Simulating Energy Renovation Towards Climate Neutrality. Digital Workflows and Tools for Life Cycle Assessment of Collective Housing in Portugal and Sweden

This chapter compares two digital workflows and tool selection for best practice renovation simulation in Portugal and Sweden. Both workflows are part of ongoing research projects that seek to provide a robust workflow adapted to different user needs and scale implementation. While in Portugal, the focus is on the building, the assessment is scaled up to the neighbourhood in Sweden. Geographic information systems datasets are used to streamline the modelling of buildings. The resulting models are used for the simulation and optimisation of renovation scenarios. These scenarios are evaluated as an equilibrium fit between user well-being (thermal and visual comfort), planet (entire carbon life cycle) and cost-effectiveness (energy and cost efficiency). The workflows presented are an example of computational architecture at work. Both workflows successfully interconnect different databases and disciplines to help the design teams and be a useful working tool for the different stakeholders in a renovation project. A complex context in which being flexible and transparent is necessary to make better and more informed decisions.