energy Renovation of Heritage Buildings)
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30 pages, 4574 KiB  
Article
P-Renewal Project: A Reflexive Contribution to the Evolution of Energy Performance Standards for the Renovation of Historic Buildings
by Sophie Trachte and Dorothée Stiernon
Heritage 2024, 7(3), 1539-1568; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7030074 - 12 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1558
Abstract
To meet European carbon neutrality targets and comply with building energy performance regulations, renovating historic buildings is considered one of the most challenging tasks for the construction sector. On one hand, commonly employed renovation solutions are often more difficult to implement on these [...] Read more.
To meet European carbon neutrality targets and comply with building energy performance regulations, renovating historic buildings is considered one of the most challenging tasks for the construction sector. On one hand, commonly employed renovation solutions are often more difficult to implement on these structures. On the other hand, renovation work must be carried out while preserving their heritage value and integrity. The European standard EN 16883 on conservation and energy renovation performance of cultural heritage was developed in 2017 with the aim of facilitating energy performance improvements in historic buildings while respecting their cultural significance. In pursuit of the same objective, the “P-Renewal” project focuses on the energy retrofit of pre-war Walloon housing with heritage value, providing valuable support through a reflective process and decision-making tools. These tools enable the selection of renovation strategies that effectively combine the preservation of heritage value with improvements in internal comfort, energy efficiency, and environmental performance. This study compares the reflective process of the research project with the guidelines of the standard EN 16883 and discusses the transferability of this contribution to other European contexts. This will significantly contribute to the evolution of energy performance standards for the renovation of historic buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Comprehensive Energy Renovation of Heritage Buildings)
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17 pages, 6217 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Implementation of Energy Retrofits in Historic Buildings: A Demonstration of the Energy Conservation Potential and Lessons Learned for Upscaling
by Daniel Herrera-Avellanosa, Jørgen Rose, Kirsten Engelund Thomsen, Franziska Haas, Gustaf Leijonhufvud, Tor Brostrom and Alexandra Troi
Heritage 2024, 7(2), 997-1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7020048 - 15 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3604
Abstract
This study presents an in-depth analysis of 69 case studies focusing on the energy retrofit of historic buildings, uncovering challenges, best practices, and lessons learned to balance energy efficiency improvements with heritage preservation. The findings highlight several challenges encountered during renovations, such as [...] Read more.
This study presents an in-depth analysis of 69 case studies focusing on the energy retrofit of historic buildings, uncovering challenges, best practices, and lessons learned to balance energy efficiency improvements with heritage preservation. The findings highlight several challenges encountered during renovations, such as complex heritage evaluations, restrictions on alterations, coordination issues with authorities, technical limitations, higher investment costs, and knowledge gaps. On the other hand, identifying factors promoting renovation, including demonstrating energy savings while respecting heritage, early collaboration between planners and authorities, and quantifying investments, could incentivize owners and authorities. The limitations of a still-limited sample size, occasional incomplete data, and potential sample bias call for cautious interpretation of the presented analysis. Despite these, the study provides valuable insights into successful projects, emphasizing the need for scalability, knowledge transfer from innovative policies, and targeted policy-making for successful replication. The study concludes with a call for further development of the HiBERatlas (Historic Building Energy Retrofit atlas), an extensive resource for historic building renovation, expanding its database, collaborating with agencies, and tailoring guidance for stakeholders to foster energy retrofits in heritage buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Comprehensive Energy Renovation of Heritage Buildings)
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