What is BS EN 16883 - Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings ?
BS EN 16883 European Standard provides guidelines for sustainably improving the energy performance of historic buildings, e.g. historically, architecturally or culturally valuable buildings, while respecting their heritage significance. The use of BS EN 16883 is not limited to buildings with statutory heritage designation, BS EN 16883 applies to historic buildings of all types and ages. BS EN 16883 European Standard presents a normative working procedure for selecting measures to improve energy performance, based on an investigation, analysis and documentation of the building including its heritage significance. The procedure assesses the impact of those measures in relation to preserving the character-defining elements of the building.
Note: BS EN 16883 does not presuppose that all historic buildings need energy performance improvements.
Who is BS EN 16883 - Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings for ?
BS EN 16883 on cultural heritage is useful for:
- Building owner
- Professionals
- Engineers
- Architectures
- Building authorities
Why should you use BS EN 16883 – Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings ?
Historic buildings are material manifestations of immovable tangible cultural heritage. They are of heritage significance to present and future generations. Heritage significance is a combination of all heritage values assigned to a building and its setting. Heritage values can be of an aesthetic, historic, scientific, cultural, social or spiritual nature, which can include architectural, artistic, economic, social, symbolic, technological and material aspects. Historic buildings in the sense of this standard do not necessarily have to be statutorily designated as cultural heritage.
BS EN 16883 aims at facilitating the sustainable management of these buildings by integrating measures for energy performance improvements and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with the adequate conservation of the buildings. Generally, the guidelines will be applicable to a wide range of buildings where special considerations are needed in order to find a sustainable balance between the use of the building, its energy performance and its conservation.
BS EN 16883 European Standard should assist users in applying existing standards in the field of energy efficiency to the special conditions of historic buildings. BS EN 16883 presents a systematic approach, or procedure, to facilitate the best decision in each individual case.
