Digitalization as a Driver of Deep Energy Retrofit Performance: Measured Impacts of Smart Technologies in an Existing Office Building

The decarbonization of the existing building stock represents a critical pathway toward achieving climate neutrality targets, particularly in office buildings characterized by aging infrastructure and suboptimal operational performance. This paper evaluates the energy-saving potential derived from the integration and effective utilization of smart technologies within the context of a deep energy renovation of an existing office building. The study focuses on the deployment of advanced Building Management Systems (BMS), Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring, and data analytics platforms. These digital solutions were integrated with high-efficiency HVAC systems, integrated PV, intelligent lighting, and envelope retrofits, enabling a comprehensive and synergistic approach to performance optimization. The primary objectives were: (i) to quantify operational energy savings attributable specifically to smart control strategies beyond conventional physical retrofit measures; (ii) to assess improvements in energy performance indicators (EPIs), peak load reduction, and carbon emissions; and (iii) to evaluate economic viability and implementation barriers. Results on energy consumption are shown for (i) calibrated baseline model, (ii) dynamic simulation after implementation of hard renovation measures and (iii) post-renovation performance including smart control optimization. This methodology shows quantified energy savings specifically form smart control strategies and validates them against authoritative methods. The findings confirm that the effective utilization of smart technologies—when properly integrated, commissioned, and actively managed—significantly enhances the effectiveness of conventional energy renovation strategies. Furthermore, the results emphasize that digitalization and intelligent control should be
systematically integrated into retrofit policies and environmental engineering practices, as they represent
critical enabling of both high-performance environmental quality in the transition toward a low-carbon built
environment.