Insights Category:
Retrofit
Retrofit improves the energy efficiency of a building.
More than the renovation of a building, a retrofit has a specific mandate to improve its performance.
It will upgrade the fabric of the building to be better insulated and more airtight. The windows may be replaced with well fitting double or triple glazed units.
Alongside improving the fabric, green technologies may be installed. A heat pump for heating or hot water (either an air source heat pump or a ground source heat pump), solar panels to generate energy, either with a battery to store excess energy or a connection to the grid to sell energy back to the National Grid.
Together, these interventions can vastly reduce the energy required to run the building, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.
The National Retrofit Hub estimate that 18.5million homes in the UK are in need of thermal upgrade to bring the UK’s housing up to a comfortable level and meet government emissions targets.
Commercial space with high levels of performance have been seen to draw higher rents and be easier to let.
Read more about our retrofit work, on projects and in advocating for warmer, more comfortable buildings.
