Multiple benefits through residential building energy retrofit and thermal resilient design
Published in 6th Residential Building Design & Construction Conference, 2022Mirzabeigi, S., & Razkenari, M. (2022). Multiple benefits through residential building energy retrofit and thermal resilient design. 6th Residential Building Design & Construction Conference (RBDCC), 456-465. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shayan-Mirzabeigi/publication/360461599Multiple benefits through residential building energy retrofit and thermal resilient design
The simulation of thermal resilience of buildings to extreme weather events has been usually separated from that of building energy efficiency technologies. Their interconnections are rarely quantified for residential energy retrofit studies. This study develops a method to assess multiple benefits through residential building energy retrofit and thermal resilient design. In this regard, EnergyPlus and Radiance validated simulation engines are adopted through Ladybug tools in Grasshopper’s interface to calculate the heat stress index of wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and energy use intensity (EUI) as the performance metrics. A week-long heat wave of July 14-20, 2013 caused killing of four elderly citizens across New York City. We conducted a case study of four residential buildings, including single-family houses, brick mid-rise, high-rise, and all glass high-rise apartments where the blackout (power loss) occurred for the same period. Various retrofitting solutions, including but not limited to improving infiltration, adding insulation to exterior walls and roofs, improving windows (applying low-emissivity (low-e)), and implementing natural ventilation, were considered to improve energy efficiency and reduce heat stress of occupants. A comparison was provided between simulation results for the existing condition of buildings and their improved states after retrofitting. Results show that strategies that may not improve energy efficiency may significantly improve thermal resilience. Findings of this paper indicate the importance of implementing scalable solutions in the sense those that are not contributing to energy saving may be considered because of their impact on resilience to extreme heat events.
Download paper