IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v327y2025ics0360544225021310.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Thermal resilience to climate change of energy retrofit technologies for building envelope

Author

Listed:
  • Aruta, Giuseppe
  • Ascione, Fabrizio
  • Iovane, Teresa
  • Mastellone, Margherita

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, energy retrofit measures for buildings, such as thermal insulation and window replacement, were standard practices. To further enhance the energy performance of building envelopes, innovative technologies like double-skin façades, opaque ventilated façades, and green roofs are also available, fostering a positive interaction between buildings and the environment. The paper evaluates the resilience of building technologies in relation to climate evolution and warming, considering both general (chronic) overheating and (spot) extreme events. Energy performances of a reference office, applying traditional and innovative energy retrofit packages, are analyzed under historical, current, and future weather conditions across three locations. The research questions and novelty are whether both traditional and innovative energy retrofits remain effective under climatic evolution and how the effectiveness of traditional versus innovative building technologies changes. Regarding space-heating energy demand, both retrofits are equally effective and resilient. For space cooling, the innovative package proves more effective under moderate conditions. However, under extreme outdoor conditions, traditional thermal insulation technologies may be more effective than innovative technologies. Attention is required when indoor temperatures are free-floating, as excessive thermal protection can imply indoor overheating. Ultimately, the thinking approach for energy retrofit measures should focus on long-term effectiveness and resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Aruta, Giuseppe & Ascione, Fabrizio & Iovane, Teresa & Mastellone, Margherita, 2025. "Thermal resilience to climate change of energy retrofit technologies for building envelope," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:327:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225021310
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.136489
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225021310
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.136489?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sadineni, Suresh B. & Madala, Srikanth & Boehm, Robert F., 2011. "Passive building energy savings: A review of building envelope components," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(8), pages 3617-3631.
    2. Katerina Tsikaloudaki & Kostas Laskos & Dimitrios Bikas, 2011. "On the Establishment of Climatic Zones in Europe with Regard to the Energy Performance of Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Ibañez-Puy, María & Vidaurre-Arbizu, Marina & Sacristán-Fernández, José Antonio & Martín-Gómez, César, 2017. "Opaque Ventilated Façades: Thermal and energy performance review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 180-191.
    4. Shafique, Muhammad & Kim, Reeho & Rafiq, Muhammad, 2018. "Green roof benefits, opportunities and challenges – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 757-773.
    5. Luis M. López-Ochoa & Jesús Las-Heras-Casas & Luis M. López-González & César García-Lozano, 2020. "Energy Renovation of Residential Buildings in Cold Mediterranean Zones Using Optimized Thermal Envelope Insulation Thicknesses: The Case of Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-34, March.
    6. Ghaffarianhoseini, Ali & Ghaffarianhoseini, Amirhosein & Berardi, Umberto & Tookey, John & Li, Danny Hin Wa & Kariminia, Shahab, 2016. "Exploring the advantages and challenges of double-skin façades (DSFs)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1052-1065.
    7. Elaouzy, Youssef & El Fadar, Abdellah, 2023. "Sustainability of building-integrated bioclimatic design strategies depending on energy affordability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Omrany, Hossein & Ghaffarianhoseini, Ali & Ghaffarianhoseini, Amirhosein & Raahemifar, Kaamran & Tookey, John, 2016. "Application of passive wall systems for improving the energy efficiency in buildings: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1252-1269.
    2. Halawa, Edward & Ghaffarianhoseini, Amirhosein & Ghaffarianhoseini, Ali & Trombley, Jeremy & Hassan, Norhaslina & Baig, Mirza & Yusoff, Safiah Yusmah & Azzam Ismail, Muhammad, 2018. "A review on energy conscious designs of building façades in hot and humid climates: Lessons for (and from) Kuala Lumpur and Darwin," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2147-2161.
    3. Zhang, Haihua & Yang, Dong & Tam, Vivian W.Y. & Tao, Yao & Zhang, Guomin & Setunge, Sujeeva & Shi, Long, 2021. "A critical review of combined natural ventilation techniques in sustainable buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    4. Veerkamp, Clara J. & Schipper, Aafke M. & Hedlund, Katarina & Lazarova, Tanya & Nordin, Amanda & Hanson, Helena I., 2021. "A review of studies assessing ecosystem services provided by urban green and blue infrastructure," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    5. Mihalakakou, Giouli & Souliotis, Manolis & Papadaki, Maria & Menounou, Penelope & Dimopoulos, Panayotis & Kolokotsa, Dionysia & Paravantis, John A. & Tsangrassoulis, Aris & Panaras, Giorgos & Giannako, 2023. "Green roofs as a nature-based solution for improving urban sustainability: Progress and perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    6. Peep Pihelo & Kalle Kuusk & Targo Kalamees, 2020. "Development and Performance Assessment of Prefabricated Insulation Elements for Deep Energy Renovation of Apartment Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-20, April.
    7. Jungwon Yoon & Sanghyun Bae, 2020. "Performance Evaluation and Design of Thermo-Responsive SMP Shading Prototypes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-35, May.
    8. Chau, C.K. & Xu, J.M. & Leung, T.M. & Ng, W.Y., 2017. "Evaluation of the impacts of end-of-life management strategies for deconstruction of a high-rise concrete framed office building," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 1595-1603.
    9. Tran Thi Nguyet Minh & Hanh-Thi Hong Hoang & Hyung Sik Nam & Anas S. Alamoush & Phan Anh Duong, 2025. "Revisiting Port Decarbonization for Advancing a Sustainable Maritime Industry: Insights from Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-36, May.
    10. Lei, Jiawei & Yang, Jinglei & Yang, En-Hua, 2016. "Energy performance of building envelopes integrated with phase change materials for cooling load reduction in tropical Singapore," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 207-217.
    11. Andrea Pianella & Lu Aye & Zhengdong Chen & Nicholas S. G. Williams, 2017. "Substrate Depth, Vegetation and Irrigation Affect Green Roof Thermal Performance in a Mediterranean Type Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-19, August.
    12. Zhang, Lili & Hou, Yuyao & Liu, Zu’an & Du, Junfei & Xu, Long & Zhang, Guomin & Shi, Long, 2020. "Trombe wall for a residential building in Sichuan-Tibet alpine valley – A case study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 31-46.
    13. Mao, Ning & Hao, Jingyu & He, Tianbiao & Song, Mengjie & Xu, Yingjie & Deng, Shiming, 2019. "PMV-based dynamic optimization of energy consumption for a residential task/ambient air conditioning system in different climate zones," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 41-54.
    14. Liang, Ruobing & Pan, Qiangguang & Wang, Peng & Zhang, Jili, 2018. "Experiment research of solar PV/T cogeneration system on the building façade driven by a refrigerant pump," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 744-752.
    15. Angelo Monteleone & Gianluca Rodonò & Antonio Gagliano & Vincenzo Sapienza, 2021. "SLICE: An Innovative Photovoltaic Solution for Adaptive Envelope Prototyping and Testing in a Relevant Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    16. Abdrahman Alsabry & Krzysztof Szymański, 2023. "Energy Analyses of Multi-Family Residential Buildings in Various Locations in Poland and Their Impact on the Number of Heating Degree Days," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-17, June.
    17. Belen Moreno Santamaria & Fernando del Ama Gonzalo & Matthew Griffin & Benito Lauret Aguirregabiria & Juan A. Hernandez Ramos, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of Dynamic Water Flow Glazing Envelopes: A Case Study with Real Test Facilities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    18. Roberta Moschetti & Shabnam Homaei & Ellika Taveres-Cachat & Steinar Grynning, 2022. "Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-27, February.
    19. Zhang, Tiantian & Yang, Hongxing, 2019. "Flow and heat transfer characteristics of natural convection in vertical air channels of double-skin solar façades," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 107-120.
    20. Sommese, Francesco & Badarnah, Lidia & Ausiello, Gigliola, 2022. "A critical review of biomimetic building envelopes: towards a bio-adaptive model from nature to architecture," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:327:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225021310. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.