C O N T E X T 1 4 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 29 CARSTEN HERMANN and DENNIS RODWELL Retrofit measures for historic buildings and cities An EU project is researching the energy efficiency and sustainability of European historic urban districts, and investigating measures and tools to make significant improvements. EFFESUS (the acronym for ‘Energy Efficiency for EU Historic Districts’ Sustainability’) is a European research project focused on energy efficiency improvements at the scale of historic districts that are compatible with the protection of their heritage value. Co-funded by the European Commission1, the four-year project, involving 23 partners from 13 countries, runs until next year. From the outset, the EFFESUS project recognised that economies of scale could best be envisioned by looking beyond the limited extent of the designated heritage (which varies, by country, at between two and four per cent of the buildings), and addresses the over 23 per cent of the European building stock that was built before 1945 – the cut-off date used in EFFESUS. This maximises the energy-efficient and creative reuse potential of a broad definition of urban heritage, thereby allowing the easy transfer of retrofit technologies and an upscaling of adaptation measures. Furthermore, many suitable technologies for renewable energy generation and energy management only become feasible at an urban scale, irrespective of whether individual components or areas are designated as heritage. The overall objectives of the EFFESUS project are threefold: to develop a variety of technologies specifically suitable for use in historic districts; to build a software tool to support strategic decision-making; and to deliver education and training on the retrofitting of historic urban districts and their buildings.The retrofit measures that are being developed fall into three strands: technologies to retrofit building fabric and building services; advanced systems for energy management; and systems to generate energy from renewable sources within historic cities. All technological developments under the EFFESUS project are being trialled in real-world case studies in seven historic cities across Europe: Benediktbeuern (south of Munich), Budapest, Genoa, Glasgow, Istanbul, Santiago de Compostela andVisby. Of the manifold retrofit measures, this article concentrates on three measures that are especially suitable in a British context: first, an insulating lime mortar, for use externally as render or internally as plaster; second, an aerogel fibre insulation to infill cavities behind existing wall finishes, such as plaster on laths or plasterboard dry-lining; and, third, an advanced window system with integrated air supply valves and shading blinds connected to a building management system. All three measures have now been installed in case study buildings in Benediktbeuern, Glasgow and Budapest, with the support of the local consortium partners, the French building conservation firm SAS Gouas, the British heritage consultant Dennis Rodwell and the Irish energy efficiency consultant DWEcoCo Ltd. Reference 1 The EFFESUS research project receives funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration.This article reflects the authors’ views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained. Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the case study building for the advanced double window system (Photo: Dennis Rodwell)
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