Energy savings in retrofitted multi-family buildings: New results from the BECA-B (Buildings Energy Use Compilation and Analysis) project

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:6751681

Goldman, C A; Greely, K M

Measured data were compiled and analyzed on 141 retrofit projects in US and Swedish existing multi-family buildings. The costs of conservation measures and practices and the savings they generate were examined. The correlation between energy savings and initial pre-retrofit energy intensity, amount of investment, and choice of measures was discussed. Various HVAC system retrofits (heating controls, equipment measures, and altered operation and maintenance practices) are the most popular conservation strategies in our sample of buildings. Most buildings in the data base are small to medium size multi-family buildings; 60% are between 10 and 50 units; only 10% are more than 100 units. Retrofit costs are less than $250/unit in 40% of the buildings, which suggests that many building owners confined their retrofit efforts to fairly low-cost measures. On average, initial retrofit costs are a lower fraction of annual energy expenditures in our sample of US buildings than in our Swedish buildings (0.6 versus 2.1). Median annual energy savings are 11 MBtu per dwelling unit, or 16% of pre-retrofit energy use. Energy savings are between 10 and 30% in 60% of the retrofit projects. Categorizing each retrofit project by strategy helped explain much of the variation in the amount invested; however, energy savings still varied widely among similar groups. Preliminary results for buildings in the data base suggest that some envelope measures (e.g., ''shell'' package and window measures) have longer payback periods (12 and 16 years, respectively) than many of the heating system retrofit strategies (1-3 years). Individual conservation measures that are particularly effective in specific building and heating system types (e.g., outdoor resets for cold-climate buildings with hydronic boilers) are reported.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6751681
• Report Number(s): LBL-22688; CONF-860818-17; ON: DE87006936
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320105* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Services-- (1987-)
ACCOUNTING
BUILDINGS
ENERGY ACCOUNTING
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RETROFITTING