Implementing building energy efficiency retrofits (beer) in hotel buildings: a case study of shallow retrofit

Abstract

Currently, there is a decisive need around the world to retrofit existing buildings to have higher energy performance. Compared to the significant potential for energy conservation in existing buildings, still the level of implementation of Building Energy Efficiency Retrofits (BEER) is comparatively low. The absence of a clearly defined process for ensuring the delivery of BEER; lack of proactive guidance for project teams to ensure that they make the right decisions to achieve the desired Energy Efficiency (EE) outcomes; and execution of BEER projects in ad hoc basis have been identified as some of the key reasons limiting EE improvements over the long term. Hence, this paper is aimed at developing an initial level decision-making process by incorporating the key decisions to be made and key activities to be performed, during each stage of the BEER decision-making process. The study is limited in its focus to existing hotel buildings, due to their level of energy consumption and potential for conservation. Using a case study, the study derived a total of twelve key decisions to be made and twenty-eight key activities to be performed throughout the decision-making process, based upon which an initial level decision-making process is developed. It is hoped that the findings of this study could facilitate the practitioners in the hotel sector to properly undertake and execute BEER projects.