Share:


Evaluation of cost-optimal retrofit investment in buildings: the case of Bragança fire station, Portugal

Abstract

Office buildings built before the entry into force of the first thermal regulation in 1991 constitute a relevant group for analysing the energy performance of the Portuguese building sector. A dynamic energy simulation was used to assess the energy performance of an existing office building located in the town of Bragança, Portugal. Four energy efficiency measures were selected and a financial evaluation through the internal rate of return (IRR) method was undertaken to choose the best retrofit option for improving the building’s energy performance. An investment package consisting of the roof insulation and a new equipment for the domestic hot water system presented an IRR higher than the discount rate used in the analysis, and, thus, a positive financial return. The results of the study also suggest that the EU’s comparative methodology framework is not particularly suitable for assessing building retrofit investment at the private investor’s perspective and further refinement in the cost-effective approach to renovations is needed to help stimulate building’s energy renovation market. Suggestions for further studies conducted for office buildings in the different climate zones in Portugal are also proposed.

Keyword : building retrofitting, cost-optimality, dynamic energy simulation, economic assessment, energy performance, service building

How to Cite
Cova, S., Andrade, C., Soares, O., & Lopes, J. (2021). Evaluation of cost-optimal retrofit investment in buildings: the case of Bragança fire station, Portugal. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 25(5), 369–381. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2021.15082
Published in Issue
Jul 8, 2021
Abstract Views
612
PDF Downloads
578
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Aguiar, R., & Graça, J. (2019, February 14). Custo-ótimo: residências isoladas novas. Relatório em cumprimento da Diretiva 2010/31/ EU (EPBD) e Regulamento Delegado (UE) n.º 244/2012, relativo ao cálculo dos níveis ótimos de rentabilidade dos requisitos mínimos de desempenho energético dos edifícios e componentes de edifício. DGEG, Lisbon, Portugal (in Portuguese).

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. (2017). ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140-2017. Standard method of test for the evaluation of building energy analysis computer programs. ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA.

Bogdan, A., & Ilektra, K. (2013). Implementing cost-optimal methodology in EU countries: lessons from three case studies. Building Performance Institute Europe (BPIE). https://www.bpie.eu/publication/implementing-the-cost-optimal-methodology-in-eu-countries/

Capros, P., De Vita, A., Tasios, N., Siskos, P., Kannavou, M., Petropoulos, A., Evangelopoulou, S., Zampara, M., Papadopoulos, D., Paroussos, L., Fragiadakis, K., Tsani, S., Fragkos, P., Kouvaritakis, N., Höglund-Isaksson, L., Winiwarter, W., Purohit, P., Gomez-Sanabria, A., Frank, S., Forsel, N., Gusti, M., Havlík, P., Obersteiner, M., Witzke, H., & Kesting, M. (2016). EU energy, transport and GHG emissions – trends to 2050 (A Report prepared for the Directorate-General for Climate Action and the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport by E3M-Lab of the ICCS-NTUA). Greece. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/20160713%20draft_publication_REF2016_v13.pdf

Castellazi, L., Zangheri, P., Paci, D., Economidou, M., Labanca, N., Ribeiro Serrenho, T., Panev, S., Zancanela, P., & Broc, J. S. (2019). Assessment of second long-term renovation strategies under the Energy Efficiency Directive. Joint Research Centre (JRC) for Policy Report, the European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/assessment-second-long-term-renovation-strategies-under-energy-efficiency-directive

Chapman, R. E., & Kasi, M. (2012). Benefits of using ASTM building economics standards for the design, construction, and operation of constructed facilities (NIST Special Publication No. 1098). US Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Conci, M., Thaleia, K., van den Dobbelsteen, A., & Schneider, J. (2019). Trade-off between the economic and environmental impact of different decarbonisation strategies for residential buildings. Building and Environment, 155, 137–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.03.051

Cype Ingenieros. (2020, May 15). Gerador de preços para a construção civil, Portugal. http://www.geradordeprecos.info/

Directorate-General for Energy and Geology. (2013). Cálculo dos níveis ótimos de rentabilidade dos requisitos mínimos de desempenho energético dos edifícios e componentes de edifícios: edifícios hoteleiros. DGEG & ADENE, Lisbon, Portugal (in Portuguese).

Directorate-General for Energy and Geology. (2019). Long-term national strategy for the mobilisation of investment in building renovation. DGEG, Lisbon, Portugal.

DGEG, & ADENE. (2019). Calculation of cost-optimal levels of the minimum energy performance requirements of buildings and building elements: hotel buildings. DGEG & ADENE, Lisbon, Portugal.

European Central Bank. (2020, July 3). Euro area bank interest rate statistics – May 2020. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/stats/mfi/html/ecb.mir2005~82d80452ce.en.html

Economidou, M. (2011). Europe’s building under the microscope. BPIE Publications.

Economidou, M., & Bertoldi, P. (2014). Financing energy renovations in the European building stock. JRC for Policy Report, the European Commission. https://e3p.jrc.ec.europa.eu/articles/financing-energy-renovations-european-building-stock

European Court of Auditors. (2020). Energy efficiency in buildings: greater focus on cost-effectiveness is still needed (Special Report). European Court of Auditors, Luxembourg. https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/SR20_11/SR_Energy efficiency_in_buildings_EN.pdf

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2002). Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:001:0065:0071:EN:PDF

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2006). Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive
93/76/EEC. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32006L0032

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2010). Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings amending Directive 2002/91/EC. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02010L0031-20210101

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2012a). Commission Delegated Regulation No 244/2012/EC of 16 January 2012 supplementing Directive 2010/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings by establishing a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/GA/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0244

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2012b). Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32012L0027

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2016). Factsheets: buildings in EU countries: Portugal. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/port.pdf

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2018a). Directive 2018/2002/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 amending Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2018.328.01.0210.01.ENG

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2018b). Directive 2018/844/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2018.156.01.0075.01.ENG

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2018c). Directive 2018/2001/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast). https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018L2001&from=EN

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (2019). Clean energy for all European package. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/b4e46873-7528-11e9-9f05-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

European Parliament, & Council of the European Union. (n.d.). EU Building Stock Observatory. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/eu-bso_en~

Fabbri, M., De Groote, M., & Rapf, O. (2016). Building renovations passport – customised roadmaps towards deep renovations and better homes. BPIE. http://bpie.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Building-Passport-Report_2nd-edition.pdf

Ferrari, S., & Beccali, M. (2017). Energy-environmental and cost assessment of a set of strategies for retrofitting a public building toward nearly zero-energy building target. Sustainable Cities and Society, 32, 226–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2017.03.010

Ferreira, M., Almeida, M., Rodrigues, A., & Silva, S. M. (2016). Comparing cost-optimal and net-zero energy targets in building retrofit. Building Research & Information, 44(2), 188–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2014.975412

Fragoso, R., & Baptista, N. (2016). EPBD implementation in Portugal: status in December 2016. Concerted Action, Energy Performance of Buildings, ADENE.

Government Gazette. (1990). Decree/Law 40/90 of 6 February 1990. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/334611

Government Gazette. (2006a). Decree/Law 78/2006 of 4 April 2006. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/672458

Government Gazette. (2006b). Decree/Law 79/2006 of 4 April 2006. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/672459

Government Gazette. (2006c). Decree/Law 80/2006 of 4 April 2006. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/672456

Government Gazette. (2013a). Decree/Law 118/2013 of 20 August 2013: system of buildings’ energy performance and certification, regulation of residential building energy performance, regulation of non-residential building energy performance (in Portuguese). https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/499237

Government Gazette. (2013b). Ministerial Decision nº 15793E/2013 of 2 December 2013. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/2975218

Government Gazette. (2013c). Ministerial Decision nº 15793F/2013 of 2 December 2013. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/2975219

Government Gazette. (2013d). Ministerial Order nº 349-D/2013 of 2 December. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/263693

Government Gazette. (2013e). Ministerial Decision nº 15793D/2013 of 2 December 2013. https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/263693

Government of Portugal. (2019). Roadmap for carbon neutrality 2050 (RNC50): long-term strategy for carbon neutrality of the Portuguese economy (Report No. 262/2019). Government Publications, Lisbon, Portugal.

Government of Portugal. (2020a). National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 (PNEC 2030): Resolution of Council of Ministers nº53/2020 published in Government Gazette, 10 July 2020. Lisbon, Portugal

Government of Portugal. (2020b). Estratégia de Longo Prazo para a Renovação de Edifícios (Public discussion document). Government Publications (in Portuguese).

Hermelink, A. H., & de Jager, D. (2015). Evaluating our future – the crucial role of discount rates in European Commission energy system modelling. The European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy & Ecofys. https://www.eceee.org/static/media/uploads/site-2/policy-areas/discount-rates/evaluating-our-future-report.pdf

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2015). Climate Change, 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/05/SYR_AR5_FINAL_full_wcover.pdf

Kapsalaki, M., Leal, V., & Santamouris, M. (2012). A methodology for economic efficient design of Net Zero Energy Buildings. Energy and Buildings, 55, 765–778.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.10.022

Kamari, A., Jensen, S. R., Corrao, R., & Kirkegaard, P. H. (2019). A holistic multi-methodology for sustainable renovation. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 23(1), 50–64. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2019.6375

Lopes, A., & Cova, S. (2018). Simulação dinâmica de um edíficio de comércio e serviços. Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (in Portuguese).

Pinto, A. (2014, December). Estudo de cálculo dos níveis ótimos de rentabilidade dos requisitos mínimos de desempenho energético dos edifícios e componentes de edifícios (Report No. 473/2014). DED/NAICI, DGEG, Lisbon, Portugal (in Portuguese).

Pordata. (2020, May 15). Interest rates on new loan operations (annual average) to individuals: total and by purpose type. https://www.pordata.pt/en/Portugal/Interest+rates+on+new+type-2845

Portuguese Energy Agency. (2018, July). Energy efficiency trends and policies in Portugal. https://www.odyssee-mure.eu/publications/national-reports/energy-efficiency-portugal.pdf

Ramesh, T., Prakash, R., & Shukla, K. K. (2010). Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: an overview. Energy and Buildings, 42, 1592–1600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2010.05.007

Rodrigues, F., Parada, M., Vicente, R., Oliveira, R., & Rodrigues, A. (2015). High energy efficiency retrofits in Portugal. Energy Procedia, 83, 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.12.209

Ruegg, R., & Marshall, H. (1990). Building economics: theory and practice (1st ed.). Springer Science+Business Media.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4688-4

Santos, C., & Matias, L. (2006). Coeficientes de transmissão térmica de elementos da envolvente de edifícios-ITE 50. National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, ICT, Lisbon (in Portuguese).

Statistics Portugal. (2019). Notice Nº 15225/2019: coeficientes de atualização dos diversos tipos de arrendamento rural e urbano a vigorar no ano de 2020. INE, Lisbon (in Portuguese). http://dre.pt/application/conteudo/125030927

Steinbach, J., & Staniaszek, D. (2015, May). Discount rates in energy system analysis (Discussion paper). BPIE. https://bpie.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Discount_rates_in_energy_system-discussion_paper_2015_ISI_BPIE.pdf

Tadeu, S., Rodrigues, C., Tadeu, A., Freire, F., & Simões, F. (2015). Energy retrofit of historic buildings: environmental assessment of cost-optimal solutions. Journal of Building Engineering, 4, 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2015.09.009

Tadeu, S., Alexandre, R., Tadeu, A., Antunes, C., Simões, N. A. V., & da Silva, P. (2016). A comparison between cost optimality and return on investment for energy retrofit buildings – a real options perspective. Sustainable Cities and Society, 21, 12–25.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2015.11.002

Vasconcelos, A., Pinheiro, M., Manso, A., & Cabaço, A. (2015). A Portuguese approach to define reference buildings for cost-optimal methodologies. Applied Energy, 140, 316–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.11.035

ZEBRA2020. (2016). Nearly zero-energy building strategy 2020: strategies for a nearly zero-energy building market transition in the European Union. https://www.zebra2020.eu/website/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ZEBRA2020_Strategies-for-nZEB_07_LQ_single-pages-1.pdf