It is important to set performance targets (in this case, targets related to the energy performance of the building fabric) at the beginning of a refurbishment/retrofit project. The Soft Landings approach, adopted in this early stage of the planning, will ensure that targets set for the project at the beginning will be met at the end.
To set realistic and meaningful targets, the investigation should first take place to understand the current performance of the fabric and energy consumption of the building. Such an investigation can be done through different tests/assessments:
- Thermal Imaging: A thermal imaging camera can provide images of the heat patterns emitted from a building. It can be used to test the effectiveness of insulation and finding air leakage.
- In-situ U-value testing: Portable U-value testing kits can be used to measure the thermal transmittance of different elements of a building (such as external walls and roofs), helping to identify potential insulation improvements.
- Airtightness testing: This test is used to measure the amount of uncontrolled air leakage through gaps and cracks in the fabric of the building envelope.
- Energy assessment: Energy data is collected and analysed to illustrate the energy base-load, daily energy profile and peak demand.
While it is important to improve the energy performance of the fabric of existing buildings, it is also important to ensure the improvement will not cause condensation and will not affect indoor air quality. Condensation risk analysis can be done to ensure proposed solutions will not cause condensation.
BSRIA assists clients in their refurbishment and retrofit projects, providing Fabric First Investigation activities and advice.
To find out more, please contact us at Consultancy@bsria.co.uk