Comparative cost-benefit analysis of upgrading existing office buildings in European climates

Geographical locations can significantly impact the economic viability of building upgrading strategies. However, previous research on comparative assessments of these strategies failed to consider the ecological and financial differences across various European countries accurately. To address this gap, this study employs the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) approach to examine the impact of climatic conditions, building’s thermal properties, and financial indicators on the CBA of upgrading measures, using a representative European office building as a case study. Findings show that upgrading windows is a highly economically viable solution in two locations while implementing PV panels is not feasible in all regions. The results also indicate the high influence of pricing strategy, economic indicator, and remaining service life of the upgrading measures on the benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Comparative CBA can inform decision-makers about the most compatible upgrading measures in different geographical locations.