BIM-based LCA as a comprehensive method for the refurbishment of existing dwellings considering environmental compatibility, energy efficiency, and profitability: A case study in China

In the light of special attention of world governments to a viable and sustainable decarbonization way of the existing building stock, this article considered the feasibility of using a method of Building Information Modeling (BIM)-enabled Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the refurbishment in terms of environmental compatibility, energy efficiency, and profitability. An existing residential building in Nanjing was chosen as a case study. The paper investigated the environmental, energy, and economic efficiency of the case building hypothetically refurbished to the Passive House (PH) and “low energy building” (LEB) technologies. The analysis was made based on real construction and energy consumption data, monitored over three years. Also, a comparison of the environmental, energy-efficient, and economic feasibility of two hypothetical models refurbished to the PH and LEB technologies is considered. The results show that BIM-enabled LCA is a powerful tool for refurbishing existing residential buildings due to a comprehensive assessment of environmental compatibility, energy efficiency, and profitability. According to the results, special attention should be paid to reducing cooling loads, using materials with a high recycling rate and low cost, reducing the thickness of the insulation layer, using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) windows with movable sunshades, and setting horizontal and vertical greenery systems.