REVIEW OF RETROFIT IN EUROPE

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses Recommendations for the UK

School of Architecture and Built Environment Supervisor I Dr. David Oloke I Senior Research and Development Consultant

Elena Bosque Dominguez I Master Architect Pioneers Into Practice Programme I Climate KIC

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

index

1. Review of Retrofit in UK. 2. Review of similar European Initiatives.

3. Diagnostics toolkit.

4. Building system retrofitting options. Recommendations for the U.K. •

Building envelope.

•

Heating demand reductions after the application of retrofitting measures in the building envelope.

•

Technical systems.

5. Comparative overview from UK to EU 6. Passive House Standard •

Environmental principles

•

Economic analysis

7. Recommendations 8. Bibliography

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

1.

Review of Retrofit in UK and West Midlands.

Energy bills are the household expense that most concern to UK consumers. In 2012- 2013 the average household spent 1,267 pounds on energy. According with government figures, in 2011 there were 569,000 households which spent more than 20% of their income of energy and that will increase significantly in the coming years.

Despite of that, the UK massive potential for home retrofit isn’t being realized. The greatest potential for energy bills reductions lies in expensive measures such as solid wall insulation or more complex retrofits that make multiple improvements to a property.

Consumer demand for retrofitting is low. Understanding of how energy efficiency improvements can reduce energy bills is very low among consumers, who have been encouraged to focus on Energy Company profiteering.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Most retrofit activity in the UK has been driven by subsidy. There has been a sharp drop in activity following the ending of the previous government schemes, CERT and CESP, in 2012 and the introduction of Green Deal an ECO in 2013.

Initial uptake of the Green Deal has been extremely low, reinforcing fears that the market will develop too slowly to benefit significant numbers of householders.

In February 2011 ARUP published a UK legislation timeline poster in an attempt to summarize the overall policy landscape on Carbon Reduction. It divides policy drivers into three main sections: Emissions, Energy and Efficiency. The two last sections are highly relevant at retrofitting sector: ENERGY: o

Renewable obligations;

o

Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTS);

o

Renewable heat incentives (RHI) EFFICIENCY:

o

Climate Change Levy (CCL);

o

Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC);

o

Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT);

o

Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP);

o

Building Regulations;

o

Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) The review of Retrofit in West Midlands Social Houses Organizations, made from the School

of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Wolverhampton on July 2014, highlights that the most popular action for retrofitting in West Midlands to date are: o

Loft and cavity wall insulation;

o

Replacement of windows and doors;

o

Upgrade of heating systems.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Most recent retrofit programmes are used external wall insulation or internal wall insulation where the first one is not feasible.

However there are many of pilot projects around UK and West Midlands towards a “near Zero Efficiency Building” that takes the “Passive House” standards and show us other range of technology retrofitted as: o

Draft proofing and floor insulation;

o

Water saving systems: fitting low volume baths, low flow taps and showers, dual flush WC’s;

o

Recycle and reuse water: rainwater and grey water harvesting;

o

Hot water and Heating systems: Air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, combined heat and power units, biomass boilers;

o

Upgrade of lighting system: LED lighting, light sensors, voltage optimization.

o

Renewable energies: Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, biomass, geothermal systems.

2.

Review of similar European Initiatives

A study of 73 pilot projects around 12 Countries in Europe has been made to compare and analyze with UK retrofitting. Countries that have been compared are: MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES: France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Spain.

NON MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES:

U.K., Bulgary, Estonia, Sweden, Germany and

Nederlands.

As we can see at the graphic the most part of pilot projects found are in France with a 21% of the total. At U.K. there are the 16% of case studies analyzed, being the country with more interventions at the Non Mediterranean Countries, more than Germany and Netherlands.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Distribution of measures in

Mediterranean European

Non Mediterranean

UE

Countries

European Countries

At the European Countries, as global solution for Energy Efficiency Retrofitting, the most important measures are active measures, this mean that they use to upgrade installation systems in order to be more efficient, before to upgrade the building envelope for saving energy. This difference is more important at Non Mediterranean Countries than at Mediterranean Countries. The second great difference between Mediterranean and Non Mediterranean Countries is about user awareness activities: the best way to refurbish a house with energy efficiency criteria is to inform households about the problem providing energy advice and EE tool-kit, communicative internet site, communication marketing, training courses, etc‌ and encourage homeowners to open their refurbished homes to the public (http://www.superhomes.org.uk).

3.

Diagnostics toolkit.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

It is gratefully remarkable the use of water saving systems measures at the U.K. comparing with the rest of Europe by rain water harvesting and grey water recycling, as well as the upgrade of lighting system by using energy efficiency appliances, and the installation of renewable energy sources, mostly PV panels. However, at upgrading the plumbing system, ventilation system, natural ventilation and use of daylight systems, UK has still a lot by doing as well as at micro-clime improvement and solar control.

4.

Building system retrofitting options.

Building envelope

The way to undertake the rehabilitation of buildings is usually common: preserve the structure of beams, columns and floors of the original building and wrap everything with a new skin, thermal insulation plus a new finish and optimize building facilities. The little extra energy buildings that need can be covered easily from renewable energies, being of course that such construction with energy cost of heating and cooling the planet Zero.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

RETROFITTING STRATEGIES IN CURRENT PRACTICE REPLACE

When totall or partial façade elements are removed and replaced.

WRAP IT

When we wrap the building into a second layer. It’s upgraded from the outside thermal bridges and thermal resistance. This solution renews building appearance. Vary from external insulation, cladding of balconies or second façade.

ADD-IN

When we can’t change external appearance. This solution improve thermal resistance but it don’t upgrade the outside thermal bridges. It may be combined with window replacement.

ADD ON

When a new structure is “added on” to the existing building. It can vary from small intervention to a whole new building. Old façade is no longer part of the building envelope. New façade compiles with requirements for improved environmental performance.

COVER IT

Cover parts or completely internal and external courtyards and atria. Often referred as green house. Transparent elements allow visual contact and increase heat gains. It’s created an extra functional space changing the relation between inside and outside.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT MEASURES

MEASURE

DESCRIPTION

LIMITATIONS

Cavity insulation

Loose of foam insulating material ejected in the existing cavity between inner and outer wall leaf. Increases thermal resistance. Performance depends on existing cavity depth.

Insulation on interior of wall sheathing with plaster or plasterboard. Increases thermal resistance to required level.

Not suitable in all cases.

Not sufficient insulation thickness.

Internal insulation

WINDOWS

EXTERNAL WALL

Exterior insulation and Finishing Systems (EIFS) Ventilated façade

Timber-frame wall

Risk of interstitial condensation.

Use up internal space.

Disturbance for users.

Abolishes the effect of thermal mass.

Thermal bridging of the fixing.

Water leakage risks Low impact resistance Thermal bridging of the fixing.

Cost.

Rigid insulation boards on exterior of wall sheathing with plaster. Increases thermal resistance to required level Rigid insulation boards on exterior of wall with panel for finishing.

Substructure for the panels needed.

Increases thermal resistance to required level Timber self-supporting structure with Applicable for non-loadbearing façades. insulation infill and panelling. Increases Prefabrication requires detailed survey. thermal resistance to required level.

Disturbance for occupants.

Second façade single glazing

Cladding with single glazing, 0.50-2m away from the existing wall. Aluminium frame structure. Thermal buffer, unheated space.Passive solar heating.

Insulation on existing envelope is not necessary.

Second façade Cladding with double, insulated glazing, double glazing 0.50-2m away from the existing wall.

Aluminium frame structure. Thermal buffer, unheated space.Passive solar heating. Insulation on existing envelope is not necessary.

Additional space.

Additional construction adjacent to Second façade existing floor. Possible to be structurally integrated independent, with the loads to be transferred in new structure. Create extra usable, heated space. Prevent heat loss through adjacent façades.

Upgrade windows Double glazing applied on existing window frame. Increases thermal resistance of window pane. Heat protection. Solar gains.

Replace windows Replace the existing glazing and frame with double glazing with SotA double-glazing windows.

Increases thermal resistance and airtightness.Heat protection. Solar gains.

Solves thermal bridging in window frame

Overheating risk.

Extra structure may be required.

Cost.

Extra space requirements.

Additional weight and width of glazing.

Air tightness not improved.

Thermal break in frame needed.

Correct site installation include sealing round window and door frames.

Improves infiltration, ventilation considerations needed.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Enlarged windows

Replace windows with triple glazing

Secondary single glazing

Secondary double glazing

Shading fixed

Shading adjustable

BALCONY

Cut-off balcony

Thermal break in frame needed.

Correct site installation include sealing round window and door frames.

Improves infiltration, ventilation considerations needed.

Thermal break in frame needed.

Correct site installation include sealing round window and door frames.

Improves infiltration, ventilation considerations needed.

Adequate ventilation needed in the cavity.

Secondary glazing draught-stripped, while the existing the existing windows left without seals.

Consider orientation for the type of shading.

Overheating of the shading device results in un wanted heat gains.

Labour and cost intensive.

Lack of exterior spaces (if the balcony is not replaced)

Insulate balcony slab

Insulation applied to all balcony Labour intensive. surfaces (top and below). Solve thermal Inefficient use of material. bridge.

Change in balcony level- problems in detailing.

Balcony cladding single glazing

Cladding with single/ doble glazing.

Aluminium frame structure.Balcony space as buffer zone. Thermal comfort temp on balcony extended. Thermal bridging solved.

Balcony cladding doble glazing Balcony space integrated

Pitch roof insulation

ROOF

Existing windows and parapet removed and replaced with enlarged, improved window pane. Higher solar heat gains.Heat protection. Larger transparent proportion. Different relation inside-outside.

Replace the existing glazing and frame with triple-glazing windows. Increases thermal resistance and airtightness.Heat protection. Solar gains.

Solves thermal bridging in window frame Secondary single glazing window pane, in the inside. Creates thermal buffer.

External appearance unchanged.

Acoustic performance improves.

Increases thermal resistance to required level. Creates thermal buffer.

External appearance unchanged.

Acoustic performance improves.

Shading advices placed ourside the window pane, in form of overhang, fixed louvers, etc. Solar protection.

Shading advices plaed in or outside the window pane, in form of movable louvers, venetian blinds, etc‌Solar protection.

Cut off the existing balcony and insulate the floor edge. Solve thermal bridge.

Overheating risk.

Insulation at the edge of the slab required.

Extra structural loads.

Cladding with doble glazing. Aluminium Lack of exterior spaces (if the balcony is frame structure.Balcony space not replaced) integrated in thermal envelope.

Thermal bridging solved. Extra space.

Insulation between rafters, lining.

Increases thermal resistance to required level. Advised for heated attic.

Insulation thickness, due to rafters' depth.

Height of the space.

Timbers should be inspected for damp, rot or infestation.

Appropiate ventilation must be provided.

Air-tightness of lining.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Insulation on top floor slab

GROUND FLOOR

Flat roof

Insulation on attic floor. Advised for unheated attic. Prevents heat loss through top floor slab to unheated attic space.

Additional insulation on roof slab, waterproofing. Increases thermal resistance to required level.

Green roof

Additional insulation on roof slab, waterproofing, soil and plants.

Increases thermal resistence to required level

Additional roof, loft occupied Additional roof, loft occupied, NO insulated LOFT SPACE, occupied insulated Insulation on top of ground/first floor slab

Additional construction on top of existing floor. Possible to be structurally independent, with the loads to be transferred in new structure.

Insulation on top of the heated floor slab. Increases thermal resistence to adequate level. Heat protection: no heat loss from first floor through basement ceiling.

Insulation under Insulation under first floor slab, or existing floor between floor joists ( in timber floor construction). Increases thermal resistance to adequate level. Heat protection: no heat loss from first floor through basement ceiling.

Additional floorBasement heated. Insulating basement occupied basement floor and walls advised. Heat protection: no heat loss from first floor through basement ceiling.

Ventilators are needed to maintain cross ventilation of the roof space, preventing condensation.

Careful detailing at the edge and parapet areas.

Insulation should be placed below the weatherproof membrane.

Additional load.

Careful detailing at the edge and parapet areas.

Insulation should be placed below the weatherproof membrane.

Insulation material of adequate compression resistance.

Eliminates thermal mass effect.

Limitations in height.

Application depends on existing construction.

Limitations of height.

Basement needs to be insulated.

Similar to insulation on top or the slab.

As walls are concerned cavity insulation isn’t enough insulation thickness and this solution is the most frequent at the U.K by now. Internal wall insulation has risk of interstitial condensation so we have to complete it with high ventilation. Moreover, to eliminate completely thermal bridges it is compulsory to insulate all floors, not only at roof and ground floor. External wall insulation is the best solution at this first step, but we have to take attention at fixing because of there can be water leakage risks and thermal bridges if the execution is not correct.

The most efficient measures are second façade systems. Although they are more expensive, we can reduce the heating demand until 70%. It is required a good study of sun orientation before to use these solutions on the façades.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

To enlarge windows at Sun and East orientation with double or triple glazing can reduce the energy consumption to a 27% and if we provide shading systems, we can procure until 10% of additional reductions.

Balconies are usually an important risk of thermal bridges, mostly at continuous slab. Loses at thermal bridges may be from 30%, so that is very important to provide a solution for this problem.

The best solution in the roof is to insulate the loft space providing a new use for it or/and to insulate the top slab. It can provide from 40% to 50% of heating demand reduction. At last but not least, we can achieve until a 20% of reduction if we insulate the ground floor, preferably under the slab.

Heating demand reductions after the application of retrofitting measures in the building envelope

Comparing the interventions at the U.K with other at non Mediterranean Countries, the first one have still a lot for doing to achieve a Passive House Standard by retrofitting. To install a double envelope or ventilated façade can provide until 70% of heating demand reduction; to close loggias can reduce the energy consumption to a 30% and to insulate with green roofs can provide 30% reduction as well as it contributes to improve the environment. In addition, if we close back courtyards with a “trombe wall” correctly orientated, we can provide a natural heating. At the whole

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

of solutions it is compulsory to provide a correct ventilation to eliminate the overheating risks at summer, preferably natural ventilation.

Technical systems

SYSTEM

DESCRIPTION

FUNCTION

Air movements through the façade's openings, driven by the climatic forces

Exchange the heated internal air with cool outside air.

Cooling effect Constant minimum air supply

HEAT SOURCE

VENTILATION

Natural ventilation Trickle ventilation Natural inlet/ mechanical exhaust Mechanical inlet/ natural exhaust

Adjustable openings on window frame

Air is supplied an/or extracted from the building or both by a fan and using exhaust air terminal devices, ducts and roof/wall outlets

Mechanical ventilation Ventilation system Heat exchanges heat or cool incoming fresh air, with heat recovery recapturing 60 to 80% of the coinditioned (HR) temperatures.

Heat produced and directly transferred to the Gas or biomass space stove Fossil fuel boiler in each dwelling Transfers the heat liberated during combustion Fossil fuel boiler per block

into the heating system

Providing fresh air to occupants and removing pollutants from a space

Generate heat

Generate heat water for hydronic heating systems and DWH

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Replace existing boiler in each dwelling, high efficiency Replace existing boiler in each per block, high efficiency

CHP installation

Heat pump Biomass boiler Solar collectors

Geothermy District/ community heating

Transfers the heat liberated during combustion into the heating system. Efficiency > 80%

Provides simultaneous generation in one process of thermal energy and electrical an/or mechanical energy System to transfer heat from the source by means of electrical or thermal energy at a high temperature to the heat sink.

Transfers the heat liberated during combustion into the heating system, using biomass fuel.

Convert direct solar radiation into an other forms of energy Water is punped down a borehole in the ground and back to the surface, allowing the heat to be transferred by simple conduction from the ground to the water.

Heat is generated in a central source and delivered on demand as hot water to group of buildings.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

The last trends at Europe recommend the use of micro CHP running by biogas or biomass as renewable energy sources, and district supply systems for heating, hot water and electricity production.

CHP are mostly applied to central power plants for district heating and power generation but they are also used to generate process heat (steam, high-temperature water) and electricity for industrial purposes. Varied available technical solutions of combined power generation (like heatpumps, gas generators etc.) make CHP not only highly efficient but also a highly flexible system, easy to implement under many various conditions.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Micro CHP (Micro Combined Heat and Power) is an extension of CHP for single-/multifamily houses or small office buildings. Mini and micro turbines offer many potential advantages compared to other technologies of small-scale power generation. Even though there are still some technical and non-technical barriers to implement this technology, small CHP can significantly increase energy efficiency in residential buildings sector.

More advanced pilot projects are using water and wind turbines closing production to consumption.

5.

Comparative overview from UK to EU

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

6. PASSIVE HOUSE STANDARD Environmental design principles Germany has pioneered the “Passive House”, a model using negligible amounts of energy – and mostly renewable sources-- for both new build and retrofit. It has also pioneered legal and funding frameworks for renewable energy and energy saving. saving. I outperforms all other European Countries in these development.

The UK adopted a Code for Sustainable Homes, which at its highest levels emulates some features of the German Passive House standard. However the “whole house approach”, “passive house” standards, feed-in-tariff, tariff, EPCs are in the early stages of development in the UK.

The first principle for a sustainable and efficient design is REDUCE ENERGY DEMAND with Passive Measures.. This principle is tackled by RETROFITTING the building stock in order to improve: •

Heat protection (winter +summer) by increasing wall insulation, providing insulated glazing and airtightness;

•

Passive solar use (winter): direct gain or indirect gain by using trombe wall or sunspaces, taking advantage to the daylight;

•

Avoid over-heating heating (summer): providing sun control, natural ventilation, thermal mass and adiabatic cooling.

When this first principle is smoothed out, we must use SUSTAINABLE, RENEWABLE ENERGY

SOURCES, as Active Measures: •

CHP or PV solar panels for electricity electr production

•

BIOMASS for heat generation

•

THERMAL COOLING

Only we use fossil energy, if necessary, as efficiently as possible.

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

The architecture Passive is based on the design of buildings that harness the energies of the environment and climate, for comfort comfort inside without using Active heating or cooling sources. In Germany went beyond this statement to look for a quantification that could make it easier to use in practice. The system stem PassivHaus (Passive House), House), is basically reduced to a number, at least to consider a conventional heating or cooling "unnecessary" energy expenditure: •

The building should spend less than 15 kWh / m2 in a year.

•

Or what is the same; need for m2 only 1.5 l of heating oil to get a good indoor temperature throughout the year.

We can reduce energy demands by

reducing

energy

consumption

for

HEATING,

DOMESTIC HOT WATER, AUXILIARY ELECTRICITY and HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICITY. As we can see at the graphic, it’s possible to reduce the Energy Consumption to 90% if we achieve the “passive house standard” after the refurbish.

Economic analysis

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES FOR 7 APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN GERMANY It was very interesting the experience of Marc Großklos, Mechanical Engineer at the Institut Wohnen und Umwelt GmbH (IWU).

(IWU) It can help us to analyze costs, energy balances and user’s opinions about energetic refurbish. Some conclusions of that experience are: •

It was possible to insulate nearly the whole opaque building envelope with recycled or renewable materials. This leads to low cumulative energy requirements (CER) (

•

Installation engineering needs to be proper adjusted and maintained

•

Results show that for zerozero or plus-energy buildings it is important to reduce the demand for energy before the use of renewable energies or compensation approaches

•

By using the co-generation generation the buildings could reach nearly net zero carbon level (simultaneously net plus-energy-building plus building for heating, domestic hot water an auxiliary energy)

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Most part of users estimates the added value of the passive house standard because of saving heating costs, climate protection and increase living comfort.

The energy balance of the building based in measured values indicates the huge difference on consumption and CO2 emissions before and after the retrofit.

And the analysis of cost for building envelope and systems engineering reveals that Energetic Refurbish is only 1/3 of the total project costs: •

Maintenance incl. measures increasing dwelling value: 1,058,743 € or 818 €/m2

•

Costs of the energetic refurbishment: 596,684 € or 461 €/m2 THE ECONOMICS OF WHOLE HOUSE RETROFITTING. UK The Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) with a network of builders,

academics, architects, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, housing associations, local authorities… with a common aim of promoting best practice in sustainable building, analyzed 12 house types refurbishment from bungalows, 3-storey town houses and semi-detached houses in order to know the house design that we need to save energy cheaper than buying it and if we can save 50-80% of the CO2 this way.

They used a realistic energy calculations based on the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), considering average temperature before retrofit of 17ºC and 20ºC after retrofit, and calculating thermal bridges. With an average investment of 12,000 pounds (200 pounds/year around 60 years of life cycle) we can achieve a big improvement in comfort, a good indoor air quality that can improve health, reduce risk of damp issues. We can save over 50% energy cost with a 30 year payback that can be reduced with low interest loans founded by EU and more realistic energy price rises.

They conclude that Passive houses cost is only 10% more to build for a 90% of reduction in heating energy. By now there are in UK 250 certified Passive House buildings.

LOW CARBON RETROFITTING. UK The Black Country Housing Group, with 6 case study at different neighborhoods from 2001 to 2008 and different scale of refurbishment, from 350 pounds/m2 to 700 pounds/m2, claim that super-insulated houses with solar heating panels don’t need a boiler and radiators. They bet for new technologies combined PV panels, wind turbines and hydro-electric turbines with CHP, to satisfy the electrical loan, and nano-technology in insulation that solves the problem of treating sloping ceilings and solid walls in old houses.

They calculate that households need to be budgeting with 50.000 pounds per dwelling to achieve the most important reductions. This budget can be divided into:

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

Solid wall insulation (100m EPS) 2 kW solar PV (remote monitoring) Under-floor floor insulation Loft insulation (200mm top-up) top MVHR- (2x thru’--the-wall) Advanced glazing (x 20m2) High performance doors (x2) SMART technology (appliances +) CURRENT COSTS

12,000 pounds 6,000 pounds 1,200 pounds 750 pounds 1,500 pounds 15,000 pounds 3,000 pounds 10,000 pounds 49,450 pounds

ENERGIE SPRONG. TRANSITIONS ZERO. ZERO NETHERLANDS, FRANCE, UK. Energiesprong brokered a deal between housing associations and builders to refurbish 111,000 houses to Net Zero Energy (E=0) levels in the Netherlands. E=0 means, annually a house does not consume more energy for heating, hot water, lights and appliances than it produces. produc The refurbishments are financed of the energy cost savings; a refurbishment is executed within 10 days and comes with a 30-year year energy performance warranty from the builder.

They compare the refurbishment of a building with cars’ market. They offer a kit of refurbishment that includes precast systems for exterior wall insulation, high efficiency windows, external roof insulation with PV panels and ventilation system through the external wall. They offer a non intrusive refurbishment within 7 days of construction, c affordable, that improve look and feel to houses,, an energy neutral retrofitting with 40,000 € of investment including maintenance.

BEFORE REFURBISHMENT

AFTER REFURBISMENT

On the 6th of June, a consortium including Energiesprong and 10 partners plus 17 social housing organizations across France, the UK and the Netherlands have made a bid for EU funding to run a cross-country country program to make E=0 refurbishments a market reality in these three

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

countries. Building on the same methodology and inspiring example, an innovation trajectory will be facilitated in the UK and France through two equally ambitious deals of 100,000 houses per market.

7.

CONCLUSIONS

Financial challenges

Energy rehabilitation gigs usually have a high economic cost. Mainly for this reason, it is not possible to encourage the landlord to carry out rehabilitation on his own initiative. Therefore, it becomes increasingly necessary to provide new sources of funding so you can return on their investment in a reasonable time. The GTR proposes three main steps: 1. create a pay channel through the energy bill, so that they can spread the payments and allowing entry of private funding sources, 2. develop a system of loan packages with standard longer maturities and lower interest rates, and finally, 3. The implementation

of

credit

lines

through public-private aid ICO, BEI or an Energy

Efficiency

Fund and private

banking.

Regulatory challenges

It is difficult to start a change in the home if it isn’t promoted from new regulations that encourage and support rehabilitation activities. For this, the report proposes GTR, as most relevant measures, the drafting of an action plan with clearly defined and binding targets, creating a Renewal Agency to facilitate cooperation between different areas of legislation and standardization in an area of common work which involved homeowners and industry players.

•

Monumental status: most of building stock won’t be able to acquire a nZEB level because of their historical protection requirements.

•

Energy upgrade: Minimum energy requirements for major renovations (DIRECTIVE 2010/31/EU).

•

nZEB Energy Buildings, with a very high energy efficiency. Low or no energy need should be covered in a significant proportion by energy from renewable sources, including energy from

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Thus, the term "almost zero" is used for reducing demand and increasing energy efficiency.

Recommendations

In my opinion, the first step to tackle the Energy Efficient Retrofitting of Housing Stock start by coordinating all the organizations and case studies around UK and creating a Data base that contain all the experiences. There are at the UK a lot of pilot project that achieved a Passive House Standard after retrofitting and moreover, there’s at Birmingham the first Zero Carbon House in the UK. At that moment the question isn’t “what to do” but “How to do it”: o

It is necessary a local qualification and certification scheme for professionals in the retrofitting sector as well as for installers should be developed and implemented in order to secure the quality of the results.

o

The implementation should include neighborhood based approaches, linking the aims to local communities. Furthermore, more general and appealing themes like the greening of neighborhoods as well as local social and economical sustainability should be incorporated.

o

Collaborative approaches can help overcome technical and financial restrictions and allow a wider use of innovative technologies. They can foster positive local social processes at the same time.

o

For the implementation, transfer and institutionalization of the approach, strong network building among the main stakeholders should take place. Other actors with gate-keeping potentials like local citizen’s associations should be actively included.

8.

Bibliography

o

o

o o

The Energy Trilemma: How the transformation of our buildings is both urgent AND important Richard Davies. MBE Innovation Catalyst Birmingham. Climate KIC The retrofit Challenge: Delivering Low Carbon Buildings.

Dr. A. Stafford Centre for the build environment. Leeds Metropolitan University http://www.powerhouseeurope.eu/nc/cases_resources/case_studies FAÇADE REFURBISHMENT TOOLBOX. Supporting the Design of Residential Energy Upgrades Thaleia Konstantinou

Review of Retrofit in Europe’s houses

Recommendations for the UK October 2014

o

o

o o

o

o

o o

o

o

Delf University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture ande The Build Environment TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture. Design & History. Computation & Performance.

Green Building Innovation. Urbanism. Innovations in Management of the. Built Environment. Housing Quality.

Dr.-.Ing. Tillmann KleinTechnical University Delft Chair Design of Construction Climate-KIC. Thematic Summer School 2014. ‘Transforming the Future Built Environment’.

Thaleia Konstantinou PASSIVE ARCHITECTURE AND REHABILITATION. The PassivHaus model.

BY NICOLAS CARAZO · MAY 18, 2011 Energy Efficiency of Buildings - practical experiences with seven apartment buildings in Germany.

Marc Großklos, Institut Wohnen und Umwelt GmbH (IWU) (Institute for Housing and Environment), Germany THE ECONOMICS OF WHOLE HOUSE RETROFITTING. AECB. Association for Environment Conscious Building. www.aecb.net Tim Martel LOW CARBON RETROFITTING. Black Country Housing Group Richard Baines. Director of Sustainable Development ENERGIE SPRONG. TRANSITIONS ZERO www.energiesprong.nl/europe RESIDENTIAL RETROFITTING. 20 CASE STUDIES. 20 near Passive House retrofits.

Author: Marion Baeli Co-Author: Technology Strategy Board Publisher: RIBA ENERGY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR BUILDING STOCKS. Energy Performance Indicators Tracking Schemes for the Continuous Optimization of Refurbishment Processes in European Housing Stocks.

EPISCOPE Project Team. March 2014 Institut Wohnen und Umwelt, Darmstadt. Germany Project duration: april 2013- March 2016 THE KfW EXPERIENCE IN THE REDUCTION OF ENERGY USE IN AND CO2 EMISSIONS FROM BUILDINGS: OPERATION, IMPACTS AND LESSONS FOR THE UK. UCL Energy Institute & University College London LSE Housing and Communities, London School of Economics