Analyzing the Critical Impediments to Retrofitting Historic Buildings to Achieve Net Zero Emissions

The aim of this study is to introduce the critical impediments to historic building retrofitting that can be specifically tailored and applied to managing historic building protection while also achieving net zero emissions and improving the sustainability of the buildings.

Despite the various calls advocating for the sustainable retrofitting of historic buildings to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency, the extent of possible alterations that can be made to historic buildings is restricted because of their historical, architectural, and cultural significance, which is one of the many critical impediments of retrofitting historic buildings. While there are existing studies that focus on identifying some of the impediments to retrofitting historic buildings, most of these studies did not systematically examine the interrelationships among these impediments. An effective retrofit of historic structures can be greatly influenced by having a proper understanding of how various impediments interrelate with one another.

The objective of this study is to identify, analyze, and prioritize the critical impediments to historic building retrofitting to improve their sustainability and attain net zero emissions.

The data for the study was gathered using a systematic review of related literature and expert-based survey, while the results were analyzed using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique.

Based on the study findings, the top-ranking impediments that have the greatest impact on other impediments and are crucial in projects for retrofitting historic buildings are “high costs of retrofit projects,” “poor stakeholders' engagement and coordinated efforts,” and “disparity between the buildings' energy efficiency levels & historical significance.”

The study reported in this paper fills an existing gap in the literature, which also offers useful insights into a crucial area of managing historic building conservation and enhancing energy performance. The major managerial implication of this research is the need for strategic planning and decision-making. Policymakers and heritage conservation practitioners should carefully consider the study findings to create a comprehensive strategy that successfully addresses the critical impediments that have been identified. Thus, future research can investigate how historical authenticity and values can be preserved while enhancing energy efficiency and cutting emissions through the integration of sustainable retrofitting approaches with preservation initiatives.