Roadmap to retrofit

As retrofit gains recognition as a key aspect of the climate challenge, there will be greater demand for skilled designers supporting clients to make informed decisions following recognised processes

WORDS PATRICK OSBORNE

Example options appraisal for retrofit, ranging from light-touch (Scenario A) to deep retrofit (Scenario C), illustrating potential timing of works as part of a medium-term retrofit plan. Taken from Targeting Zero: Embodied and Whole Life Carbon Explained by Simon Sturgis, available from the RIBA Books: http://bit.ly/ca81targetzero

While we have seen huge improvements to the carbon intensity of the electric grid over the past decade, our homes have seen little change in how much energy they consume. Currently, the domestic housing stock accounts for 18% of the UK’s total annual carbon emissions, and while the decarbonisation of the grid will help, predictions suggest we need to comprehensively retrofit more than 20 million homes by 2050.

Retrofit also provides opportunities such as reduced fuel poverty and utility bills as well as improved indoor air quality and thermal comfort. As our summers become hotter, retrofit can also be designed to reduce overheating.

You may have come across PAS 2030:2019 if you have read about the recent Green Homes Grant scheme, the latest in a string of funding

For more information on the PAS 2035 retrofit coordinator role: https://bit.ly/2R37V3C Eastern New Energy: https://bit.ly/3xo7d1R Retrofit Academy training: https://bit.ly/3gEEWhr AECB CarbonLite course: https://bit.ly/3sRcQ55 mechanisms for domestic retrofit. This document sets the standard for the completion of retrofit, managed by the government-endorsed quality assurance scheme, Trustmark.

PAS 2035:2019 is the parallel standard that sets out the process for assessing, evaluating, and planning for how dwellings are retrofitted. It defines several new roles, with the retrofit coordinator and retrofit designer being the most relevant to practising architects.

The standard sets out a process of risk management using a ‘whole-house approach’ and using ‘medium-term retrofit plans’ that give a client a roadmap to phasing retrofit up to 2050 with works, and their potential benefits, identified in sequence.

Qualifying as a retrofit coordinator or designer

Currently, there are two routes to qualify as a PAS2035-accredited retrofit coordinator: the first through the Retrofit Academy, currently running 12 online modules with an optional two-day ‘boot camp’. The alternative is by completing the AECB CarbonLite course with an additional module focused on the PAS processes.

Architects can act as a retrofit designer for most projects, however for traditionally constructed buildings or those deemed to be higher risk – for instance, ‘protected’ buildings (listed or conservation area), or those where multiple measures are installed – designers with additional qualifications would be required. These include those who are on the AABC (Architects Accredited in Building Conservation) register; have a level 3 award for Energy Efficiency and Retrofit of Traditional Buildings; or have also completed the retrofit coordinator training.

Opportunities and future work

LETI (London Energy Transition Initiative) is due to publish a guide to domestic retrofit soon, which will detail the latest research into how far we need to retrofit to meet our climate targets. A new standard in the series, PAS 2038, focused on non-domestic buildings, is due for publication this summer.

As retrofit becomes more widely recognised as critical to tackling the climate challenge, architects with accreditation in the processes for assessing their existing properties and planning appropriate retrofit will be well placed to support clients seeking advice to make informed decisions.

Three initiatives are already running with retrofit coordinators and designers: Cosy Homes Oxfordshire; Warmer Sussex; and Eastern New Energy for Cambridgeshire.

Patrick Osborne is an associate and sustainability lead at R H Partnership Architects and a PAS 2035-accredited retrofit coordinator.