Retrofit 2050

Retrofit 2050: upgrading UK housing stock

A joint publication by the IET and Nottingham Trent University entitled Scaling up Retrofit 2050 claims that “a nationwide programme to upgrade the existing housing stock is the only way for the UK to achieve its carbon saving goals.” It points out that domestic energy consumption “accounts for about 30% of the UK’s total energy budget, and 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions” and claims that since “80% of the homes we will be living in by 2050 have already been built, a nationwide programme of deep retrofits and refurbishment of the existing stock is the only way to deliver the required carbon savings.” The paper goes on to describe barriers to progress, and makes recommendations for action, focussing on social housing. It is available at:
https://www.theiet.org/sectors/built-environment/topics/heat/articles/retrofit.cfm
The following papers focus on a single aspect of retrofitting, namely the measurement of U-values in existing structures. Such measurements can be time-consuming and difficult, and the papers illustrate both the reasons for the difficulties and some of the approaches taken to overcome them and yield quicker results.
In-situ measurement of U-value, Ludmilla Kosmina, BRE September 2016.
This paper provides a guide to in situ U-value measurement of walls in existing dwellings under steady state conditions, using heat flow elements and temperature sensors. Examples of data sets leading to valid and invalid results are given, and the case is put for dynamic methods which could shorten the time required. Available at:
https://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/In-situ-measurement-of-thermal-resistance-and-thermal-transmittance-FINAL.pdf
Inferring the thermal resistance and effective thermal resistance of a wall using frequent temperature and heat flux measurements, Biddulph et al., Energy and Buildings, 2014.
A clear exposition is given of a dynamic measurement method which reduces time significantly, and allows measurement to take place outside of the winter period. Nevertheless, three days can be needed for a measurement. The dynamic model uses four unknowns to characterise the wall, and the analysis is Bayesian. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262112172_Inferring_the_thermal_resistance_and_effective_thermal_mass_of_a_wall_using_frequent_temperature_and_heat_flux_measurements
A novel method for the estimation of thermophysical properties of walls from short and seasonally independent in-situ surveys. Gori, V., (2017) Doctoral thesis, UCL (University College London).
This thesis builds on the work described in the previous paper and includes a review of the literature on the subject.
Available at: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1568418/
A practical method for in situ thermal characterisation of walls, Sassine, E., Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 2016
This paper describes a method using complex Fourier analysis, described as fast, but it nevertheless refers to periods of several days for measurements.
Available at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X16300120
A response-factor based method for the rapid in situ determination of a wall’s thermal resistance in existing buildings
Arash Rasooli et \al., 2016, Energy and Buildings.
The authors describe a measurement technique based on excitation pulses and the theory of response factors, which is said to take hours rather than days.
Available at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778816301475


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