Digitizing the Serial Renovation Process: Assessing Data Continuity and Integration

Serial renovation is a key accelerator to achieve energy efficiency in existing buildings. Heating in buildings accounted for 27.2% of total energy consumption in Germany in 2023, which surpasses even the transportation sector. The emission reduction is 50% lower than the German government’s proclaimed goals, while the political and environmental pressure for reduction persists. Serial renovation, using standardized processes and modular construction elements, is increasingly applied and put into practice. However, leveraging its application potential is greatly reduced by lack of digital continuity of models and data throughout all construction phases. This lack of integrated model usage currently leads to inconsistent modeling or to a lack of usable models altogether. Subsequently time-consuming iterations and exploding costs often make serial renovation economically significantly less attractive. This paper examines the current barriers to its adoption and problems using digital models in serial renovation from a practitioner’s perspective. By analyzing the data flow and understanding software tools and environments of involved services, the impeding process steps are identified. Based on this, potential solutions are formulated and evaluated, aiming to enforce serial renovation.