Measured and predicted energy use and indoor climate before and after a major renovation of an apartment building in Sweden

This article presents a case study of a renovated Swedish apartment building with a common design built in 1961. The aim is to present numerical predictions, validation and evaluation of energy use and indoor climate for the building before and after renovation. Comprehensive field measurements were carried out before and after the renovation to be used as input data in the building energy simulation tool IDA ICE and for validation of model results. Indoor temperature is predicted with maximum standard deviation of 0.4 °C during winter. Annual heat demand is in good agreement with measurements. The building had an annual climate normalized district heat demand of 99.0 MWh before renovation and 55.4 MWh after, resulting in a 44% reduction. A slight under-prediction of the saving potential is noted, since the indoor air temperature has increased after the renovation. The results also show that assumptions of user behavior have significant impact on the energy-saving potential, and that choice of renovation measures, such as level of insulation, and efficiency of the ventilation heat recovery system need careful consideration. Choice of system boundaries also has a major effect on climate and resource impact from selected renovation measures.