In the UK, land for new construction is becoming more scarce, leaving developers with few options:

  • reclaiming brownfield sites

  • building in green belt zones

  • tearing down existing structures

  • reworking the existing building fabric

Of these, only one is consistent with the principles of the Circular Economy – retrofitting to improve energy performance.

Timber products for Retrofit in the UK

The project, led by Edinburgh Napier University and funded through Forestry Commission Scotland, researched the retrofit market in the UK, which will lay the groundwork for research into the use of timber systems through:

  • Analysing available data regarding the size of the retrofit market in the UK

  • Outlining the demand for retrofit in the UK • Outline the supply of retrofit in the UK

  • Identifying gaps and opportunities in the market with regards to prefabricated timber systems

The project compiled a knowledge base of resources about the UK's retrofit market and found:

  • There's a huge demand for retrofit of domestic buildings, as shown by the fuel poverty stats

  • Uptake of energy-efficiency interventions like loft and wall insulation is also high

  • Research shows that a holistic approach to retrofit can provide energy savings and health benefits larger than the sum of its parts

  • Retrofit policies and subsidies have been inconsistent since the 80's

  • Historic buildings may be inaccurately understood before retrofit, which could lead to overestimated energy savings

  • A lack of construction industry skills in general and particularly when it comes to retrofitting buildings

 

Project partners