Abstract :
[en] Globally, the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident, yet the decarbonisation of the building sector continues to face delays. Older educational buildings, constructed before energy efficiency standards and facing uncertain long-term use, pose particular challenges. Interventions in these buildings must not only be technically effective but also adapted to their specific context, carefully implemented, and evaluated across their lifecycle in terms of energy, carbon, and occupant comfort, while also convincing stakeholders of their value.
Despite extensive research, assessing the real impact of interventions remains difficult, hindered by limited representative data, due to the persistent performance gap between expected and measured energy and carbon savings. Furthermore, much of the building stock continues to struggle with improving energy performance, making the large-scale adoption of effective measures challenging. These challenges underscore the need for a practical, integrated approach that combines technical and behavioural strategies, while also introducing clear decision-making tools.
This study proposes a four-step methodology to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in educational buildings in Luxembourg, integrating both technical and behavioural approaches to identify high-impact savings opportunities without major renovations while maintaining user comfort. The steps include: (1) stakeholder-driven behavioural analysis to encourage engagement and support implementation; (2) energy auditing to characterise baseline performance and highlight easy-to-leverage savings; (3) the selection and implementation of targeted interventions across four categories, (a) operational adjustments through reduced operational modes, (b) sufficiency measures requiring no direct investment, (c) pinpointed renovations to reduce heat losses, and (d) renewable energy integration; and (4) performance evaluation through energetic, carbon, economic, and comfort assessments, culminating in an indicator to prioritise interventions based on their costs for avoided carbon emissions.
Results demonstrate that meaningful reductions of carbon emissions can be achieved without compromising occupant comfort. The methodology provides a replicable framework for similar buildings, balancing technical efficiency, behavioural engagement, and practical feasibility, and offers valuable guidance for future energy- and carbon-saving strategies in the educational sector.
