Significance of Green Retrofit Technologies: Perspective of Sustainability Pillars

Abstract

Green Retrofit (GR) technologies have been introduced as the solution to achieve sustainability in existing buildings. However, the significance of selected GR technologies could vary with their implications on the sustainability pillars of Environmental, Social, and Economic. Hence, this study was carried out to identify significant technologies in terms of the individual as well as all three pillars. A survey among a sample of thirty (30) experts who have been involved in green building activities and have sound knowledge of GR technologies offered their views on the relative significance of those technologies. The mean and standard deviation values were used to determine the relative significance. Afterward, ten (10) case study buildings were selected to analyze the results with industry practices. According to survey analyses, professionals consider energy efficiency as a prime tool to bring overall sustainability to the Sri Lankan context and indoor environmental quality as the next most preferred sustainability criterion. Among the thirty (30) technologies, solar energy power generation systems, energy-efficient equipment, and biomass boilers are the top three preferences when considering the overall sustainability perspective. These findings were further confirmed by the actual case studies of buildings of different types where these technologies have been implemented. However, this selection of GR echnologies mostly depends on the business types and the project requirements. The study's findings enable industry practitioners to prioritize technologies based on their significance and sustainability implications, thereby improving the sustainability of built environments.