Energy Efficiency can be addressed in old town centres without over-renovation of historic buildings
This interesting project proposal in Portugal by Nelson Brito, Sergio Brito and Rute Oliveira Castela, won first prize of the “Urban Services and Connected City” in the VINCI “2020 Global Climate Challenge”. It provides a good model to follow elsewhere. The project addresses energy efficiency in historic centres by involving urban stakeholders – local community and local policy players – working directly with energy service providers. The process recognizes inherent qualities of historic buildings in urban centres and avoids the “over-renovation” common in adaption of buildings for energy efficiency:
The project team points out:
- there are viable ways for historic centers to become “greener” with better quality of life without waiting for state interventions that never come;
- heritage saves fossil fuels;
- companies with money and “know-how” are interested in this, because they know they can look good, make good things happen for communities and still make money.
