ReVaLUE

enabling cost-efficient energy reduction in buildings in Denmark

ReVaLUE

enabling cost-efficient energy reduction in buildings in Denmark

Modelling and validating of utility and architectural value

Denmark aims for a CO2 neutral society by 2050. This ambitious goal cannot be obtained without a drastically reduced energy use for construction and operations of buildings. Buildings are responsible for 40-50% of the total European energy consumption today and it has been found that the greatest energy saving potential lies in the renovation of the existing building mass.

Cost-efficient energy reduction

It is the declared goal of Innovation Fund Denmark’s societal partnership on Energy-efficient building renovations that a sustainable and cost-efficient energy reduction of 50% is demonstrated in this project. This calls for the identification and quantification of added value to energy renovation that can justify more extensive energy saving measures.

The largest potential for energy savings lies in the re-insulation of the building envelope. The transformation towards a more energy-efficient building mass will thus dramatically affect the built environment. Hence, the question of articulating the architectural consequences and derived potentials of this transformation are an urgent matter if the energy savings are not to be realized by a uniform technical cladding which devaluates the building.

Vision of REVALUE

There is great potential for reducing energy consumption in existing buildings. Exploiting this potential is possibile when choosing cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions every time the buildings are renovated. That does not mean compromising on the quality and architectural values that make the buildings special. On the contrary: energy renovation should be a means of improving and developing buildings to meet the needs and challenges of the future and of making home-owners and tenants less vulnerable to rising energy costs in the future.

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Personal and societal values in realizing energy saving potentials

The main purpose of buildings is to provide healthy and comfortable environments for human activities. People spend 80-90 % of their life indoor and about 16 hours every day in their dwelling.

The impacts that people are exposed to in the indoor climate are, therefore, of great importance for their health and comfort. Current research and practice have shown that people too often are unsatisfied with the buildings they use and that complaints concerning health and comfort are common.

But research also connects good indoor climate to the better quality of life, reduction of health care cost, less absence due to sickness and superior work. Consequently, there is a significant and unexploited personal and societal value in realizing energy saving potentials with special attention to “the human factor”.

Towards identifying a cost-efficient solution in terms of energy performance

The overall objective of the REVALUE project is to develop and demonstrate the validity of a generic renovation assessment method. This method will allow client and decision makers in renovation projects to identify a cost-efficient solution in terms of energy performance as well as create utility and architectural values by means of energy renovation, refurbishment and transformation in the built environment.

  • Innovation Fund:
    The project is funded by the Innovation Fund with a total of 15 million DKK, in the community partnerships - Energy-efficient renovation.
  • Aarhus University:
    Department of Engineering at Aarhus University is the scientific rigor of the project on energy and climate, architecture and construction processes
  • Added value:
    One of the project's cornerstone is to work to identify, quantify, and use the added value can be created when energy renovated
  • Building value chain:
    It is significant for the project involving the entire construction value chain, from client and users to architects and contractors. Value creation is in good cooperation

Develco Products in REVALUE

Contribution to the project is based on Develco Products' experience and competence with developing energy management related systems including sensors, gateways and data representation.

A key objective in this project is to develop a new air quality sensor that is integrated in the overall energy management system.

As this project is based on developing a model of energy renovation and later validating the model through full-scale demonstration, data capture and data representation is an essential part of this project.

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Partners

  • Brabrand Boligforening
  • Enemærke og Petersen
  • AART architects
  • DEAS
  • Develco Products
  • Amplex
  • Wicotec Kirkebjerg
  • Airmaster
  • Racell
  • Idealcombi
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