Sustainable refurbishment

Part of a series on
Sustainable energy
Energy conservation Arcology Building insulation Cogeneration Compact fluorescent lamp Eco hotel Eco-cities Ecohouse Ecolabel Efficient energy use Energy audit Energy efficiency implementation Energy recovery Energy recycling Energy saving lamp Energy Star Energy storage Environmental planning Environmental technology Fossil fuel phase-out Glass in green buildings Green building and wood Green building Heat pump List of low-energy building techniques Low-energy house Microgeneration Passive house Passive solar building design Sustainable architecture Sustainable city Sustainable habitat Sustainable refurbishment Thermal energy storage Tropical green building Waste-to-energy Zero heating building Zero-energy building
Renewable energy Biofuel Sustainable Biogas Biomass Carbon-neutral fuel Geothermal energy Geothermal power Geothermal heating Hydropower Hydroelectricity Micro hydro Pico hydro Run-of-the-river Small hydro Marine current power Marine energy Tidal power Tidal barrage Tidal farm Tidal stream generator Ocean thermal energy conversion Renewable energy transition Renewable heat Solar Wave Wind Community Farm Floating wind turbine Forecasting Industry Lens Outline Rights Turbine Windbelt Windpump
Sustainable transport Green vehicle Electric vehicle Bicycle Solar vehicle Wind-powered vehicle Hybrid vehicle Human-electric Twike Plug-in Human-powered transport Helicopter Hydrofoil Land vehicle Bicycle Cycle rickshaw Kick scooter Quadracycle Tricycle Velomobile Roller skating Skateboarding Walking Watercraft Personal transporter Rail transport Tram Rapid transit Personal rapid transit
Category Renewable energy portal
v t e

Sustainable refurbishment describes working on existing buildings to improve their environmental performance using sustainable methods and materials. A refurbishment or retrofit is defined as: "any work to a building over and above maintenance to change its capacity, function or performance' in other words, any intervention to adjust, reuse, or upgrade a building to suit new conditions or requirements".^[1] Refurbishment can be done to a part of a building, an entire building, or a campus.^[2] Sustainable refurbishment takes this a step further to modify the existing building to perform better in terms of its environmental impact and its occupants' environment.

Most sustainable refubrishments are also green retrofits: any refurbishment of an existing building that aims to reduce the carbon emissions and environmental impact of the building. This can include improving the energy efficiency of the HVAC and other mechanical systems, increasing the quality of insulation in the building envelope, implementing sustainable energy generation, and aiming to improve occupant comfort and health.

Green retrofits have become increasingly prominent with their inclusion in a number of building rating systems, such as the USGBC's LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance,^[3] Passive House EnerPHit,^[4] and Green Globes for Existing Buildings.^[5] Some governments offer funding towards green retrofits as existing buildings make up a majority of operational buildings and have been identified as a growing area of consideration in the fight against climate change.^[6]