Retrofitting provides a huge opportunity for the heritage sector in the push for net zero

Considering the quantity of embedded carbon emitted in the construction process, it stands to reason that the greenest building is the one that is already built. The increasing trend for retrofitting across the industry can be aligned with ambitious carbon reduction targets, as it’s a beneficial approach in the collective pursuit of the north star of net zero.

Careful retrofitting can lead to substantial carbon savings. An average home built in the Victorian era, for example, can often quite comfortably achieve carbon savings of at least 85%.

With millions of residential buildings across the UK built before building regulations were established in 1976, which required the use of standard artificially produced insulation to enhance thermal efficiency, retrofitting offers a huge opportunity to improve environmental standards across the sector.

However, despite the benefits of retrofitting there remains hesitation towards meddling with the historic fabric in the process. Developers want to be sensitive to the building’s history, so there’s a careful balancing act between working with buildings we already have and saving on emissions and considering the nuances and intricacies of older buildings in the retrofitting process.

With regards to listed buildings and to properties in conservation areas, exemption can often be applied to energy performance certificates (EPCs) where harm may occur as a result of installing measures to meet compliance, such as double glazing, new doors and windows, external wall insulation, and external boiler flues.

Historic buildings have a role to play in solving the housing crisis; however, there remains negative perceptions towards these buildings due to misunderstandings of how the built fabric works. It’s therefore incumbent on the sector to do a better job of promoting the benefits of older properties, and being innovative in its approach in how to make them more effective, efficient, sustainable and desirable for people to live in.

This knowledge gap is understandable, but the misconceptions around what you can and can’t do with historic fabric can easily be remedied by having the right conversations with the right people.

Better communication within the sector would also alleviate concerns around cost, which is arguably the biggest barrier to retrofitting historic housing stock – though there is work being done on this and the opportunities for grant aid are increasing, albeit slowly. By having those conversations with consultants early in the process, this creates a greater understanding of the balance between cost and output and where the sweet spot between the two lies.

Retrofitting old buildings will have significant challenges that need to be addressed, with each project needing to be assessed individually. But each has its own story to tell, and by engaging with the right and relevant expertise, these challenges can lead to huge opportunities.

Dr Emma Wells is a technical director in historic buildings at SLR Consulting