As the UK strives to meet its ambitious climate targets, retrofitting has emerged as a powerful solution to reduce carbon emissions, save energy and promote sustainable living. We look at different aspects of retrofit and how business can get involved.
Domestic Retrofit for Greener Homes
The business of retrofitting involves the improvement of existing buildings with modern technologies and systems to enhance energy efficiency.
As you would expect, UK households contribute significantly to our national energy consumption. In fact, domestic dwellings are actually responsible for 20% of the country’s carbon emissions.
As a result, domestic retrofitting has been identified as a viable means of attaining the country’s net-zero goals. There are typically four standard upgrade areas:
- Improvements to existing insulation
- Window replacements
- Removal of gas boilers and replacing with heat pumps
- Smart thermostats for more precise monitoring of energy usage.
These measures can not only reduce energy use but also lower utility bills, enhance home comfort and – over time – increase the value of a property.
The downside is that retrofitting can be financially challenging for many households in the current economic phase, which is regularly being described as a cost-of-living crisis.
Retrofit measures typically require significant upfront costs with the promise of a much longer-term return on investment period, and this is a clear deterrent to many householders. However, several government schemes and grants are available which aim to make retrofitting more accessible. These initiatives provide funding that is ring-fenced for energy-saving improvements, making it easier for more households to benefit from retrofit.
Commercial Retrofit: More Efficient Business Premises
For UK businesses, retrofitting can offer significant energy savings, better operational efficiency and a path to meeting corporate sustainability goals. Office buildings, warehouses, and retail spaces consume large amounts of energy, and retrofitting presents a solution that not only cuts costs but also aligns with regulatory requirements and customer expectations for sustainability.
Some example retrofit areas in the commercial sector include:
- lighting upgrades,
- HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system improvements
- Installation of energy management systems
For example, LED lighting is a straightforward, cost-effective upgrade that immediately reduces electricity bills and improves workplace lighting quality. High-efficiency HVAC upgrades combined with smart thermostats provide more precise temperature control and consequently, improved employee comfort and productivity. Energy management systems help businesses monitor and reduce energy usage, ensuring efficient operations.
While commercial retrofitting requires substantial investment, the returns can be significant and quickly realised.
The savings on energy bills, increased asset value and enhanced customer reputation as a sustainable business could make retrofitting an extremely profitable investment.
A Skills Bootcamp for Retrofit Businesses
Retrofit is becoming one of the UK’s most exciting and impactful specialisms. If you or your organisation are existing practitioners or looking to get more involved in the retrofit sector, Birmingham City University is offering a Skills Bootcamp especially for you.
“Retrofit the City” is structured around key topics crucial to implementing effective retrofit strategies for communities and buildings, and equipping participants with the skills and understanding needed to drive the retrofit agenda forward.
To meet the requisite volume of retrofit works, industry needs new professionals and tradespeople together with extensive upskilling of the existing workforce. Retrofit offers a unique opportunity for individuals to join a dynamic, expanding sector and contribute to a sustainable future.
This new Skills Bootcamp has been designed by leading academics and sector experts. It delivers a theory-based series of eight day-long sessions, spread over 14 weeks.
By attending, you will gain a real-world view of new solutions for the Net-Zero challenge. You will develop an understanding of a range of retrofit solutions applied in different contexts and building typologies, and the positive impact these can have in the communities involved.
A significant benefit for businesses and organisations of all sizes is that up to 100% of the course fee will be funded by automatic support through West Midlands Combined Authority and the Department for Education.
