Assessing the impact of energy retrofits on indoor climate conditions using mixed effects models: methodology and R implementation
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Date
2026-05-29
Authors
Mishra, Asit Kumar
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Published Version
Abstract
Energy retrofit interventions have become increasingly critical as building sectors worldwide pursue decarbonization targets and improved energy efficiency. However, establishing robust causal inference about retrofit impacts on indoor climate conditions remains challenging due to confounding variables including outdoor climate fluctuations and occupant behavior. This paper presents a methodological framework for analyzing pre- and post-retrofit indoor climate data using linear mixed effects (LME) models, which explicitly account for building-level variability while controlling for environmental and behavioral factors. The approach is demonstrated using a case study analyzing partial pressure of water vapor in Irish residential homes before and after energy retrofit interventions. The analysis incorporates standardized coefficients to assess relative importance of predictive factors and employs model parsimony through stepwise removal of non-significant terms. Complete R code is provided to facilitate adaptation by other researchers. Our results demonstrate that LME models provide unbiased estimates of retrofit effects while avoiding aggregation bias that plague simpler analyses. This paper serves as both methodological reference and practical guide for practitioners seeking to rigorously evaluate building retrofit effectiveness across diverse indoor climate parameters.
Description
Keywords
Building performance , Energy retrofit , Indoor climate , Mixed effects models , Open-source coding , Statistical models , [PublicHealth]
Citation
Mishra, A K 2026, 'Assessing the impact of energy retrofits on indoor climate conditions using mixed effects models: methodology and R implementation', Atmosphere, vol. 17, no. 6, 560, pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17060560