Retrofit means upgrading existing buildings with improved insulation, glazing, draught-proofing, ventilation and/or heating systems.
Retrofit can bring many benefits including improved comfort in both winter and summer; improved indoor air quality to eliminate odours and mould; reduced energy bills; and improving property value.
The Scottish Government has made a legally-binding national commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Retrofitting existing buildings to reduce their emissions is an important part of meeting this commitment as buildings account for around one fifth of Scotland’s overall emissions.
Most emissions from buildings come from burning fossil fuels for heating, such as in gas boilers. Installing a clean heating system in a tenement building can be challenging. The Scottish Government and local authorities are making plans to connect buildings in urban areas to heat networks.
Meanwhile, tenement owners can take a ‘fabric-first’ approach which focuses first on reducing the need for heating. This typically includes draught-proofing, loft insulation, ground floor insulation and improved glazing whilst ensuring healthy ventilation levels are maintained.
Wall insulation may also be suitable but care is needed in traditional, solid-walled buildings as these are vulnerable to changes that may trap moisture inside the wall.
To find out more about the fabric-first, energy efficiency improvements that you can make to your tenement flat and building, check out this article on our website.
