Retrofit Challenges of Energy-efficient Upgrades of Terraced Housing in the UK: Reviewing and Analyzing Strategies From Case Study Projects

As 70% of current homes in the UK will still be standing in 2050, the CO2 emissions associated with high space-heating demand contributes to significant environmental impacts. In order to reduce carbon emissions, housing retrofit is gaining momentum with architects proposing solutions for the reduction in occupant energy consumption by making buildings more energy-efficient. This research investigated the retrofitting barriers, upgrading strategies and issues associated with Victorian housing in the UK. The research illustrated retrofit barriers in the UK drawn out from literature and supplemented with interviewing retrofit professionals. A number of retrofit strategy themes were focused on, based on the relative importance attached by the interviewees and as found in the literature. Six retrofit projects from the TSB in the UK and EnergieSprong (Netherlands) are included as case studies. Findings indicate that there is some scope to apply and adapt German and Dutch solutions to the UK retrofit market.