10.0 Renovation
by Signe Kongebro
Energy renovation and complete renovation The same issues and means of incorporating energy apply to new buildings and existing buildings. The renovation potential is substantial and can boost a sustainable development everywhere. New buildings account for less than 1 % of the total building stock in Denmark. It takes years from the building sketches have been submitted to the completed building is inaugurated. Thus, our knowledge on green building will always be more extensive and more developed than reflected in the buildings that are currently under construction. In the last decade where sustainability has featured high on the agenda – and the possibilities for achieving funding for research and development projects have been good – this gap has become wider. And as regards old buildings, the gap is even more significant. Many existing buildings do not meet today’s most basic requirements for energy and functionality. This gap between knowledge and reality illustrates the necessity of activating and applying our knowledge in practice. There is a large need and potential for renovation – and this is a field where stateof-the-art knowledge can make a real difference. Without extensive, common efforts to renovate the existing building stock in the years to come, Denmark will have difficulties meeting its ambitious climate goals. The concept of sustainability is complex when you really dig into it. There are many interdependent views on, nuances and means of sustainability. The same applies to renovation whose complexity has also increased. A renovation is more than a solution to a specific problem, for instance a hole in the roof. Perspectives have increased. From being a limited quality enhancement of something exist-
ing, renovation has become a significant element in a wider global vision for sustainability – for which Denmark raised the bar with its political settlement on energy in spring 2012.
It is about creating added value in all areas : improved health and comfort, better architecture, careful energy and environmental considerations and a sound economy. It is not enough to fix the hole in the roof. Renovation projects should add value to all aspects of sustainability. Until now, the large visions for the development of our cities and buildings have only been aimed at new buildings. However, with the changed perspective on the existing building stock, renovation will be one of the most important initiatives in the coming years. A sustainable development of society is not possible without renovation. Traditional renovation projects increase the utility value while the energy consumption remains unchanged. The specific problem, for instance a hole in the roof, forces the building owner to carry out a renovation. In this connection, questions about energy consumption and the statutory energy labelling scheme often arise. Thus, the concept of energy renovation has already become a fixed term in the building industry.
138 | DESIGN WITH KNOWLEDGE | ENERGY RENOVATION AND COMPLETE RENOVATION