Monitoring and Measuring Building Performance

Gorse, Christopher; Johnston, David; Glew, David; Fylan, Fiona; Thomas, Felix; Shenton, Dominic Miles; Fletcher, Martin; Erkoreka, Aitor; Stafford, Anne

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-19348-9_3

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Sometimes they are unaware of the consequences and sometimes they are sceptical of potential problems. It is important to note that even similar house types can have unique features, and previous research has identified that onsite adaptations are necessary for all types of retrofit products 46 so it is likely that this barrier to standards is common for all retrofits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most were self-employed builders or employed by SMEs, and all installed retrofit IWI, one of the most technically demanding retrofits. 24,37,38 Three no longer worked solely on site and instead worked in a contract or supervisory capacity. They were recruited via a specialist fieldwork agency.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beyond the low numbers of homes being retrofitted, there is also concern around the quality and standards of retrofits installed via ECO, 23–25 and Government data suggest 10% of homes fail technical monitoring. 26 These concerns prompted the Each Homes Counts (EHC) industry review of retrofit standards, 27 which resulted in upgrades in the technical specifications in PAS230 28 as well as the introduction of new standards to be implemented fully in 2021 on quality processes for retrofits – PAS2035.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Barriers to domestic retrofit quality: Are failures in retrofit standards a failure of retrofit standards?

Fylan

Glew

2021

Indoor and Built Environment

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Thermal retrofits of homes are central to the UK's fuel poverty and net zero carbon policies but there are concerns about poor quality installation and so new standards are to be introduced (PAS2035). We have explored retrofit installers' perceptions of the barriers to installing internal wall insulation (IWI) and of current regulations and standards for retrofits. We conducted four focus groups with retrofit installers. Thematic analysis identified three themes. (1) IWI is viewed as impractical in situations other than new builds, extensions and conversions as it is too time-consuming and expensive. (2) Installing IWI is perceived as an unskilled job with no need for training or referring to standards during installation. (3) Because standards lack credibility, installers can be sceptical of potential problems caused by on-site installation adaptations, for example thermal bridging. Our results show that retrofit standards have not improved retrofit quality. Awareness and credibility of standards is low, and new standards (PAS2035) will introduce additional costs which may reduce the pool of installers willing to engage in the retrofit market. Policies need to address installer training, professional identity and social practices, and reduce barriers to change in order to increase success.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Barriers to domestic retrofit quality: Are failures in retrofit standards a failure of retrofit standards?

Fylan

Glew

2021

Indoor and Built Environment

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“…Similarly, building orientation and window size are also significant because these significantly affect the solar gain from the sun, natural ventilation efficiency and natural lighting in buildings [13][14][15]. In retrofitting projects, it could be quite challenging to improve those geometric features because of the physical limitations of the existing structure [16]. However, Felius studied building forms in terms of low-energy retrofitting, and found that apartment buildings are relatively cheaper to retrofit because the external walls and roofs already have higher energy efficiencies than other building elements [17].…”

Section: Energy Conservation-related Passive Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Building Energy Retrofit Measures, Passive Design Strategies and Building Regulation for the Low Carbon Development of Existing Dwellings in the Hot Summer–Cold Winter Region of China

2023

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Retrofitting buildings to achieve improved levels of energy performance is a key strategy in the transition to a low-/net zero carbon future. In China, there has been an enormous growth in residential construction in recent decades in response to the country’s economic development and population growth. However, although these buildings are structurally solid and have long functional life spans, most have very poor thermal performance. Therefore, they would be very suitable for energy retrofitting. Because of the variety of retrofitting options, it is important to review the retrofit measures, regulations and possible outcomes to find effective, long-term solutions that strike a balance between the energy saved, the carbon emitted and the financial costs over a building’s lifetime. This paper reviews suitable retrofit measures for the hot summer–cold winter region of China, because this is an area with huge numbers of residential buildings that are suitable for energy retrofitting. The study explores the current conditions of targeted residential buildings, retrofit schemes, building regulations, and policy gaps towards achieving China’s 2060 carbon neutrality goal. The review indicates that current mandatory building energy regulations in this region are not ambitious enough to achieve a significantly lower carbon future, and one-step deep Passivhaus retrofit schemes are recommended to achieve decarbonization goals.

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“…In a small airtightness study on a varied sample of existing buildings in the UK, Gorse et al (2015) found some buildings were so 'leaky' that it was not possible to perform heat loss tests using standard electrical heating equipment. The power required to elevate the whole house to a sufficient temperature above its surroundings would have overloaded the property's domestic electric supply.…”

Section: How Effective Are Our Building Envelopes: Why Control Air Pementioning

confidence: 99%

Guest Editorial

Gorse

2016

Construction Innovation

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Purpose -Modern Man's impact on the Ecosystem, sustainability and the built environment's contribution to global emissions are highlighted. The review provides a specific focus on the thermal performance of buildings and work undertaken to recognise and reduce wasted heat energy. Drawing on current research, data on buildings achieving enhanced levels of energy efficiency are presented and underperformance is discussed. While it is clear that domestic properties can perform, the pressure from legislation has been limited and significant gaps in thermal building performance continue. The paper proposes a model for building performance, based on control of fabric and services and the influence of occupant behaviour. The work also demonstrates where significant change has been achieved through processes of testing, measurement and monitoring.Design/methodology/approach -Drawing on a number of current research projects, this paper identifies the emergent methods for testing buildings and assessing fabric energy efficiency. Findings -The research identifies methods suitable for understanding and assessing building fabric performance. Using established methods, the performance metrics identify a significant difference between those achieving the energy efficiency standards and those failing to meet their designed performance. Originality/value -Highlighting the issue of sustainability is common place, but few have identified practical process measures that differentiate innovation that can lead to significant improvements in the building stock and identify those failing to achieve target performance.

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Monitoring and Measuring Building Performance

Cited by 6 publications

References 14 publications

Barriers to domestic retrofit quality: Are failures in retrofit standards a failure of retrofit standards?

Barriers to domestic retrofit quality: Are failures in retrofit standards a failure of retrofit standards?

A Review of Building Energy Retrofit Measures, Passive Design Strategies and Building Regulation for the Low Carbon Development of Existing Dwellings in the Hot Summer–Cold Winter Region of China

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