International Journal of Smart Grid and Clean Energy Sustainable business models for retrofitting and their benefits for historical buildings energy performance Adrian Tantau Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Calea Grivitei 2A, Bucharest, Romania Abstract This article analyses the benefits of sustainable business models in improving energy performance of buildings, in special historical buildings. The benefits are structured in economic benefits, environmental benefits and social benefits with a focus on energy savings, energy consumption reduction, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other social benefits. The main objective of this article consist in developing a tool for identifying the key factors that contribute to the improvement of energy performance in the case of business models for retrofitting of historical building. The news of this research consists in extended traditional tools for business models (e.g. Canvas Structure, or Triple Layer Business Model) to a sustainable business model for retrofitting and developed it for the specific case of historical buildings and for energy performance improvement. The key factors that contribute to the improvement of energy performance in the case of retrofitting for an historical building and also the benefits of sustainable business models for the owner and for the society are analyzed taking into account the three main dimensions of sustainability: the economic, the environmental and the social. The results offer relevant data for entrepreneurs, but also for policy makers and other specialists which are involved in the development of new standards for retrofitting of historical buildings. Keywords: Sustainable business models, energy performance, historical buildings, environmental benefits, social benefits 1. Introduction Business models are confronted with new challenges due to the high dynamic of the economy and our life expectations and due to the climate change awareness. Therefore the concept of sustainable business models represents a solution for the transition to a more responsible business environment. The company responsibility has to increase in the context of globalisation and of the climate change impact. Therefore companies are publishing not only financial reports, they are publishing also non-financial reports based on sustainability aspects related to environmental protection or to social impact. This article uses the general sense of sustainability with its three dimensions: economic, environment and social. These dimensions are reflected in the Triple Bottom Line concept [1]. Osterwalder developed its model elaborated with Pigneur based on the Canvas structure and the triple bottom line [2, 3] in order to find a response to the new environmental questions regarding sustainability. The resulted tool adds to the economic an environmental and a social dimension. Table 1. Triple layer business model canvas Infrastructure Management Product Customer Interface Key Partners Key Resources Value Propositions Customer Segments Customer Relationships Key activities Channels Financial Aspects Cost Structure Revenue Stream Social & Environmental costs Social & Environmental benefits Source: adapted from [2, 3] doi: 10.12720/sgce.9.4.795-804 * Manuscript received December 6, 2019; revised June 17, 2020. Corresponding author. E-mail address: tantau.ad@gmail.com