Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
• energy conversion and heating distribution technologies (Nagesha and Balach-
andra
2006
);
• residential heating systems and the handling of uncertainties related to the actual
preferences of decision-makers for type heating systems (Salo and Hämäläinen
1992
);
• building design (Gero et al.
1983
);
• evaluation of retrofitting scenarios (Jaggs and Palmar
2000
; Flourentzou and
Roulet
2002
; Rey
2004
);
• multi-variate
design
and
multiple-criteria
analysis
for
building
retrofitting
(Kaklauskas et al.
2005
,
2006
);
• selection of the most feasible retrofit actions in the conceptual phase of a retrofit
project (Alanne 2004);
• housing condition assessment to suggest optimal retrofit actions considering the
trade-off between cost and quality (Juan et al.
2009
).
A few brief examples follow, as a quick illustration of the aforementioned
MCDM methods applied in some areas of energy-efficient built environment.
Diakaki et al. (
2010
) investigated the feasibility of applying multi-objective
optimization techniques to the problem of improving energy efficiency in build-
ings, considering a simplified model for building thermal simulation.
Due to growing limitations on land use and awareness of sustainability con-
cerns, the building retrofit market has faced increasing opportunities worldwide.
Several technological/constructive options are available to improve energy effi-
ciency and indoor environmental quality in buildings. The identification of the
most appropriate retrofitting options is a topic of outstanding importance given the
potential costs and impacts involved (Asadi et al.
2012b
). Asadi et al. (
2012b
)
present a multi-objective optimization model and method to assist stakeholders in
the definition of intervention measures aimed at minimizing the energy use in the
building in a cost-effective manner, while satisfying the occupant needs and
requirements. An existing house needing refurbishment is taken as a case study to
demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed multi-objective model in a real-world
situation. The results corroborate the practicability of this approach and highlight
potential problems that may arise (Asadi et al.
2012b
).
Coherent and efficient retrofit scenarios are commonly built on the basis of the
knowledge of the degradation state of the building and its obsolescence. The
architect or building engineer prepares a list of refurbishment works required on
the basis of the building audit, his experience and the available budget
(Flourentzou and Roulet
2002
). Flourentzou and Roulet (
2002
) describe a sys-
tematic method, based on multiple-criteria analysis and a constructivist approach,
which helps an expert in designing retrofit scenarios. This approach includes
several steps and follows an iterative process. The associated computer tool takes
charge of tedious tasks such as calculating the associated costs, performing an
energy balance and checking for coherence between actions and presents various
viewpoints to the expert. It also helps the user in quickly creating various sce-
narios. The expert can then interact with this information and makes the decision
