Retrofit Consultancy

We are introducing a new service for our existing and potential clients – Retrofit Consultancy.

What is Retrofit?

Building Renovation and Refurbishment may well be well understood processes, whereby buildings are upgraded both spatially and with new fixtures and fittings. Retrofit involves modifications to existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and decrease energy demand which is where our retrofit consultancy can help you.

Effectively adding something to a building that was not there when originally built. And, adding value to normal refurbishment projects.

Why is Retrofit important?

The UK made history in 2019 when it became the first major economy to set a legal target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Contributing to this target is an 80% reduction in emissions from UK households (using 1990 as the baseline). In the UK, at the end of 2017 there were 27.2m households and increasing year on year.

Retrofit improvement measures can make a significant contribution to climate change. For example, London’s existing domestic buildings contribute 36 per cent of the region’s cardon dioxide emissions.

It is expected that the environmental impact of existing domestic buildings will be reduced through Central and Local Government policies and programmes designed to introduce and improve upon sustainable design and construction. In particular, programmes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve the efficiency of resource use (such as energy).

What can you do to help?

Small changes can help you use less energy, cutting your carbon footprint and your energy bills. For example, turn off lights and appliances when you don’t need them, replace light bulbs with LEDs or other low-energy lights, or simply put on an extra layer and turn down the heating a degree or two!

However, you can go further and make sure you home is energy efficient. Unless you’re using renewable energy, the energy we use in our homes leads to additional carbon emissions. An important step that homeowners can make is to ensure that the walls, roofs and windows are properly insulated and uncontrolled ventilation is minimised. Thereby reducing energy used for heating.

Further, it is estimated that around 50 per cent of UK homes are using inefficient gas or oil boilers. Now could be a good time to switch to low carbon heating and install a renewable energy heating system.

What can Prime Meridian do to help you?

Preparing existing dwellings to be net zero carbon or at least 80% better performing than 1990 levels, by 2050, is challenging. Understandably homeowners may feel overwhelmed by this challenge.

Many dwellings will require a substantial package of measures which may not be practical or indeed affordable to undertake in one phase. Prime Meridian will assess the condition of your dwelling and using this data and information prepare a plan setting out the necessary scope of improvement measures – that can be applied now or over a longer timeframe.

Prime Meridian has a Retrofit Co-ordinator who is qualified to provide end-to-end project co-ordination. From the inception of a retrofit project to handover and beyond, including undertaking basic monitoring and evaluation work, and to identify, assess and manage the technical and process risks associated with domestic retrofit projects.