Ventilation vital as we boost energy efficiency with building retrofits, say top engineers

Building retrofit programmes to improve energy efficiency must also have appropriate ventilation to provide healthier, safer indoor environments, according to a new report published today by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC).

The UK has set ambitious legal targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net zero by 2050. With the heating and cooling of buildings contributing 17% to national emissions, retrofit schemes are an essential step towards the UK achieving net-zero by 2050, to mitigate the threats of climate change. As 80% of our existing buildings will still be in use by 2050, making them energy efficient is a key part of any net zero plan.

The government’s Warm Homes Plan presents an ideal opportunity to future-proof buildings and embed health outcomes in retrofit schemes, as well as improving energy efficiency, through insulation and airtightness, ventilation and air cleaning, and low-carbon heating.

Led by CIBSE, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, this is the final report in a major programme of work by the NEPC on infection resilient environments. It makes five key recommendations to help embed health outcomes in building retrofit programmes; enable specialist training for retrofit professionals and trial digital records for building performance and maintenance.

Recommendations:

1. Health-Based Outcomes: Embed health outcomes in retrofit programmes, supported by public information campaigns.
2. Public Buildings Assessment: Large-scale assessment of health risks in public buildings to inform retrofit delivery.
3. Digital Passports for Buildings: Trial digital records for building performance and maintenance to support long-term management.
4. Training and Skills Development: Incorporate health into training for retrofit professionals.
5. Research and Development: Address knowledge gaps on long-term health impacts of indoor environments and integrate findings into policy and practice.

An opportunity ‘to improve the nation’s health’

Retrofit schemes deliver many benefits, through the process of upgrading buildings. This includes:

•       Structural change: installing insulation, upgrading windows, improving airtightness to reduce heat loss and energy demand, and provision of appropriate ventilation
•       Changes to building services: such as switching to low-carbon heating
•       Monitoring and control tools: installation of monitoring and control tools for energy use to empower users to adapt user-behaviour

Professor Peter Guthrie OBE FREng, Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Infection Resilient Environments Working Group, says:

“There are many ways to improve the nation’s health and improving homes is a key one. Setting out clear definitions and targets of what healthy homes and buildings look and feel like, sets out a roadmap to get us to that destination. Finally, training in the art and science of healthy homes, by building professionals who do this work, will be fundamental to the long-term success of retrofit schemes.”