The Evaluation of a Palette of Low Carbon Measures Applied to a Conservation Area Victorian Terraced House

There exists a solution gap between the design of new build UK housing and the low carbon retrofit of existing housing stock. Whilst a series of common standards can be reasonably applied to new construction, many factors (such as age, construction type, condition, tenure and planning regulations) affect the approach required for improving existing properties. Conservation issues in particular can limit the opportunity for retrofit and therefore design details appropriate to the character of the dwelling should be considered. This paper reports on findings from a UK retrofit project that aims to bridge this gap by comparing a range of measures applied to a Victorian Terraced property with a 'control' property renovated to more usual renovation standards. The efficacy of a palette of solutions is considered in terms of value (cost) and effect on reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Conclusions are drawn as to the appropriateness of each retrofit measure for future roll-out based on increased energy efficiency and experience from construction. A system for evaluating wider housing stock for suitability of these retrofit details is also outlined and discussed. This paper will be of interest to those considering the larger scale upgrade of existing dwellings (scaling up retrofit) to minimize energy and carbon use when working on dwellings that have challenging planning and preservation requirements.