Green Retrofit Strategies for Rural Housing

WANG Qiheng

Abstract：Existing rural housing stock is primarily constituted of self-built brick-concrete structures,which are characterized by an absence of professional design and construction standards.This results in excessive heat transfer coefficients(U-values)of the building envelope and elevated operational energy consumption.In view of the substantial quantity of rural residences,the implementation of green retrofit measures is imperative in order to advance China's national strategies of energy conservation,emission reduction,and low-carbon development.The fundamental principle of green retrofit is predicated on the reduction of the U-values of the building envelope components,with a particular emphasis on exterior walls,roofs and fenestration.Through the implementation of targeted interventions,such as the addition of insulation layers to roofs and walls,and the upgrading of windows,there is potential to enhance the thermal performance of these envelope elements to a considerable extent.This,in turn,has the capacity to reduce heating and cooling loads,thereby facilitating the achievement of sustainability objectives.From a life-cycle cost perspective,it is recommended that a comprehensive retrofit of all three elements be considered when evaluating the demands of summer cooling and winter heating.In regions where cooling is the primary concern,a more cost-effective approach may be to prioritize roof and window upgrades.