Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health
The climate crisis demands an urgent societal shift, and the UK government has responded with a strong policy targeting energy retrofit to improve the energy performance of homes to achieve the net zero target by 2050. However, research has shown that standard retrofit measures have resulted in unde...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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EDP Sciences
2023-01-01
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| Series: | E3S Web of Conferences |
| Online Access: | https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2023/33/e3sconf_iaqvec2023_01087.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827921216802914304 |
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| author | Petsou Athina Medina Hector Altamirano Pender Robyn Hong Sung Min |
| author_facet | Petsou Athina Medina Hector Altamirano Pender Robyn Hong Sung Min |
| author_sort | Petsou Athina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The climate crisis demands an urgent societal shift, and the UK government has responded with a strong policy targeting energy retrofit to improve the energy performance of homes to achieve the net zero target by 2050. However, research has shown that standard retrofit measures have resulted in undesirable unintended consequences. Incorrect interventions such as using incompatible materials can affect the equilibrium of the building, increasing the risk of surface and interstitial condensation due to excessive humidity levels. Mould growth may develop under high levels of humidity, damaging the building fabric but also posing a risk to the occupants; it has been linked to asthma exacerbation and other respiratory infections. Therefore, what is needed is a well-integrated retrofit approach that not only reduces energy use but protects the building and the health and well-being of its occupants. This paper discusses the retrofit practices, the main challenges that retrofit practitioners face in the UK, and which guidance and tools they work with through the lens of the impact on occupants. A deeper understanding of the current practices is needed if those unintended consequences are to be avoided. For instance, replacing a 'fabric-first' mindset with a 'people-first' approach that considers more factors like the causes of thermal discomfort, and the gains to be made from passive and adaptive comfort approaches, could contribute to deliverer energy and carbon savings and increased building's indoor environment quality and usability justified. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:23:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7fd293c14c2c437f882ed3e986dee69f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2267-1242 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:23:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | EDP Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | E3S Web of Conferences |
| spelling | doaj.art-7fd293c14c2c437f882ed3e986dee69f2023-06-20T09:04:03ZengEDP SciencesE3S Web of Conferences2267-12422023-01-013960108710.1051/e3sconf/202339601087e3sconf_iaqvec2023_01087Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and healthPetsou Athina0Medina Hector Altamirano1Pender Robyn2Hong Sung Min3UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, BSEERUCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, BSEERHistoric EnglandUCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, BSEERThe climate crisis demands an urgent societal shift, and the UK government has responded with a strong policy targeting energy retrofit to improve the energy performance of homes to achieve the net zero target by 2050. However, research has shown that standard retrofit measures have resulted in undesirable unintended consequences. Incorrect interventions such as using incompatible materials can affect the equilibrium of the building, increasing the risk of surface and interstitial condensation due to excessive humidity levels. Mould growth may develop under high levels of humidity, damaging the building fabric but also posing a risk to the occupants; it has been linked to asthma exacerbation and other respiratory infections. Therefore, what is needed is a well-integrated retrofit approach that not only reduces energy use but protects the building and the health and well-being of its occupants. This paper discusses the retrofit practices, the main challenges that retrofit practitioners face in the UK, and which guidance and tools they work with through the lens of the impact on occupants. A deeper understanding of the current practices is needed if those unintended consequences are to be avoided. For instance, replacing a 'fabric-first' mindset with a 'people-first' approach that considers more factors like the causes of thermal discomfort, and the gains to be made from passive and adaptive comfort approaches, could contribute to deliverer energy and carbon savings and increased building's indoor environment quality and usability justified.https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2023/33/e3sconf_iaqvec2023_01087.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Petsou Athina Medina Hector Altamirano Pender Robyn Hong Sung Min Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health E3S Web of Conferences |
| title | Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health |
| title_full | Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health |
| title_fullStr | Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health |
| title_short | Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health |
| title_sort | understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting ieq and health |
| url | https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2023/33/e3sconf_iaqvec2023_01087.pdf |
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