Comparing measured savings and cost effectiveness of multifamily retrofits in the United States and Europe

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Energy Systems and Policy; (USA)

OSTI ID:7064716

Harris, J R; Goldman, C A; Greely, K M; Wenger, F ^[1]; Gsponer, A ^[2]; Richalet, Y ^[3]

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1. Buildings Energy Data Group, Applied Science Div., Lawrence Berkeley Lab., Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (US)
2. Centre Universitaire d'Etude des Problemes de l'Energie, Universite de Geneve, CH-1211 Geneve 24 (CH)
3. Ecole National des Travaux Publics de l'Etat, 69120 Vaulx-en-Velin (FR)

In both the United States and Europe, multifamily buildings use a significant fraction of (nontransportation) oil and have increasingly been targeted by residential energy conservation and research programs. Lawrence Berkeley laboratory and several European collaborators have compiled and analyzed measured data on retrofit savings and cost effectiveness for 150 fuel-heated multifamily retrofit projects in the United States and for 130 projects in Europe. Energy savings in the United States, France, and Sweden were typically 14--18% of preretrofit energy use for space heat and hot water. Swiss buildings saved about 23%, but with much higher investments in conservation and greater emphasis on shell insulation rather than (lower-cost) heating system improvements. Median simply payback times for U.S. multifamily buildings were about 5 years; paybacks for the European retrofits were three to six times longer. In each country, heating system measures were generally more cost effective than shell improvements as a result of lower retrofit costs and comparable savings. Even after retrofit, the U.S. multifamily buildings were significantly more energy than the European buildings. This comparison, as well as the types of retrofits observed in the U.S. projects, suggests that many opportunities remain for improving efficiency in existing U.S. multifamily buildings.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 7064716
• Journal Information: Energy Systems and Policy; (USA), Journal Name: Energy Systems and Policy; (USA) Vol. 13:2; ISSN 0090-8347; ISSN ESYPB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
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& Commercialization
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320105 -- Energy Conservation
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320106* -- Energy Conservation
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BUILDINGS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EUROPE
HEATING SYSTEMS
NORTH AMERICA
OPTIMIZATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
USA