The building sector plays a crucial role in the transition toward a carbon-neutral economy, accounting for more than 30% of global energy consumption. Building Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Projects (BEERPs) serve as a vector of change in the building sector’s transition. BEERPs involve upgrading outdated buildings and systems with modern technologies and features to enhance energy efficiency and promote renewable energy sources. Through these interventions, BEERPs reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the existing building stock, while delivering additional energy, economic, and social benefits. Despite the relevance and urgency, the global annual BEERP’s rate remains below 1%, which falls short of the necessary pace required for the building sector’s transition. This issue is particularly critical in OECD countries, where heating demand is concentrated, and most buildings were constructed before the implementation of effective energy-efficiency building codes. Enhancing BEERP’s decision-making process by supporting decision-makers in identifying the most appropriate Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) and evaluating them is crucial to accelerating renovation rates. This PhD Thesis addresses three critical, interrelated knowledge gaps in BEERPs regarding this relevant empirical need. First, there is still no clear consensus on which EEMs are most effective in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Empirically, identifying and evaluating the most suitable EEMs remains a significant challenge in BEERPs. Second, although prior research has explored facility managers’ operational practices, evidence on organisational-level building energy management, particularly regarding key challenges and best practices, remains limited. Understanding the key challenges and best practices at the organisational level is essential for enhancing renovations across buildings. Finally, while studies highlight the key role of Building Energy Management Systems (BEMSs) in advancing building performance, they primarily focus on BEMS automation capabilities, overlooking their role in supporting decision-makers in identifying, evaluating, and verifying EEMs. Addressing this gap is crucial to improving decision-making and taking evidence-based decisions that enhance BEERP’s outcomes. Therefore, this PhD Thesis aims to identify and evaluate the most appropriate EEMs in BEERPs, in the empirical context of tertiary buildings. This PhD Thesis is structured as a collection of three papers that constitute coordinated research steps aimed at achieving the PhD Thesis’s aim. Paper A identifies the most successful EEMs of tertiary BEERPs in terms of reducing energy consumption and emissions. Paper B investigates how EEMs are currently identified and evaluated in organisations managing tertiary buildings, explores the role and use of BEMS, and identifies key challenges and best practices. Finally, Paper C introduces a methodology for assessing the benefits of BEMS use in BEERPs’ decision-making. Therefore, this PhD Thesis advances the knowledge regarding 1) the success of BEERPs, identifying successful EEMs; 2) current building energy management practices, analysing the context under which EEMs are identified, assessed, and implemented, and identifying current challenges and related best practices; and 3) the role of BEMS in the identification and evaluation of EEMs, and in the enhancement of BEERPs’ outcomes. Additionally, this PhD Thesis presents and applies innovative and replicable methods for identifying the success factors of BEERPs and assessing the impact of BEMS on BEERPs’ decision-making. Ultimately, this PhD Thesis provides policymakers and decision-makers in BEERPs with relevant recommendations, methodologies, and best practices to enhance decision-making and outcomes, thereby addressing key challenges and fostering the transition toward a climate-neutral economy.
Il settore edilizio svolge un ruolo cruciale nella transizione verso un’economia a emissioni zero, rappresentando oltre il 30% del consumo energetico globale. I progetti di riqualificazione energetica degli edifici (BEERP) fungono da vettore di cambiamento nella transizione del settore edilizio, migliorando l’efficienza energetica, promuovendo le fonti di energia rinnovabile e riducendo le emissioni di gas serra nel patrimonio edilizio esistente. Nonostante l’urgenza, il tasso annuo globale dei BEERP rimane inferiore all’1%, un livello insufficiente alla transizione del settore edilizio. La questione è particolarmente critica nei paesi dell’OCSE, dove la domanda di riscaldamento è concentrata e la maggior parte degli edifici è stata costruita prima dell’adozione di norme edilizie efficaci in materia di efficienza energetica. Migliorare il processo decisionale relativo ai BEERP, aiutando i responsabili delle decisioni a identificare le misure di efficienza energetica (EEM) più appropriate e a valutarle, è fondamentale per accelerare il tasso di ristrutturazione. Questa tesi di dottorato affronta tre lacune critiche e interconnesse nelle conoscenze relative ai BEERP in merito a questa importante esigenza empirica. In primo luogo, non esiste ancora un consenso chiaro su quali EEM abbiano maggior successo nel ridurre il consumo energetico e le emissioni di carbonio. Empiricamente, l’identificazione e la valutazione delle EEM più adatte restano sfide significative nei BEERP. In secondo luogo, sebbene ricerche precedenti abbiano esplorato le pratiche operative dei facility manager, la conoscenza della gestione energetica degli edifici a livello organizzativo resta limitata, in particolare per quanto riguarda le sfide chiave e le migliori pratiche adottate. Comprendere le sfide chiave e le migliori pratiche a livello organizzativo è essenziale per migliorare le ristrutturazioni nei portafogli immobiliari di tali organizzazioni. Infine, mentre gli studi evidenziano il ruolo chiave dei sistemi di gestione energetica degli edifici (BEMS) nel miglioramento delle prestazioni degli edifici, si concentrano principalmente sulle capacità di automazione dei BEMS, trascurando il loro ruolo nel supportare i decisori nell’identificazione, nella valutazione e nella verifica delle EEM. Colmare questa lacuna è fondamentale per migliorare il processo decisionale e per prendere decisioni basate su dati concreti, che migliorino i risultati dei BEERP. Pertanto, questa tesi di dottorato mira a identificare e valutare le EEM più appropriate nei BEERP, nel contesto empirico degli edifici terziari. Questa tesi di dottorato è strutturata come una raccolta di tre articoli, che costituiscono fasi di ricerca coordinate, finalizzate a raggiungere l’obiettivo della tesi. L’articolo A identifica le EEM più efficaci per ridurre il consumo energetico e le emissioni in edifici terziari. L’articolo B indaga come le EEM vengono attualmente identificate e valutate nelle organizzazioni che gestiscono edifici terziari, esplorando il ruolo e l’uso dei BEMS, nonché individuando le sfide chiave e le migliori pratiche adottate. Infine, l’articolo C introduce una metodologia per valutare i vantaggi dell’impiego dei BEMS nel processo decisionale dei BEERP. Pertanto, questa tesi di dottorato approfondisce le conoscenze relative a: 1) il successo dei BEERP, identificando le EEM di successo; 2) le attuali pratiche di gestione energetica degli edifici, analizzando il contesto in cui le EEM vengono identificate, valutate ed implementate, ed identificando le sfide attuali e le migliori pratiche correlate; e 3) il ruolo dei BEMS nell’identificazione e nella valutazione delle EEM e nel miglioramento dei risultati dei BEERP. Inoltre, questa tesi di dottorato presenta e applica metodi innovativi e replicabili per identificare i fattori di successo dei BEERP e valutare l’impatto dei BEMS sul processo decisionale dei BEERP. In definitiva, questa tesi di dottorato fornisce raccomandazioni, metodologie e migliori pratiche rilevanti per migliorare il processo decisionale e i risultati per i decisori politici, nonché per i decisori chiave nei BEERP, affrontando così le sfide attuali e promuovendo la transizione verso un’economia climaticamente neutra.
Target net zero: project evaluation of building energy efficiency retrofitting
ORSATTI, FEDERICO
2025/2026
Abstract
The building sector plays a crucial role in the transition toward a carbon-neutral economy, accounting for more than 30% of global energy consumption. Building Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Projects (BEERPs) serve as a vector of change in the building sector’s transition. BEERPs involve upgrading outdated buildings and systems with modern technologies and features to enhance energy efficiency and promote renewable energy sources. Through these interventions, BEERPs reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the existing building stock, while delivering additional energy, economic, and social benefits. Despite the relevance and urgency, the global annual BEERP’s rate remains below 1%, which falls short of the necessary pace required for the building sector’s transition. This issue is particularly critical in OECD countries, where heating demand is concentrated, and most buildings were constructed before the implementation of effective energy-efficiency building codes. Enhancing BEERP’s decision-making process by supporting decision-makers in identifying the most appropriate Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) and evaluating them is crucial to accelerating renovation rates. This PhD Thesis addresses three critical, interrelated knowledge gaps in BEERPs regarding this relevant empirical need. First, there is still no clear consensus on which EEMs are most effective in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Empirically, identifying and evaluating the most suitable EEMs remains a significant challenge in BEERPs. Second, although prior research has explored facility managers’ operational practices, evidence on organisational-level building energy management, particularly regarding key challenges and best practices, remains limited. Understanding the key challenges and best practices at the organisational level is essential for enhancing renovations across buildings. Finally, while studies highlight the key role of Building Energy Management Systems (BEMSs) in advancing building performance, they primarily focus on BEMS automation capabilities, overlooking their role in supporting decision-makers in identifying, evaluating, and verifying EEMs. Addressing this gap is crucial to improving decision-making and taking evidence-based decisions that enhance BEERP’s outcomes. Therefore, this PhD Thesis aims to identify and evaluate the most appropriate EEMs in BEERPs, in the empirical context of tertiary buildings. This PhD Thesis is structured as a collection of three papers that constitute coordinated research steps aimed at achieving the PhD Thesis’s aim. Paper A identifies the most successful EEMs of tertiary BEERPs in terms of reducing energy consumption and emissions. Paper B investigates how EEMs are currently identified and evaluated in organisations managing tertiary buildings, explores the role and use of BEMS, and identifies key challenges and best practices. Finally, Paper C introduces a methodology for assessing the benefits of BEMS use in BEERPs’ decision-making. Therefore, this PhD Thesis advances the knowledge regarding 1) the success of BEERPs, identifying successful EEMs; 2) current building energy management practices, analysing the context under which EEMs are identified, assessed, and implemented, and identifying current challenges and related best practices; and 3) the role of BEMS in the identification and evaluation of EEMs, and in the enhancement of BEERPs’ outcomes. Additionally, this PhD Thesis presents and applies innovative and replicable methods for identifying the success factors of BEERPs and assessing the impact of BEMS on BEERPs’ decision-making. Ultimately, this PhD Thesis provides policymakers and decision-makers in BEERPs with relevant recommendations, methodologies, and best practices to enhance decision-making and outcomes, thereby addressing key challenges and fostering the transition toward a climate-neutral economy.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2026_03_Orsatti.pdf
non accessibile
Descrizione: PhD Thesis
Dimensione
2.54 MB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
2.54 MB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri |
I documenti in POLITesi sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
https://hdl.handle.net/10589/254657