From Energy Simulation to Retrofitting Existing Buildings

Zahra Fayzii from the Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology News Desk of the University of Tehran:

Dr. Zahra Zamani, a distinguished technology professor recognized at the University of Tehran’s Research Festival, underscores the importance of optimizing existing buildings, emphasizing that reducing energy consumption does not necessarily entail imposing substantial financial burdens on property owners. By identifying areas of excessive energy use, corrective measures can be prioritized according to their costs and return on investment.

According to the researcher, energy-related considerations were not adequately incorporated into the construction of many older buildings across the country. Buildings constructed several decades ago, for instance, may fall short of today’s standards in terms of insulation, windows, or building services systems. Under such circumstances, expecting buildings to undergo comprehensive renovation at exceptionally high costs is not a realistic solution.

One of the key considerations in this regard is the significant impact of building services systems on energy consumption. Accordingly, alongside measures addressing the building’s passive components, the improvement and optimization of mechanical and electrical systems can offer substantial economic returns in many projects. The choice of intervention, however, must be determined by the specific conditions of each building. In one project, upgrading the windows may be the priority, while in another, improving the building envelope or modernizing its services systems may prove more beneficial.

Experiences from various countries therefore suggest that, in addition to technical standards and regulatory requirements, economic incentives can play a meaningful role in changing consumer behavior.

In this context, government and institutional buildings can also serve as a starting point for reforming energy consumption patterns. Allocating a portion of these buildings’ annual budgets to energy-efficiency improvements, or retrofitting, and designing incentives proportionate to the level of energy savings achieved are among the approaches that could simultaneously reduce energy expenditures and support more effective consumption management during periods of grid constraints.

The researcher also stresses the need to develop short-, medium-, and long-term action plans. In the short term, attention can be directed toward measures that require lower implementation costs and offer faster returns on investment. In subsequent stages, more extensive interventions involving the building envelope, windows, and building services systems can be pursued.

According to Dr. Zamani, even when planning interventions at the scale of a city, region, or individual neighborhood, it is not possible to prescribe a one-size-fits-all solution without first understanding existing conditions. Accurate information must initially be gathered on the state of buildings, energy consumption levels, the types of building services systems in use, the quality of building envelopes and windows, and the region’s climatic conditions. Priorities for improvement can then be established on the basis of these data.

Within such a process, an energy consultant can serve as an intermediary between technical data and the client’s economic decision-making. This involves determining the cost of each intervention, the amount of energy it can save, and the period required for its return on investment. In this way, decisions regarding building retrofits can evolve from broad, costly undertakings into a series of precise, phased, and data-driven choices.

PARS MEDEQ company and the Mossalanejad Cultural Foundation are the sponsors of Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology News Desk