Retrofit planning
The Retrofit Planning feature allows users to create, view, edit, and delete Retrofits for buildings on the BuildingMinds platform. This tool is essential for planning and managing building upgrades to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, or enhance overall performance.
Access Retrofit
To access Retrofits you have two options:
Option 1: Access the Retrofits list
Navigate to Tools from the left menu.
Click on Retrofits under Retrofit planning.
Option 2: Access Retrofits to a specific building
Select the Data management icon from the left menu.
Navigate to Buildings in the Data management menu.
Select the desired building to enter its detailed view.
From the left menu, select Tools > Retrofits.
Users must have the necessary permissions to access and manage Retrofit data.
The Retrofit list offers several key features to streamline Data management. Users can filter the data using the Filter portfolio button and sort or hide columns by interacting with the column headers.
Additionally, the number of items displayed per page can be adjusted, with navigation options available at the bottom of the list. To restore the default layout, users can click the Settings icon located in the upper-right corner.
Retrofits with the following statuses: Draft, Proposal, Approved, and In progress are included in the reports while other statuses (e.g., Completed or Rejected) are excluded from reporting.
Add Retrofit
To add a new Retrofit:
Navigate to Tools from the left menu.
Click on Retrofits under Retrofit planning.
Click on +Add above the Retrofit list.
Fill out all mandatory fields in the Retrofit form.
Click Save in the upper-right corner.
Once saved, the new Retrofit will appear in the list.
Mandatory fields cannot be left blank. Energy operational data, Gross internal area, Building address, and Type are necessary to save a Retrofit.
Retrofit form
The structure of the Retrofit form includes a streamlined layout and new functionalities to simplify the Retrofit planning process. It consists of five main sections:
1. General info:
It includes details such as Building, Scenario, Start/End periods, Name, Status, Assigned to, and an optional field called Retrofit reference, allowing users to assign custom IDs for better tracking.
2. Retrofit measures:
It includes details such as Retrofit categories and Retrofit subcategories (e.g., Energy efficiency, Renewables, or Structural upgrades) and the "Add another measure" button for adding multiple Retrofit measures.
The Retrofit form supports these categories and sub-categories:
Retrofit categories | Retrofit sub-categories |
|---|---|
Change energy source | Heating, Self-procured electricity, Third-party procured electricity |
Energy efficiency and optimization | Automated-control systems, Improved HVAC system efficiency, Energy recovery systems, More efficient equipment - Other, Change behavior, Other |
Improve the thermal envelope | Facade, Roof, Floor, Windows, Doors |
Renewables | Solar water heaters, Photovoltaic panels |
Renovation of other building elements | Minor repairments/upgrades, Structure maintenance, Layout restructure, Building extension, Installations (MEP), Others |
The Change energy source FROM field is auto-filled based on available operational data or previous Retrofits. Missing data will block the addition of Retrofits in this category.
3. Environmental impact:
It includes details such as electricity/heating demand reductions and Embodied carbon, helping users evaluate the environmental footprint.
4. Financial impact: It includes details such as capital expenditure (CapEx) and provides insights into the financial implications of Retrofits.
5. Additional information: Offers supplementary details as needed to contextualize the Retrofit data further.
View Retrofit details
Users can see the detailed overview of a Retrofit using these steps:
Navigate to Tools from the left menu.
Click on Retrofits under Retrofit planning.
Click on the desired Retrofit row to open its detail page.
Use the Back button to return to the list.
Edit Retrofit
To edit a Retrofit:
Navigate to Tools
Click on Retrofits under Retrofit planning.
Hover over the desired Retrofit row and click the Edit icon.
Modify any fields as needed.
Click Save to apply changes.
A confirmation notification will appear.
Mandatory fields cannot be left blank. Energy operational data, Gross internal area, Building address, and Type are necessary to save a Retrofit.
Delete Retrofit
To delete a Retrofit:
Navigate to Tools
Click on Retrofits under Retrofit planning.
Hover over the desired Retrofit row and click the Delete icon.
Confirm the deletion.
A notification will confirm the successful removal.
Retrofit preview
The Add and Edit Retrofit forms include a Show preview feature, which visualizes the Retrofit's impact on the building's performance.
To access Show preview:
Navigate to the Retrofit list and select Add or Edit an existing Retrofit.
Fill in the mandatory fields (e.g., Building and Start period).
Click on Show preview to generate performance charts.
Key insights from the Preview include:
The impact on stranding risk, energy intensity, and carbon intensity.
Calculations use CRREM v2 emission factors and default targets for a 1.5°C scenario.
All mandatory fields must be filled, along with at least one expected reduction (electricity or heating demand).
Video tutorial - Retrofit planning
Here is a video tutorial to walk you through how to use Retrofits and the Retrofit planning process.
The Retrofit calculations only work when the building has resource consumption data reported and/or estimated. For more information, see Retrofit calculations.