 | Refurbishing and upgrading |
Insulation
The three types of insulation that can be refurbished/upgraded to reduce energy wastage and save costs are: cavity wall, external wall, floor and roof insulation:
Cavity wall insulation
Installing cavity wall insulation can reduce heat loss by up to 35%. The installation process won't cause much inconvenience, so it can be carried out at any time
Note – cavity wall insulation should be avoided in buildings where rain penetration is already a problem.
How to implement cavity wall insulation
Solid wall insulation
This is usually only installed as part of a refurbishment project because it's a bigger job and involves more disruption. The two types of solid wall insulation are:
-
External wall insulation
Insulation board is applied to the external fabric of the building. This insulation board is then protected with a specialist render.Note – it's essential that the render is applied in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations and the new surface finish complies with relevant local planning regulations. -
Internal wall insulation
Special plasterboard is fitted to the internal face of solid external walls. The insulation can either be fixed to battens and covered with plasterboard, or incorporated into a single 'composite' piece of plasterboard.Note – installing internal wall insulation will involve greater disruption to building occupants, but it's less expensive.
Floor insulation
Insulating floors is a very good way to reduce heat wastage and save money on energy costs (using mineral wool or rigid foam).
If there's easy access to the underside of your floors, then insulation can be installed without too much disruption. If there's no easy access, however, the flooring will have to be lifted (which is best done as part of a planned refurbishment).
Roof insulation
About 25% of a building's heat can escape through an un-insulated roof, so insulating roof spaces is a great way to save on energy costs.
How to implement roof insulation
Doors and entrances - including vehicle access and draught lobbies
The three types of doors and entrances that can be refurbished/ upgraded to reduce energy wastage and save costs are: Regular doors (of the type any building might have), vehicle access doors and draught lobbies (for entrances to a building).
Regular doors
All the doors in your building should be well-insulated to prevent heat wastage. They should also, of course, address fire and security issues.
Vehicle access doors
Vehicle access doors are usually just large holes in a building that let lots of warm air escape. You can reduce heat losses through:
- PVC/plastic strip curtains
- Allowing vehicles to reverse into an airtight seal
- Using an interlock control - to switch off the heating when large access doors are opened
- High speed motorised doors– with automatic opening/shutting (for example, rapid roll doors)
How to implement rapid roll doors
Note - the least expensive options are PVC/plastic strip curtains and interlocks. Interlocks are relatively cheap to install and can be particularly effective for doors in loading bays, garages and workshops.
Draught lobby
Consider installing a draught lobby at your building’s frequently used entrances. A draught lobby only allows one set of the lobby’s doors to be open at a time (thereby reducing heat wastage).
Obviously, the lobby has to be big enough for this to be possible without causing problems for people entering the building. Where possible, the two sets of doors should have automatic controls.
Other issues
Some other ways that you can refurbish / upgrade your building fabric to reduce energy wastage and save costs are:
Control strategy – including building control systems
The more complex a building’s needs are, the more you need a clear control strategy to provide its heating and cooling.
Note - building control systems (combined with a building management policy) are usually the best way to reduce an office’s energy wastage. To be effective, controls need to be user-friendly for both managers and occupants.
How to implement a building energy management system
Shading
Horizontal blinds or external shading are very good at reducing heat and glare through windows.
How to implement solar shading
As a low-cost fix, a novel idea might be to plant deciduous trees and shrubs near your windows. They’ll provide shade in summer, whilst letting through heat and sunlight in winter.