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Cost-Effective Options for the Renovation of an Existing Education Building toward the Nearly Net-Zero Energy Goal—Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

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  • Ming Hu

    (School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

Abstract

A comprehensive case study on life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) was conducted on a two- story education building with a projected 40-year lifespan in College Park, Maryland. The aim of this paper was to (1) create a life cycle assessment model, using an education building to test the model, (2) compare the life cycle cost (LCC) of different renovation scenarios, taking into account added renewable energy resources to achieve the university’s overall carbon neutrality goal, and (3) verify the robustness of the LCC model by conducting sensitivity analysis and studying the influence of different variables. Nine renovation scenarios were constructed by combining six renovation techniques and three renewable energy resources. The LCCA results were then compared to understand the cost-effective relation between implementing energy reduction techniques and renewable energy sources. The results indicated that investing in energy-efficient retrofitting techniques was more cost-effective than investments in renewable energy sources in the long term. In the optimum scenario, renovation and renewable energy, when combined, produced close to a 90% reduction in the life cycle cost compared to the baseline. The payback period for the initial investment cost, including avoided electricity costs, varies from 1.4 to 4.1 years. This suggests that the initial investment in energy-efficient renovation is the primary factor in the LCC of an existing building.

Suggested Citation

  • Ming Hu, 2019. "Cost-Effective Options for the Renovation of an Existing Education Building toward the Nearly Net-Zero Energy Goal—Life-Cycle Cost Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:8:p:2444-:d:225780
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Yihong Wang & Da Chen & Pingye Tian, 2022. "Research on the Impact Path of the Sustainable Development of Green Buildings: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-23, October.

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