Existing buildings and HVAC systems: incidence of innovative surface finishes on the energy requirements

A great portion of the global energy consumption depends on existing buildings. So, energy saving and related CO 2 emission reduction are important measures. This paper analyses the incidence of innovative surface finishes on the cooling and heating energy demand of existing buildings. These easy and cheap measures preserve the little living spaces, limited height and the architectural/chromatic characteristics. The analysis is conducted for various European cities, by using a dynamic energy simulation software. The primary energy required by the HVAC systems on seasonal and annual basis is evaluated and relevant energy saving (up to 21% on annual basis) is obtained. Finally, a technical-economic analysis is performed and interesting payback values are obtained (2.5-11 years in the best cases; 2–10 years, when a tax deduction of 35% is considered).