With a little thought you can make your retrofit project perform between 50% and 90% better.
This article discusses the standards and scope of how to Retrofit Your Home The Energy Efficient Way.
Retrofit Your Home?
Many modern new build homes do not perform as they were designed to but you can retrofit your home to deliver what you expected it to and more.
Retrofitting a building is one of lifes biggest investments for many people and businesses, so how can retrofit your home successfully?
This article will explain different standards to aim for, and three key metrics within the different standards.
“whole-house retrofit can provide huge financial, comfort, carbon and social benefits”
RETROFIT FOR THE FUTURE
What Can Go Wrong with a poor retrofit?
Many modern buildings may be designed to meet specific criteria that make them comfortable to be in and relativly cheap to run but do they deliver what was designed?
The answer in many cases is no. So what are the common complaints?
I cant keep my home warm in the winter
My home is unbearably hot in the summer
I have mould growing around the windows
My bathroom is always damp
We get condensation on the inside of our windows
Your Existing Building
The options available, and improvements that can be made are dependant of the characteristics of your existing building included but not limited to the following.
The form factor of your building has implications of the energy efficiency you can achieve.
Form factor is the ratio of wall to heated space, the less wall to heated area you have the easier it is to achieve low space heating demand.
Does your existing building make most use of the sun?
The orientation of your existing building will affect the strategy used to achieve an optimal reduction in space heating demand.
Available space for additional insulation either inside or outside your existing building will affect the strategy of insulating your building. There are two options, IWI (internal wall insulation) or alternatively EWI (external wall insulation.
Building Standard Options
English Statutory Building Regulations
More commonly knows as building regs, statutory building regulations are the minimum legal requirement by design for construction work in England.
Are there and things in your life that are designed to a minimum standard. Consider firstly your car, secondly you clothes, thirdly your watch, as well as your food, phone or computer.
The key consideration with building regs is that your building is designed to meet these standards, but is it built to these standards? You can learn more by learning about the performance gap
If you are looking for the minimum standard for your retrofit project, STOP reading here.
AECB Building Standard
An easily achievable, yet comprehensive building standard is the AECB Building Standard.
This building standard is broken down into two main options, Retrofit and New Build.
The AECB’s Retrofit standard gives more relaxed targets to accommodate some of the complexities involved in retrofit projects.
Also this standard helps with affordable, realistic budgets in addition to getting the biggest energy savings for your buck.
This standard considers important details including the following:
Considering these points results in improvement in three noticeable areas of comfort and health
- Heat
- Air Quality
- Moisture
Considering these basic characteristics of your finished retrofit means that you have a building designed to work in harmony with its self.
Importantly the certification process of the AECB building standard ensures that your project is built as designed and therefore performs as designed. Bye Bye performance gap.
The aim of AECB Retrofit Standard is to create the most ambitious energy target.
Passive House Building Standard
Passive House Building has a standard for Retrofit known as EnerPhit.
This standard considers the same characteristics as the AECB however stipulates performance targets that must be met in order to achieve certification.
Enerphit standards are higher, resulting in a better performing building.
Achieving this standard, existing building characteristics can be more important and design detailing may have to be more comprehensive.
BUILD ONCE AND BUILD WELL
What Does a Energy Efficient Retrofit Project Involve?
The aim of a low energy retrofit project is to improve energy efficiency and comfort.
Areas of work that are considered include:
Insulating walls
Insulating roofs
Insulating floors
Upgrading windows
Upgrading doors
Improving airtightness
Improving ventilation
Improving heating systems
Improving hot water systems
This may sound a little daunting although with a well designed project there are many options that can deliver excellent results with less effort.
One great option is to complete your retrofit one part at a time, other wise known as step by step. This allows you to complete your retrofit in smaller more manageable and less disruptive projects.
Cost savings can be made by retaining components such as reasonable quality windows with improvements being made in how they are installed in order to improve their performance, sometimes dramatically.
Quick & Easy Wins : Retrofit Your Home
There are many ways in which you can reduce your energy demand quickly and easily.
Significant gains in energy performance of plug and play items within your building can make a big difference.
Changing your lighting to LED can save up-to 90% of energy required for your lighting
Technological improvements in white goods mean that many new products are more efficient from an energy point of view than older appliances.
Draft proofing is a great way to improve comfort in your building
Conclusion : Retrofit Your Home
When planning your retrofit…
Decide on the standard you will achieve
find a consultant to help you detail your retrofit project
Find a builder early in the process
Get your project certified
Enjoy an efficient, healthy & cheap to run buildEnergy Efficient Retrofit