Green Retrofitability Index (GRI) as an Indicator for Decision-Makers in Green Retrofitting Projects

Abstract

Most green retrofitting efforts adopt case-by-case studies to evaluate retrofitting projects and the economic feasibility of greening a given existing building. These case-by-case studies can only be done by well-informed and well-trained architects or practitioners, and do not give a whole image that can help the decision-maker decide which building to green in a set of alternatives, hindering the spread of green retrofitting. A comprehensive framework with a standard reference index that can be easily computed for each building can help create an updatable database for existing buildings in each town/city, allowing owners, investors and decision-makers to evaluate the different alternatives themselves. This paper addresses the problem by presenting the suggested GRI reference index that can be used in the green retrofit decision-making process, and presents the different factors that affect it and how they can be computed. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.