Development of the framework and the methodologies towards nzebs in Finland

The emerging trends for deep-retrofit of existing buildings in Europe require the formulation of strategies for nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) and achieving benchmarks as outlined in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast. The fundamental process of retrofitting to an explicit high performance necessitates the development of robust and diverse methodologies to be used during the early stages of planning in retrofit projects. The construction sector lacks the extensive use of such methods for early decision-making that are essential to accelerate building renovation in Europe. Perhaps literature suggests that there is a huge mismatch between the predicted and measured performance is referred to as the "Performance Gap". The most prominent causes of this uncertainty of energy performance savings identified in the literature are; specification uncertainty in building modeling, poor practice in operation, lack of proper knowledge and skills in the construction industry, facility managers, etc. Low carbon building energy technologies for low carbon generation are diverse. People's adoption of low carbon buildings increases the use of different types of renewables, and each technology utilises various natural resources in a variety of ways and the economic, social, and environmental impacts Thus, it is important to evaluate the social acceptance of low carbon buildings to understand the social perceptions of the people in terms of usage of low carbon buildings and climate challenges. The role of key stakeholders in the industry becomes highly responsible for achieving the energy performance targets. Thus, this research presents the application of combined i) research techniques and ii) building simulation and optimization strategies that shall support the decision-making in retrofitting buildings to low-energy, Nearly zero energy, and comfortable buildings. The findings of this research can provide classical knowledge in many ways. For example, (1) they provide us with a new approach to know how and what kind of steps have already been taken to create awareness about low carbon building energy technology and climate change so far in Finland, and (2) they help us to analyse public perceptions towards low carbon building applicability and to acquire knowledge about what different kinds of low carbon building energy technologies they (participants) are aware of. 3) Attitudes and approaches of the stakeholders towards nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs). Societal acceptance study contributes to the sustainable development of low-carbon buildings meeting current and future-oriented societal needs. It will provide specific observations concerning the impact of low carbon buildings on society. This study will empower construction industry stakeholders to address the barriers, gaps, and challenges identified in retrofit projects, as well as inform the formulation of policies aimed at promoting retrofit uptake.