Retro-commissioning for buildings : problems and the way forward for a policy research study

Abstract

Buildings represent a major source of energy use and significantly contribute to carbon emissions and hence, the global warming problem. Towards the goal of sustainable and smart buildings, worldwide a variety of voluntary and mandatory tools have been introduced to enhance buildings’ operational performance. Among these tools is retro-commissioning (RCx) - a knowledge-based systematic process to periodically check and improve existing buildings’ performance. However, the uptake of RCx in the building sector remains limited. Grounded on a literature review, this paper reports on the emergence and development of RCx, a comparison between RCx programmes in cities that pioneered to impose regulations on RCx, the characteristics of RCx, and the concerns over the implementation of RCx in existing buildings. In addition, barriers and policy measures revealed from the building energy literature, which are potentially applicable to RCx, were identified. The way forward for a proposed study, by which appropriate policies can be identified to enable RCx implementation, is described. Findings from this study would serve as reference that imposes implications to future RCx research.