Development of a Weight Factor Method for Sustainability Decisions in Building Renovation. Case Study Using Renobuild

Abstract

Energy efficiency investments have become strategically important for the European Union. In particular, energy efficient renovation and investment in the existing building stock have become major challenges. Renovation of a building should involve a holistic and integrated design process, which considers all aspects of sustainability. The aim of this work is to suggest a mathematical model that weighs economic, social and ecological aspects into a measure that supports housing owners/decision makers to find the optimal renovation alternative from their perspective, taking factors such as budget, energy consumption, etc. into consideration. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) concerns structuring and solving multiple-criteria decision problems. MCDM has become popular in energy planning as it enables the decision maker to pay attention to all the criteria available and make the appropriate decision as per the priority of the criteria. In this study, the concept is introduced based on economic, social and ecological aspects assessed during a renovation project. A pedagogical example illustrates the suggested numerical system for comparing different renovation alternatives. The suggested method will facilitate decision-making processes in renovation projects and will allow decision makers to choose the best renovation alternatives that are in line with their business ideas and principles.

Approaching road design from a sustainability perspective

“…Secondary weights (𝑤 𝑥 ) of 0.4, 0.5, and 0.1 were assigned in the following order: environmental (𝑒), economic (𝑐), and social (𝑠), resulting in an overall weight (𝑤) of 1.0. These selections are closely aligned with those utilized by Khadra et al [9], while maintaining project-specific demands. The weight of the economic element was the highest as it dictated the decision on whether the project would be implemented.…”

“…The DDM was created based on a modified Weighted Sum Method, exploiting the ranking system provided by the Analytical Hierarchy Process under multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), which was developed with a focus on road infrastructure. In the MCDM model, Khadra et al [9] discussed a method of comparison whereby a goal was set, and the offset was calculated in terms of a percentage. Because a set goal is difficult to target in road design, the spectrum of possible options can be tested against one another in terms of the relative percentage difference.…”

Quantitative sustainability assessment of remanufacturing waste reinforcing steel

“…A sustainability threshold of SI = 0.634 was set according to previous studies (Du et al., 2012; Ling & He, 2020) to find S sf . Because SI can vary between 0 and 1 (Khadra et al., 2020; Abu‐Rayash & Dincer, 2019), the following linear equations were obtained. $$$$\begin{equation}0.374{C}_{sf} + 0.343{E}_{sf} + 0.283\ {S}_{sf} = \ 0.634\ \left( {{\rm{Threshold}}} \right)\end{equation}$$$$ $$$$\begin{equation}0.374{C}_{sf} + 0.343{E}_{sf} + 0.283\ {S}_{sf} = \ 1\ \left( {{\rm{Ideal\ case}}} \right)\end{equation}$$$$…”

“…A sustainability threshold of SI = 0.634 was set according to previous studies (Du et al, 2012;Ling & He, 2020) to find S sf . Because SI can vary between 0 and 1 (Khadra et al, 2020;Abu-Rayash & Dincer, 2019), the following linear equations were obtained.…”

Sustainable Renovation and Assessment of Existing Aging Rammed Earth Dwellings in Hunan, China

“…Ma (2021) [26] discussed the status of homeowner participation in energy retrofit projects in heating zones in northern China and suggested the following three areas of optimisation: steps and procedures for the participation process, composition of the working group responsible for contacting homeowners, and discussion of the content during the process. Khadra [27] developed a weighting factor approach for making sustainability decisions in building retrofitting and proposed a numerical system for comparing different renovation options using the case of Renobuild. Amoruso (2019) [28] used building information modelling and parametric environmental analysis tools to analyse the improvement in visual comfort in the sustainable renovation of a model apartment in Seoul, South Korea.…”