HPC of South Bend and St. Joseph County - Standards Update Draft

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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 116 For More Information: Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings Step 2: Maintain Building Components in Sound Condition Maintaining the existing building fabric reduces negative environmental impacts. Re-using a building and maintaining its key features preserves the energy and resources invested in its construction and removes the need to produce new construction materials . Step 3: Maximize Inherent Sustainable Qualities. Typically, historic buildings were built with energy efficiency in mind. Construction methods focused on durability and maintenance, resulting in individual building features that can be repaired if damaged, thus minimizing the need for replacement materials . Buildings were also built to respond to local climate conditions, integrating passive and active strategies for year-round interior climate control which increase energy efficiency. Passive strategies typically include building orientation for sun, breezes, and features such as roof overhangs and windows to provide both natural daylighting as well as management of solar heat gain . Active strategies typically include operable awnings, double-hung and transom windows. Step 4: Enhance Building Performance . A historic building’s inherent energy efficiency can be augmented using techniques which improve efficiency without negatively impacting historic building elements. Non-invasive strategies such as increased insulation, weatherization improvements and landscaping should be considered . Step 5: Add Energy-Generating Technologies Sensitively . Many historic structures can accommodate the respectful integration of energy efficiency technologies. Energy-generating technologies are the most known strategies. However, the efficiency of a historic structure will often be great enough that generation technologies are not the most practical solutions . Utilize strategies to reduce energy consumption prior to undertaking an energy generation project . When integrating modern energy technology into a historic structure, maintain the resource’s historic integrity and the ability to interpret its historic significance. As new technologies are tried and tested it is important that they be installed in a reversible manner such that they leave no permanent negative impacts to a historic structure . Solar Installations on Historic BuildingsSolar installations can be done sensitively on historic buildings with some planning and thought about the panel’s visibility and location . When contemplating a solar project look for a location that is not seen from the ground and not from the main public street . While every project is unique, the following resource can be helpful in planning for your solar project . National Park Service—Technical Preservation Services page on solar panels installation Green Roofs and Historic Buildings Green roofs are another growing trend in sustainable building construction and renovation. The National Park Service offers a comprehensive look at installing a green roof on a historic building . It is important to consider the visual impact of a green roof on your building but also make sure to retain professionals to evaluate structural capacity and necessary modifications. National Park Service—Technical Preservation Services Page on Green Roofs . Return to the Table of ContentsDRAFT