Energy and Water Saving Potential in Commercial Buildings: A Retrofit Case Study

The global building sector has great potential for energy savings. Retrofitting of existing buildings can effectively improve their energy and environmental sustainability. However, retrofitting is a complex task and requires proper Measurement & Verification (M&V) to validate the process for various building types and locations. Such M&V studies for commercial buildings in the studied region are missing and a critical gap exists. This paper addresses this gap by discussing the effectiveness of retrofit energy and water efficiency measures implemented in a commercial building in Saudi Arabia. At first, a thorough energy audit is conducted and then five Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) and a water conservation measure is implemented. A post-retrofit M&V exercise is conducted to measure and validate the savings along with respective economic benefits. The results indicate that the implemented EEMs reduced the building's annual energy consumption by 27%. The overall compound payback period for the investments is found to be six years. The study successfully validates the energy and water savings achievable through retrofitting by presenting the first M&V case study of a post-retrofit commercial building in the country. Thus, it proves that implementation of EEMs and water saving measures are effective strategies to retrofit commercial buildings in the region.

Automated summary

The global building sector has the potential for energy savings through retrofitting, which improves environmental sustainability. However, proper Measurement & Verification (M&V) is crucial for validating the effectiveness of retrofitting in various buildings. This paper fills the gap by discussing the effectiveness of retrofit energy and water efficiency measures in a commercial building in Saudi Arabia. It successfully validates the energy and water savings achievable through retrofitting, proving the effectiveness of EEMs and water saving measures in commercial building retrofitting in the region.