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Energy and behavioral impacts of integrative retrofits for residential buildings: What is at stake for building energy policy reforms in northern China?

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  • Xu, Peng
  • Xu, Tengfang
  • Shen, Pengyuan

Abstract

Based upon the results from extensive building monitoring and surveys on occupant’s behaviors in a representative nine-story apartment building in northern China, building energy simulations were performed to evaluate the impacts of integrative retrofits implemented. Integrative retrofits required by the newer building energy standard produced significant heating-energy savings (i.e., 53%) when compared with baseline buildings commonly built in early 1980s. Taking into account district-heating-system upgrades as part of integrative retrofit measures, a representative apartment building was 66% more efficient than the baseline building. Contrary to expectation, little behavioral change was found in response to the provisions of monetary incentive, billing-method reform, or metering of heating energy use in individual apartment units. Yet this paper identified sizable energy savings potential if occupants’ behavioral changes were to actually happen. This indicates that provisions of financial incentives or individual metering were insufficient for triggering substantial behavioral changes leading toward more energy savings in the current buildings. It is recommended that innovative energy policies, technology upgrades, and education would be needed to promote behavioral changes toward additional energy savings. Finally, measures and strategies to further enhance thermal integrity criteria (e.g., insulations of roof and balcony) are recommended in China’s future building energy policy reforms.

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  • Xu, Peng & Xu, Tengfang & Shen, Pengyuan, 2013. "Energy and behavioral impacts of integrative retrofits for residential buildings: What is at stake for building energy policy reforms in northern China?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 667-676.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:52:y:2013:i:c:p:667-676
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.10.029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ce Huang & Jiefang Ma & Kun Song, 2021. "Homeowners’ Willingness to Make Investment in Energy Efficiency Retrofit of Residential Buildings in China and Its Influencing Factors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Yuting Qi & Queena Qian & Frits Meijer & Henk Visscher, 2020. "Causes of Quality Failures in Building Energy Renovation Projects of Northern China: A Review and Empirical Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Liu, Guoqiang & Zhou, Xuan & Yan, Junwei & Yan, Gang, 2021. "A temperature and time-sharing dynamic control approach for space heating of buildings in district heating system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    4. Berardi, Umberto, 2013. "Stakeholders’ influence on the adoption of energy-saving technologies in Italian homes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 520-530.
    5. Liu, Wenling & Zhang, Jinyun & Bluemling, Bettina & Mol, Arthur P.J. & Wang, Can, 2015. "Public participation in energy saving retrofitting of residential buildings in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 287-296.
    6. Liu, Guo & Li, Xiaohu & Tan, Yongtao & Zhang, Guomin, 2020. "Building green retrofit in China: Policies, barriers and recommendations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    7. Sheng-Yuan Wang & Kyung-Tae Lee & Ju-Hyung Kim, 2022. "Green Retrofitting Simulation for Sustainable Commercial Buildings in China Using a Proposed Multi-Agent Evolutionary Game," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-32, June.
    8. Soares, N. & Bastos, J. & Pereira, L. Dias & Soares, A. & Amaral, A.R. & Asadi, E. & Rodrigues, E. & Lamas, F.B. & Monteiro, H. & Lopes, M.A.R. & Gaspar, A.R., 2017. "A review on current advances in the energy and environmental performance of buildings towards a more sustainable built environment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 845-860.
    9. Miklós Antal & Ardjan Gazheli & Jeroen C.J.M. van den Bergh, 2012. "Behavioural Foundations of Sustainability Transitions. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 3," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 46424, April.
    10. Rhodes, Joshua D. & Upshaw, Charles R. & Harris, Chioke B. & Meehan, Colin M. & Walling, David A. & Navrátil, Paul A. & Beck, Ariane L. & Nagasawa, Kazunori & Fares, Robert L. & Cole, Wesley J. & Kuma, 2014. "Experimental and data collection methods for a large-scale smart grid deployment: Methods and first results," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 462-471.
    11. Zezhou Wu & Kaijie Yang & Xiaofan Lai & Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari, 2020. "A Scientometric Review of System Dynamics Applications in Construction Management Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    12. Zhang, Lipeng & Gudmundsson, Oddgeir & Thorsen, Jan Eric & Li, Hongwei & Li, Xiaopeng & Svendsen, Svend, 2016. "Method for reducing excess heat supply experienced in typical Chinese district heating systems by achieving hydraulic balance and improving indoor air temperature control at the building level," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 431-442.
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