The cost optimal methodology applied to an existing office in Italy

While new buildings should be designed as intelligent low or zero-energy buildings, refurbishment of existing building stock has many challenges and opportunities of saving because, in the building sector, most of the energy is consumed by existing buildings. Since the replacement rate of existing buildings by the new-build is only around 1–3% per annum, a rapid enhancement of taking up retrofit measures on a large scale is essential for a timely reduction in global energy use and promotion of environmental sustainability. Consequently, defining the most cost and energy effective retrofit measures for the existing buildings represents a key element in European energy policies. The cost optimal methodology can be used as a useful tool for this aim. The present paper reports the first outcomes of an application of this methodology to a reference building for an existing office customized to the Italian context. The Rehva Task Force “Reference Buildings for Energy and Cost Optimal Analysis” deals with this topic.