Building Renovation: The Positive Impact of Active Management Solutions

Carbone 4 and the CSTB have published a study conducted during the first half of 2014 on the technical and economic potential of so-called “active” energy-efficiency solutions. Building on our previous studies aimed at clarifying the technical and economic conditions underlying the energy transition, we have examined energy control and management solutions in residential and office buildings.

Drawing on the combined expertise of Carbone 4, a consulting and research firm dedicated to the energy transition, and the CSTB, the French Scientific and Technical Center for Building, the work involved identifying active solutions, analyzing their impact—both individually and as part of bundles—for typical housing units (classified by heating energy source and consumption level), and then analyzing the impact on the housing stock segment under consideration.

In particular, the benefits of deploying energy management tools (thermostats, centralized control systems, etc.)—and ensuring they function properly—can lead to significant reductions in energy consumption in the homes and offices in question.

Another key finding of this study is that active and passive solutions complement each other: therefore, whenever heating equipment is replaced or a renovation is undertaken, the implementation of a heating management solution should be made standard practice: This ensures reasonable payback periods across all projects and maximizes the benefit to the public interest. Up to 100 TWh in final energy savings and 30 MTCO2 can thus be achieved with short payback periods by combining high-efficiency equipment during the replacement or insulation of homes or offices (exterior wall insulation or attic insulation) with an energy management solution.

The full study is available here.