All around the country there are historic buildings considered to have a cultural heritage value and are therefore historically important and should be preserved.  They are an important part of a city’s identity and it is important to preserve them so that they can keep being part of our societies. The thesis of this study is therefore to explore the possibilities for how these buildings can become more energy efficient, so that they can meet today’s standards and keep being functional.

Cultural heritage buildings can be subject to legal preservation and for every building there are individual preservation requirements that are to be considered. Three fictional buildings with different preservation requirements have thus been created to take into consideration all the challenges and possibilities that can present themselves.  

The result shows the multitude of opportunities, but that these can vary greatly between buildings and cases. It is always the individual building’s preservation requirements and its premise that are the determining factors for if the solutions are applicable or if the value is affected negatively. Thus, a thorough prestudy is always significant before every project. Window retrofit solutions are mostly made of adding additional glass and sealing, which in many cases can be applied to existing windows without further complications. Ventilation and heating systems, however, require more space and are in most cases a more difficult retrofit action. Though, in some cases existing canals and pipelines can be utilized for installation of the new system, without affecting the heritage value negatively.

Energy efficient retrofits in cultural heritage buildings could bring value and should therefore be considered. By retrofitting the building’s existing systems with newer and modernized techniques the indoor climate can be greatly improved, and thus the building’s use can be broadened, and it can continue to be a functional part of the city.