Comparison between energy usage and thermal comfort of typical masonry houses in Ireland before and after receiving retrofit

This paper presents findings from a case study set of typical masonry residential buildings in Ireland to determine the efficacy of typical insulation and building fabric upgrade works in reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as their affect on the perceived thermal comfort of the occupants. This is achieved by monitoring 19 houses and assessing the internal environment, energy consumption, comfort and occupant behaviour, before and after typical residential insulation improvements. The retrofit provisions included pumping the cavity walls with insulation and increasing the level of ceiling (attic) insulation. The level of satisfaction expressed by the occupants in relation to the thermal comfort conditions before and after the upgrade works varied. As expected, the upgrade of insulation of the houses lead to increased internal temperature, but also in most instances an expected decrease in overall energy consumption. With deep retrofitting required on houses in Ireland if Irelands target to reduce CO2 emissions of buildings by 90% by 2050 is achieved, further research on actual energy savings from retrofitting measures is vital.