Approximately 24 million homes across the UK need retrofitting to meet energy efficiency standards. Currently, only 29% of homes meet EPC band C and research suggests the cost of bringing all homes up to standard could be as much as £118 billion.
Retrofitting is finding a national spotlight as the much-needed practice of modifying existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency, comfort and sustainability. It’s a crucial process in the government’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand what retrofitting is and its potential for UK buildings across sustainability, applications to historic buildings and professional accreditations.
Firstly, let’s cover exactly what we mean by retrofitting. According to the dictionary, the definition of retrofit is ‘the act of adding a component or accessory to something that did not have it when it was manufactured’. For our purpose, we can take this definition to mean adding to a building something it did not have when it was constructed.
We can go further still. In their Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency Advice Note, Historic England defines retrofitting as ‘the addition of new technologies or features to an existing building to change the way it performs or functions.’
So, now we understand what retrofitting is, let’s explore why this process is so important for the built environment today.
If you consider buildings constructed without the energy efficiency knowledge and technology we have today, you’ll see how retrofitting can offer numerous advantages. Here are three benefits of retrofitting buildings:
The main benefit of retrofitting buildings is the opportunity to improve energy efficiency, which lowers the building’s carbon footprint and leads to long-term energy savings. These measures can include installing:
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to stay in a Passivhaus, you’ll know that consistent indoor temperatures and good air quality can significantly improve your experience of a building. Retrofitting can improve both, while also helping to reduce dampness and drafts, creating a healthier environment for building occupants and visitors.
From an economic perspective, retrofitting a building can substantially increase its property value. With fluctuating energy prices and an increased awareness of sustainability, buyers and renters are increasingly drawn to energy-efficient buildings. Furthermore, retrofitting can be a way to prepare a building in case of stricter environmental regulations in future.
With only 29% of homes meeting EPC band C, retrofitting the UK’s existing buildings is essential to reach our target of net-zero by 2050.
Public and private sector buildings will need an estimated £200 billion investment by 2037 in order for the UK to reach our net-zero targets. Retrofitting is a powerful way to improve a building’s sustainability, with the potential to reduce annual carbon emissions by 1,700kg per household.
More than simply reducing energy bills, sustainable retrofitting is about the holistic improvement of a building in a way that benefits the environment. This could include:
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It’s estimated that retrofitting the UK’s historic buildings could generate £35 billion for the economy each year. While it’s possible to reduce a building’s whole-life carbon emissions by up to 83% without compromising its heritage features, retrofitting historic and traditional buildings brings its own challenges.
The primary of these is preserving the building’s character and architectural integrity. As a retrofitting professional, you’ll need specialised knowledge in order to strike this careful balance between improvement and conservation.
It’s worth noting that PAS 2038 has a special provision for historic buildings or buildings with special protection or traditional construction. As part of the BSI’s goal to protect our architectural and cultural heritage, retrofitters will need to assess heritage values going forward, alongside completing heritage impact assessments.
If you’re involved in retrofitting historic buildings, you’ll now need a Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency for Older and Traditional Buildings. At the Environmental Study Centre, we developed this original course over a decade ago. The two-day programme is led by Professor John Edwards, a leader and expert in damp and mould in buildings, alongside the retrofitting of older and traditional buildings. You can find out more about our retrofit courses here.
While the UK’s Climate Change Committee has recommended increasing the rate of domestic retrofits to one million per year by 2030, current retrofit rates are falling short of these targets. Retrofitting buildings is not without its challenges – these include:
In a poor economic climate, the initial expense of insulation, heating system upgrades and renewable energy installation can be a significant hurdle for building owners. This can prompt some businesses to favour demolishing and rebuilding over retrofitting, as was the case with Marks and Spencer’s Oxford Street store – a plan that would have resulted in 40,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and was consequently halted by campaigners.
In the case of older buildings, retrofitters will face challenges working with outdated wiring, structural weakness or limited space for installing modern equipment. While, as we’ve covered, retrofitting older and traditional buildings is worthwhile and can be done without impacting their overall character, innovative solutions are needed, which can lead to increased complexity and cost.
It’s worth considering that the retrofitting process itself can disrupt occupants’ lives, especially in the case of major works involving structural alterations. For retrofit project managers, this will require careful planning and effective communication throughout the project.
We hope this guide gave you a foundational understanding of what retrofitting is, alongside its potential for sustainability and the benefits and challenges you’ll need to navigate as a professional in this space.
Read our blog to learn more about the sustainable management of buildings, including the challenges of retrofit inspection and why building design needs the circular economy.
When you’re ready to take an accreditation, we can support you with courses on building retrofit and damp in buildings, designed and led by genuine experts. Find out more about the Environment Study Centre here or contact us when you’re ready to begin your studies.
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