Intelligent Retrofits in Residential Buildings: A

Knowledge-Based Approach
Sobia Bano (SN: 23208779)
8 February 2024

Abstract
Building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial for understanding and mini-
mizing the environmental impact of residential renovations, a critical factor in
achieving sustainability and climate mitigation goals. However, a significant gap
exists in the availability of comprehensive methods for assessing the complexity
of building life cycles in the context of residential renovations, which can accu-
rately quantify and compare their environmental impacts within the building
sector.
The proposed methodology addresses this gap by integrating existing build-
ing material, building stock data, residential topologies and retrofit scenarios
data into the building life cycle assessment process using an intelligent Knowl-
edge Base System. The novelty of this study lies in developing an Intelligent
Knowledge-Based System for the comprehensive assessment of building life cy-
cles and comparing Knowledge Base approaches such as rule-based, case-based,
and frame-based systems based on complexity, flexibility, and scalability.
The proposed methodology is applied to the Irish residential building stock,
and the results provide recommendations for materials with minimum opera-
tional and embodied energy usage. This study aids energy policymakers, urban
planners, and researchers by offering an intelligent framework to promote eco-
friendly renovations and advance sustainable building practices.