How can you ensure energy efficiency measures for historic buildings and landmarks are effective?

Historic buildings and landmarks are valuable assets that contribute to the cultural, social and economic fabric of a community. However, they also face challenges in meeting the standards of energy efficiency and environmental performance that are expected in the modern world. How can you ensure that the energy efficiency measures you implement for these heritage sites are effective, respectful and sustainable? Here are some tips to help you balance the preservation and improvement of historic buildings and landmarks.

1 Assess the energy performance

Before you decide on any energy efficiency measures, you need to understand the current energy performance of the historic building or landmark. This involves conducting an energy audit, which is a systematic analysis of the energy consumption, demand and losses of the site. An energy audit can help you identify the sources of energy waste, the potential for energy savings and the best opportunities for improvement. You can use tools such as the Energy Star Portfolio Manager or the Building Energy Performance Assessment (BEPA) to benchmark and compare the energy performance of your historic site with similar buildings.

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Robin Priestley, CPQ, CEM

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Develop a baseline for the structure. Blower door, energy consumption, etcetera and normalize everything to a standard. This baseline will be critical once the project has been completed.

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2 Choose appropriate measures

Once you have assessed the energy performance of the historic building or landmark, you need to choose the most suitable measures to enhance its energy efficiency. These measures should be compatible with the historic character, significance and integrity of the site, as well as being technically, legally and financially feasible. For example, you could consider installing insulation, weatherstripping and air sealing to reduce heat loss and infiltration. Replacing or retrofitting windows, doors and skylights can improve thermal performance and daylighting. Additionally, upgrading lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, incorporating renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, and implementing smart metering, monitoring and control systems can all help optimize energy use and management.

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3 Follow the guidelines and standards

When implementing energy efficiency measures for historic buildings and landmarks, it's essential to adhere to the relevant guidelines and standards. This may include local, state, or federal regulations, codes, incentives, as well as professional and industry best practices and recommendations. Notable sources of guidance for energy efficiency in historic buildings and landmarks include the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, the National Park Service's Preservation Briefs and Technical Preservation Services, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) Procedures for Commercial Building Energy Audits and Guideline 34-2019: Energy Guideline for Historic Buildings, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation Green Lab and Sustainability Program.

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4 Evaluate the results

After implementing energy efficiency measures for historic buildings and landmarks, you need to evaluate the results and monitor the performance. This involves measuring and verifying the actual energy savings, costs and benefits of the measures, as well as assessing the impact on the historic values, features and functions of the site. You can use methods such as utility bill analysis, metering, modeling or simulation to quantify the energy performance improvement. You can also use qualitative tools such as surveys, interviews or observations to collect feedback from the stakeholders, users and visitors of the site. By evaluating the results, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the energy efficiency measures, and make adjustments or improvements as needed.

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Robin Priestley, CPQ, CEM

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Success can only be measured with instrumentation! Compare the pre-project baseline data to the post project data. Normalize degree days, usage and other data points. Math will quantify the exact impact of the project.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Robin Priestley, CPQ, CEM

Profitable Sustainabiliy Solutions
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Energy management modeling will help guide you to the right decisions. Sustainability Project Assessments, not free energy audits, will analyze the risks and costs. E.G., eliminating air infiltration will have a larger impact in most historic structures with a lower cost and risk than insulation. Don't get sucked into 20+ year paybacks.

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How can you ensure energy efficiency measures for historic buildings and landmarks are effective?

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1 Assess the energy performance

2 Choose appropriate measures

3 Follow the guidelines and standards

4 Evaluate the results

5 Here’s what else to consider

Energy Management

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