Retrofitting High-Rise Residential Building in Cold and Severe Cold Zones of China—A Deterministic Decision-Making Mechanism

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a deterministic decision-making mechanism for finding the optimum set of retrofit solutions of existing high-rise residential buildings in two different climatic zones of China. The retrofit solutions were critically examined with different energy saving targets based on the local climatic conditions, building features, and retrofit costs in cold and severe cold zones comparatively. By making the extensive review and analyzing considerable statistics data and cost information, net present value (NPV) method was employed in the prototype building apartments to develop this deterministic model. The results demonstrated that the heating system is the most important factor in saving energy and obtaining the optimum revenue in these two regions. The highest optimal NPV can be obtained by achieving 60% energy saving in the cold zone, as energy saving is around 319 kWh/m2/year with the total retrofit costs of USD $3560, while it is 281 kWh/m2/year with the total retrofit costs of USD $3480 to achieve the 50% energy-saving target in the severe cold zone. Based on the analysis of energy savings and retrofit costs, the results can be effectively implemented for the purpose of creating sustainable retrofits in existing buildings, and the model can be adapted for selecting appropriate retrofit choices in other climatic zones.