Increasing the Energy Performance of Existing Buildings in Cold Climate Regions

Abstract

High energy consumption in regions with harsh climatic conditions makes it difficult to reach energy consumption targets. This study considers design decisions affecting energy consumption for cold climate regions; the position of the building, its orientation, building envelope elements and building materials were examined. In line with these decisions, a field study was conducted by researching the energy-efficient renovation of existing social housing structures in cold climate regions. For the field study, social housing in Erzurum was selected, and the current heating energy consumption of the building was simulated using the Design Builder program. By creating energy-efficient renewal scenarios that can be economically and physically enacted, the U-values and thicknesses of the building envelope elements were changed, and 14 renewal simulations were carried out for five scenarios. The effects of each renovation scenario on the current heating energy consumption were examined, and the results were compared. With the most efficient replacement scenario, it was observed that the heating energy consumption decreased by an average of 31%. The data obtained informed decisions for building envelope element selection within the scope of energy-efficient renewal studies in cold climate regions and their impact on energy consumption.