
This report focuses on the main drivers associated with deep energy retrofitting of shopping centres, highlighting which ones have a greater impact.
Retrofitting takes place within a context, which includes retail, technical, social, functional and aesthetic aspects. Drivers for deep energy retrofits are defined as factors enabling this particular type of retrofitting. Their role in energy use and decision-making processes is described in the report.
The drivers provide the basis for developing practical and viable energy retrofitting concepts, for understanding typical patterns and socio-cultural aspects and for highlighting potential benefits of the interaction with local energy grids. The main purpose is to identify aspects significant for the main stakeholders expected to influence deep retrofitting and design processes in shopping centres: customers, tenants, owners/managers and the community.
Three types of drivers are identified:
• Direct drivers are factors directly influencing the deep energy retrofitting of a shopping centre. For instance, the need to reduce energy in shopping centres is a driver based on the need to reduce costs.
• Indirect drivers provide support or background for direct drivers. For example, customer behaviour can indirectly influence energy use by having an impact on the services provided by the shopping centre.
• Potential drivers do not actually cause an effect but with the correct set of circumstances, they have the potential to become direct drivers. For example, knowledge among tenants about the benefits of energy reduction can become a direct driver if they were more encouraged to engage into it.
The report covers ten different areas where drivers for deep energy retrofitting are established:
1. User behaviour
2. Legal issues
3. Economic factors
4. Building codes
5. Retrofitting and trends
6. Interaction with the local energy grid
7. Lighting
8. HVAC measures
9. Plug-loads and refrigeration
10. Architecture and design (including ergonomics and safety)
While comparing different types of drivers, the report also identifies barriers against deep energy retrofitting. Barriers cannot always be solved through new technical solutions. For instance, retrofitting costs may be barriers: if the costs for implementing energy efficient measures outweigh those achieved by energy savings, the owners/managers and tenants will not invest in deep energy retrofitting.
A potential driver that may become an obstacle is the lack of knowledge about energy use among stakeholders. Customers are not demanding energy savings and as long as there is no direct demand and no change in profits, owners/managers and tenants will not take any direct actions. This lack of knowledge could be arranged through energy awareness programs. The more knowledge, the greater the effort to reduce energy use will be.
The report concludes with a number of recommendations for further work, as for instance, an in-depth analysis of the investment costs for improving technical aspects. More advanced solutions can be developed based on the first evaluation of energy drivers presented in this report, which need to be adjusted to each specific building. Further awareness-raising among shopping centre stakeholders is also strongly encouraged.
NB: This report is still subject to the European Commission’s approval, it is thus not printable.
Articles overview:

eceee Summer Study conferen... 27 Sep 11:10

BUILD UP Webinar summary an... 20 Sep 12:42

The project guidelines: the... 19 Sep 12:48

September 7 events: downloa... 12 Sep 13:06

Largo consumo publishes a s... 11 Aug 14:56

Join us September 19 for th... 05 Jul 15:48

Discover the CommONEnergy t... 03 Jul 14:49

"Smart buildings at the hea... 20 Jun 08:51

Shopping centres: the renov... 02 Jun 14:05

Environmental and social im... 10 Apr 14:04

CommONEnergy final conferen... 17 Mar 14:16

Sustainable Building Challe... 23 Feb 17:19

Artificial lighting, IDP li... 15 Feb 14:02

CommONEnergy latest publica... 07 Dec 16:57

Works ongoing in Trondheim,... 01 Dec 17:08

Mercado del Val reopened it... 01 Dec 15:50

Last chance to join the Sus... 21 Nov 17:15

News from the project 27 Oct 09:32

The economic assessment too... 12 Oct 14:58

Modena shopping centre: off... 30 Sep 09:34

Demo cases status update - ... 26 Sep 15:31

Market survey - Outlet Cent... 02 Aug 10:20

Sustainable Building Challe... 23 Jun 09:03

Energy audits: new report 01 Jun 12:14

Smart Coating materials: ne... 01 Jun 12:01

Conference, June 13: Smart ... 28 Apr 13:08

Call for abstracts! Deadlin... 26 Apr 09:44

In Spanish from El Diario d... 25 Apr 13:41

Sustainable Building Challe... 08 Apr 11:57
Summary of the roundtable ... 09 Feb 16:47

Surveys of the commercial s... 01 Dec 15:26

First release of the ‘TypeD... 23 Oct 10:36

Lean-based simulation game ... 20 Oct 12:06

EURAC’S first measurement c... 17 Sep 08:19

Progress of the Mercado del... 03 Aug 15:19

Meet CommONEnergy at the Mi... 13 Jul 15:02

New report: Interaction wit... 18 Jun 09:32

New report: Main drivers fo... 17 Jun 13:09

Queensgate in UK, another b... 04 May 15:13

Typical functional patterns... 09 Mar 13:24

Identifying & analysing sho... 09 Mar 10:56

Key findings on shopping ma... 30 Jan 15:18

Questionnaire - knowledge a... 18 Nov 16:57

Workshop, October 6, Vienna 26 Sep 14:01

The CommONEnergy project pr... 01 Aug 14:49

News from the project 01 Apr 08:08

Questionnaires – Shopping c... 14 Feb 09:34

CommONEnergy's brochure ava... 23 Jan 09:27

Cartif researchers take par... 18 Dec 17:05

Walgreens Debuts Nation’s F... 16 Dec 11:13

Press Release: Ridurre il c... 16 Dec 11:04

Press Release: Converting E... 16 Dec 11:03

CommONEnergy in the media: ... 16 Dec 09:43