Next weekend in Paisley the International Retrofit Conference hopes to bring together the international retrofit community – but what does retrofit mean and why does it matter?
Retrofitting is a process which aims to reduce the carbon emissions from the existing built environment. For example, the UK Green Building Council estimates that 50% of UK homes have uninsulated walls, resulting in energy inefficiencies when heating the home and so unnecessary carbon emissions from energy generation. Retrofitting can improve the energy efficiency of homes and other structures by improving insulation, replacing gas boilers with electric ones, and installing solar panels and heat recovery systems.
But why should people care about retrofitting? Retrofitting has both environmental and economic benefits. First, retrofitting is key to responding to climate change. BE-ST, the organisation hosting the conference, claims that 80% of buildings which currently exist in the UK will still be standing in 2045 – this includes over 28 million homes. Reducing carbon emissions from these buildings via retrofitting will be necessary for the UK to meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050. Second, by increasing the energy efficiency of homes, heating will be cheaper, which saves consumers money and helps alleviate fuel poverty.
The conference takes place on November 7, and includes keynote speakers, panels, and workshops discussing topics such as electric heating solutions, current national retrofit policy, and forms of international retrofit collaboration.
“Edinburgh buildings” by M McBey is licensed under CC BY 2.0.