Eco-Retrofit Scoping Studies
Project type: Sustainability Consultancy
Surging energy bills have forced a renewed interest in making our homes, schools and places of work more energy efficient. There is no question that through the 2020’s energy and resource security will increasingly impact our lives so now is the time to invest in our built environment to be more resilient for the challenges that lie ahead.
Luckily there are steps we can take to make our buildings more thermally efficient and less costly to heat. The tricky thing is working out what is going to work best for your building; what is the ‘low-hanging fruit’ that gives the best return on investment and how to avoid new or accelerated building defects when integrating these works.
Diagramme from a Deeper Green eco-retrofit scoping study showing a range of fabric energy efficiency elements covered in the evaluation as might be part of a ‘deep retrofit’ range of works.
Diagramme from a Deeper Green eco-retrofit scoping study showing a ‘light touch’ range of fabric energy efficiency elements including the concept of creating a ‘heat bunker’ as the central living space during very cold weather operation.
Deeper Green can help clients work out what to do. We can provide an eco-retrofit scoping study which assists clients identify the right range of upgrades to suit their building and their budget. This service has been created to provide an affordable preliminary study to help client’s hone their brief prior to any follow-on design work being commissioned.
How it works
The eco-retrofit design scoping study
After meeting with you to hear your own observations and aspirations as well as seeing the building first hand, we will carry out a ‘skeleton’ dimensional survey of the property to compile a rough schedule of areas of the external envelope of the building. We will then input this data into our heat loss calculation to assess the proportional heat losses around the building’s external envelope both ‘as existing’ and ‘as proposed’. This allows us to empirically evaluate which elements provide the best thermal upgrade potential relative to capital expenditure. We present this information within a report that explains what the technologies are, how they have been evaluated and a suggested range of measures for taking forward specific to your property. We also provide an outline cost plan which is key for making an informed decision. We then meet with you to decide on the range of eco-retrofit measures to take forward.
The follow-on design work
Once the scope of work is defined by the initial study, Deeper Green can then arrange for the necessary surveys and design work in response to a preferred range of options to take forward. Should any statutory approvals be needed, Deeper Green can facilitate the relevant applications. We complete the design work with what we call a ‘design intent’ package which allows the client to approach builders for quotes.
For larger scale work
For larger scale work, where the client would like to retain the architect to administer a building contract, Deeper Green can take care of the tendering for a builder and provide full contract administration, site inspection and project management services.
