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US started to implement building energy codes and energy efficiency regulations from 1980s. However, the existing pre-code buildings are still a significant fraction of the nation’s housing stock. Although various retrofit options and technologies are proposed throughout the years, homeowners are still reluctant to renovate due to the high upfront costs. This research focused on pre-code buildings in Atlanta and implemented a retrofit cost optimization analysis on a potential mix of improvements and technologies to investigate the opportunities for cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofit options in pre-1980s residential buildings of the region. To this end, a baseline building is selected from previous case studies. The building was originally built in the 1920s, as a one story, single- family detached home with 3,380 square feet of living area located in Atlanta metropolitan. The baseline building was modeled using the Energy Performance Calculator (EPC) energy modeling software. Additionally, multiple improvement options and associated costs were proposed and simulated to investigate the energy efficiency impacts on the baseline model. Finally, an optimization model was solved using the EPC-TechOpt to find the most efficient energy improvement options while keeping the cost at the lowest possible level. The results showed that the best solutions are achievable with approximately 20-40 thousand dollars of investment with the focus on smart lighting management, wall and window insulation and heat pump improvements.

Keywords: Single-Family Detached; Pre-1980s; Energy Modeling; Retrofit Options

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