There is plenty of focus on sustainability and energy efficiency when it comes to new building projects. But what about buildings that have already been constructed? Shouldn’t they benefit from modern, sustainable environmentally friendly building techniques? This is where retrofitting comes in.

Retrofitting is the act of fitting new systems designed for high energy efficiency and low energy consumption to buildings previously built without them. This can range from small activities such as fitting energy-efficient light bulbs to installing state of the art heating systems. The reasons for doing this are simple. A more efficient building will be cheaper to run, have a lower impact on the environment and the higher energy rating that comes with this can increase the value of the property.

There is a broad spectrum of commonly used methods of sustainably retrofitting a domestic property. These include solar panels, smart meters and sustainable water and heating systems. It should be noted that the maintenance of these systems is just as important a consideration as their energy efficiency.

There is a common belief that this sort of retrofitting project is just for commercial buildings however, this is not the case. The government conducted an ‘every home counts review’ and as a result of this introduced PAS 2035. PAS 2035 sets out a standard for retrofitting domestic properties and allows retrofit coordinators to take a holistic approach when implementing sustainable retrofitting techniques. In addition to the type of work carried out, PAS 2035 also ensures that this work is of an acceptable standard. The work should therefore be assessed by an accredited retrofit assessor.

Learn about our Retrofit Assessor and Retrofit Coordinator training programmes or contact us to chat about our Whole House Retrofit Schemes.