Ethics of retrofit
‘Clean, secure and affordable energy… available to all’ 1
Alongside sustainable new development, something must be done with the vast majority of buildings already standing, which people will still be occupying in 2050. While ‘eco-retrofit’ exemplar projects can be impressive, are there other ways to tackle the climate crisis without breaking the bank? WORDS MARGARET REYNOLDS
‘L
ife is unfair,’ declared economist Milton Friedman. So it is with income – and with buildings. Many in this country are saddled with leaky, hard-to-heat or overheated premises, when we know it is possible to construct and renovate buildings to be comfortable and use minimal energy. ‘Retrofit’ is the term increasingly used for overhauling building fabric, ventilation, heating and electrical systems to reduce energy usage and the resultant carbon emissions. However, the present reality for clients who would like to eco-retrofit their property is the paucity of advice, funding and construction expertise that is available. Yet, building retrofit is absolutely critical for our future: ‘Do we really need to build, do we really need to put more carbon into construction, or can we upgrade our buildings?’ asks Peter Clegg, founding signatory of Architects Declare.2
© M Reynolds RIBA
An urgent need for retrofit
Downing Place United Reformed Church insulated roof and daylighting on the new mezzanine
Construction has evolved empirically, by repeating what has worked in the past, but now we need it to absorb new research and technologies quickly. Remember the Green Deal in 2013? That was all about reducing the fuel used for heating, and cutting our utility bills in the process; Green Homes Grants were another problematic attempt. The goalposts keep moving; we are facing mass extinctions; the climate
emergency demands massive cuts in carbon emissions; and the UK government target is to decarbonise energy for buildings and transport by 2030.3 An excellent new tool for implementing this reduction is Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2035, which calculates the impact of retrofit, and safeguards clients’ interests and the quality of work (see page 11). PAS 2035 Improvement Option Evaluations shows that some building geometries and retrofit designs achieve energy reductions more easily than others; some retrofit measures emerge as carbon neutral or better. PAS 2035 Medium-Term Improvement Plans indicate phasing opportunities and allow for future techniques and inventions. This analysis allows us to face squarely the inevitable repositioning of retrofit goalposts. Of the 44 measures evaluated, 11 involve costly fabric insulation, but 23 are ventilation-heating or heat sources, and five are renewables. Not everything requires the six-figure construction costs of fabric measures, however important these are for increasing efficiency. Does our usual fabric-first priority make sense in an emergency? Swapping gas heating for a heat pump can be minimally invasive and virtually eliminate emissions from fossil fuels. This is a real game-changer. With a heat pump, it is logical to seek off-peak, lower-carbon grid electricity at time-of-use tariffs, to generate power on the premises, and to store both these sources of energy in batteries. This points sensibly to a home energy system linked to an electric vehicle charger. Because the equipment bolts on, and supplier deals change, the kit can be easily accessed and updated as technologies evolve, rather than physically altering the building fabric. We designers need to do continual research, leaving no stone unturned, yet hedging our bets. We need to prescribe retrofit procedures that can nimbly incorporate the inevitable changes of standards and technology as soon as they are proved.
How can we keep informed of the latest retrofit thinking?
Check out the achievements in Ireland under the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in Passive House Plus magazine.4 If the work is overseen by a qualified project coordinator, 35%-40% of home retrofit costs are funded.
Manufacturers of the highest quality timber windows, doors, bespoke cabinet works and supplier of high performance aluminium doors and windows. 20 Cambridge Architecture
