166 Lei Song et al.
Retrofits of existing buildings in China are expected to increase by 5% per year
by 2020 and could continue to increase in the future. If followed through, the
proportion of energy- efficient buildings in the existing urban residential building stock will reach 60% by 2020. Economically developed areas such as Beijing,
Shanghai, Tianjing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shenzhen have achieved
breakthroughs in energy efficiency, and the proportion of energy- saving measures has exceeded 10% of local green building polices across China (Chen,
2018).
In practice, renovation projects for existing buildings involve three components: the external structure, the internal equipment, and the renewable energy
supply. With the exception of renewable energy use in existing buildings (which
will be discussed in the next section on green energy), the external structure
retrofits include external wall and roof insulation for improving thermal resistance or heat storage capacity, and energy- efficient doors and windows with lowemissivity glass. For instance, the Action Plan for Urban Adaptation to Climate
Change (released in 2013) proposed to accelerate the comprehensive transformation of aged residential buildings by improving the buildings’ air tightness
and strengthening their performance in water collecting and heat insulation.
Furthermore, the national plan also mentions raising the renovation standard of
energy and water saving for existing buildings. Internal equipment retrofits can
promote energy- saving products for HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), lighting, and operation controls such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) or energy monitoring systems (Li et al., 2017). Some related
measures to renovate the existing buildings have been mentioned in the Energy
Development Strategy Action Plan (2014–2020), such as promoting energyefficient appliances and green lighting in existing buildings, and accelerating
the transformation of existing buildings by the reform of heat metering and
charging. Furthermore, energy efficiency improvements are expected to continue to increase as retrofits improve energy efficiency along with associated
behavioural changes. Households will become increasingly aware of the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency. There may also be
positive reinforcement of energy- efficient behaviours based on the piloted Social
Credit System, which can rate consumer behaviours based on data collected.
There will also be continued technical support and financial incentives
(including subsidies and green financial bonds) for retrofits of existing buildings that comply with increasingly stringent energy codes, especially in residential buildings in northern China and in public buildings nationwide (Yu,
Evans, and Shi, 2015). The Regulation on Reward for Heat Supply Metering
and Energy Conservation of Existing Residential Buildings in North Heating
Areas (released in 2007) and the Regulation on Subsidy Funds for Energysaving Renovation of Existing Residential Buildings in Hot Summer and Cold
Winter Zone (in 2012) have stated that central finance allocate special funds
or rewards to support energy saving in existing residential buildings in
different climate zones, such as the northern and southern regions. More specifically, subsidies in Shanghai that were first provided in 2013 will continue
Retrofits of existing buildings in China are expected to increase by 5% per year
by 2020 and could continue to increase in the future. If followed through, the
proportion of energy- efficient buildings in the existing urban residential building stock will reach 60% by 2020. Economically developed areas such as Beijing,
Shanghai, Tianjing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shenzhen have achieved
breakthroughs in energy efficiency, and the proportion of energy- saving measures has exceeded 10% of local green building polices across China (Chen,
2018).
In practice, renovation projects for existing buildings involve three components: the external structure, the internal equipment, and the renewable energy
supply. With the exception of renewable energy use in existing buildings (which
will be discussed in the next section on green energy), the external structure
retrofits include external wall and roof insulation for improving thermal resistance or heat storage capacity, and energy- efficient doors and windows with lowemissivity glass. For instance, the Action Plan for Urban Adaptation to Climate
Change (released in 2013) proposed to accelerate the comprehensive transformation of aged residential buildings by improving the buildings’ air tightness
and strengthening their performance in water collecting and heat insulation.
Furthermore, the national plan also mentions raising the renovation standard of
energy and water saving for existing buildings. Internal equipment retrofits can
promote energy- saving products for HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), lighting, and operation controls such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) or energy monitoring systems (Li et al., 2017). Some related
measures to renovate the existing buildings have been mentioned in the Energy
Development Strategy Action Plan (2014–2020), such as promoting energyefficient appliances and green lighting in existing buildings, and accelerating
the transformation of existing buildings by the reform of heat metering and
charging. Furthermore, energy efficiency improvements are expected to continue to increase as retrofits improve energy efficiency along with associated
behavioural changes. Households will become increasingly aware of the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency. There may also be
positive reinforcement of energy- efficient behaviours based on the piloted Social
Credit System, which can rate consumer behaviours based on data collected.
There will also be continued technical support and financial incentives
(including subsidies and green financial bonds) for retrofits of existing buildings that comply with increasingly stringent energy codes, especially in residential buildings in northern China and in public buildings nationwide (Yu,
Evans, and Shi, 2015). The Regulation on Reward for Heat Supply Metering
and Energy Conservation of Existing Residential Buildings in North Heating
Areas (released in 2007) and the Regulation on Subsidy Funds for Energysaving Renovation of Existing Residential Buildings in Hot Summer and Cold
Winter Zone (in 2012) have stated that central finance allocate special funds
or rewards to support energy saving in existing residential buildings in
different climate zones, such as the northern and southern regions. More specifically, subsidies in Shanghai that were first provided in 2013 will continue