Can DEAP help us to predict the energy demand and indoor temperature of homes before and after renovation ? A case study from Dublin

Abstract

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings via retrofitting is seen as one of the key mitigation measures to reducing the energy demand and carbon emissions of the built environment in Ireland. However, while energy efficiency retrofits for buildings are effective in theory, the energy savings estimated by statistical or engineering models can often be inaccurate. The Domestic Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) is the standard assessment procedure used for assessing the energy performance standard of residential buildings in Ireland. This paper examines the gas energy demand for space and water heating and the internal temperature profiles in contrast to DEAP estimates for a group of social housing units which were retrofitted to improve their energy performance standard. For the 16 households examined, theoretical energy demand was overestimated and theoretical average temperatures were underestimated on average. Based on the sample of houses in this study, the DEAP assumption of a 3°C temperature differential between the living area and the rest of the dwelling during heating hours is not representative of temperatures in actual buildings.