Exploring the Distinct Approaches in Retrofitting: Deeper and More Superficial Methods
Going green doesn't necessitate a drastic overhaul of your property. The approach to retrofitting older buildings for energy efficiency can be tailored to the building's specific needs, making it a personalized process. Here's a lowdown on shallow and deep retrofitting, two popular strategies for energy upgrades.
Each building has its quirks—age, weathering, unique design elements, and structural idiosyncrasies. Thus, it's crucial to understand a building's shortcomings before jumping into retrofitting decisions. This understanding allows for responsible energy upgrades that address significant areas of heat loss while minimizing non-essential improvements.
The plan for retrofitting your property will fall into one of two categories: shallow or deep retrofits. These terms refer to the scope of upgrades intended for the building. Let's take a closer look at each.
Shallow Retrofits: Piecemeal Upgrades
Small steps make a considerable difference. Shallow retrofits target individual energy efficiency issues one at a time, with a focus on minute improvements to save energy rather than tackling the building as a whole system.
Colin Bebbington from Ireland's Bord Gáis Energy suggests low-impact, impactful changes such as:
- Swapping incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient alternatives.
- Draught-proofing doors and windows.
- Adding cavity wall insulation.
Of course, insulating the loft to prevent heat loss through the roof and upgrading to triple-pane windows are also viable options for shallow upgrades.
Shallow retrofits cater well to smaller budgets or properties requiring a final tune-up to achieve net-zero status. These improvements mainly focus on the creation of renewable energy instead of overall efficiency.
Shallow Retrofits: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Flexibility to choose individual solutions, with the option to implement them in stages when budget and expertise permit.
- Minimal disruption for residents, as most upgrades can be completed without vacating the property.
- Fast return on investment (ROI), with energy bill savings of 10-20% reflected in less than a year.
- Easy adjustments during routine household maintenance or renovations.
Cons
- Lack of overall planning can lead to conflicting changes that offset the benefits of one another (e.g., triple-pane windows causing condensation due to poor ventilation).
- Slow progress in meeting ambitious climate goals.
- Higher long-term costs due to staged, incremental improvements.
- Energy efficiency improvements of just 9-18% in EU-based shallow retrofit projects[1].
One disadvantage: Staged upgrades delay the holistic impact, potentially losing valuable gains. For instance, installing triple-pane windows now grants immediate benefits but falls short if insulation is added two years later, wasting 720 hours of efficiency gains.
Deep Retrofits: Whole-House Approach
Taking energy efficiency and dependency on fossil fuels to a new level, deep retrofits create an efficient building system with minimal reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Passive house renovations are a prime example of deep retrofitting.
An initial whole-building evaluation identifies complementary improvements, aiming to achieve 50-100% carbon and energy efficiency by optimizing the building's structure and systems[3]. Retro-commissioning, the addition and calibration of systems like HVAC or light and heat sensors for a better living experience, is a part of this strategy.
Colin explains that this approach involves upgrades such as:
- Internal or external wall insulation.
- Boosting airtightness and mechanical ventilation.
- Installation of renewable heating systems, solar panels, or heat pumps.
Major structural overhauls demand careful planning, as they might necessitate extended occupant absence during the renovation process.
Deep Retrofits: Advantages and Drawbacks
Pros
- Comprehensive improvements result in immediate and holistic impact, with no need for additional investment after installation.
- Pre-construction evaluation ensures that all improvements complement rather than contradict each other.
Cons
- Sizeable upfront costs, making deep retrofits a significant investment.
- High initial costs can be a barrier, particularly for public sector projects due to the long-term nature of ROI.
- Possibility of disruption, necessitating extended building evacuation for intense renovations.
- Equipment may encroach on living space, such as duct piping and water heaters.
Whether you opt for a shallow or deep retrofit depends on your goals and budget. Both strategies aim to reduce energy consumption, environmental harm, and costs—it's crucial to consider your specific needs and desired outcome before diving into the renovation process.
[1] Volans, Re:Pattern and APPG on Fair Banking. (2021). Bankers for Net Zero briefing: The Retrofit Revolution. Available at: https://volans.com/our-work/
[2] The Energy Saving Trust. (2022, Jan 13). Shallow and deep retrofit: What's the difference and how can they help reduce energy bills?. Available at: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/shallow-and-deep-retrofit-whats-the-difference-and-how-can-they-help-reduce-energy-bills
[3] The Deep Retrofit Pilot Programme. (n.d.). Retrofit in depth: Deep Retrofit Pilot Programme. Available at: https://www.deepretrofit.ie/what-is-deep-retrofit/retrofit-in-depth/
Going green doesn't require a drastic overhaul; it can be a personalized process tailored to specific building needs. Choosing between shallow and deep retrofits, two popular strategies for energy upgrades, is crucial.
Shallow retrofits focus on individual energy efficiency issues with minute improvements, like swapping incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient alternatives, draught-proofing doors and windows, and adding cavity wall insulation. Shallow upgrades have pros like flexibility, minimal disruption, fast return on investment, and easy adjustments during routine maintenance. However, they have cons such as potential conflicting changes, slow progress in climate-change targets, higher long-term costs, and limited energy efficiency gains.
Deep retrofits create efficient building systems with minimal reliance on non-renewable energy sources, like passive house renovations. These comprehensive improvements have immediate holistic impact, as they optimize the building's structure and systems, and result in 50-100% carbon and energy efficiency. Deep retrofits have advantages like comprehensive improvements, pre-construction evaluation, and no need for additional investment. But they have drawbacks such as significant upfront costs, the potential for disruption, and equipment encroaching on living space.
Whether it's shallow or deep, selecting the right retrofit strategy depends on one's goals and budget. Both aim to reduce energy consumption, environmental harm, and costs, making it essential to consider specific needs and desired outcomes before diving into the renovation process.
Moreover, the industry recognizes the importance of sustainable living, and investing in education-and-self-development, personal-growth, career-development, and environmental-science focuses on understanding renewable-energy, energy-efficiency, climate-change, and housing-market trends. Technology plays a significant role in promoting energy efficiency, as data-and-cloud-computing tools support making informed decisions while retrofitting properties.
Homeowners interested in business opportunities can leverage real-estate investments, real-estate development, or finance to encourage retrofitting properties for energy efficiency and attract environmentally-conscious buyers. By adopting greener lifestyles, homeowners can contribute to the vital sustainability movement, ensuring a better future by reducing carbon footprints, conserving resources, and promoting environmental stewardship.
