Renovating historic buildings
for
a low-carbon built heritage

Universally recognised as emblems of many cities, historic buildings account for a quarter of Europe’s existing construction. Retrofitting such buildings presents many opportunities for reducing carbon emissions but can also present many challenges for preserving historic and aesthetic traits and as such, particular and specific care is vital.

Given the unique character of each building, standard energy saving measures are often not viable. Instigating interdisciplinary procedures for renovation and developing affordable and efficient technologies which are compatible with conservation needs are essential for the survival of built heritage and for reducing its environmental impact.

The SBE21 Heritage Conference brings together scholars and practitioners working in the fields of energy efficiency and historic building conservation to foster multidisciplinary dialogues and find new retrofit approaches to save our common heritage and guarantee a sustainable future.

With the support of:

Conference proceedings published with IOP Publishing and indexed in Scopus.

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News

SBE21 Heritage proceedings now available

SBE21 Heritage (14-16 April 2021) has been challenging yet rewarding experience. Over the three days of the conference, 150 people connected from all over Europe and beyond to listen to…
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Organisers

EURAC RESEARCH

Eurac Research is a private research centre located in the heart of the Alps with a research focus on mountain regions and a vision that extends to Europe and beyond.

The Institute for Renewable Energy conducts applied research in advanced energy systems, with a group specifically dedicated to energy retrofitting in historic buildings. This research area includes not only formally listed buildings, but all those that shape our “cityscapes” and are therefore worthy of preservation.

Supporting projects

The SBE21 Heritage Conference is co-financed by three projects focusing on different aspects of sustainability and built heritage:

  • Interreg Alpine Space ATLAS is working to pave the way for the sustainable development of historic structures in the Alpine region. This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Alpine Space programme.
  • HyLAB, funded by Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige, is focused on the study of the hygrothermal performance of building materials to support the renovation of historic buildings.
  • IEA-SHC Task59 aims at identifying and promoting sustainable approaches and solutions to preserve historic buildings while increasing their comfort, lowering energy bills and minimising their impact on the environment.

These projects, coordinated by Eurac Research, will conclude shortly before the conference and will present their findings and achievements at SBE21 Heritage. All together, they involve 30 organisations from 14 countries.

International co-promoters

Under the patronage of

In collaboration with

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