Climate change mitigation and adaptation of UK complex-to-decarbonise homes: building fabric vs. systems upgrade approaches

Abstract

Buildings account for 31% of the global final energy demand, 70% from residential sector. Complex-to-decarbonise dwellings emit 25% of the residential sector's CO2 emissions. While decarbonising can be challenging, effective retrofit solutions are required to reduce energy consumption and overheating risks. This paper identifies solutions and challenges to retrofit complex-to-decarbonise homes, focusing on two case studies: a pre-1919 Victorian mid-terrace house in Battersea, London, and a 1966 social housing high-rise flat in Southsea, Portsmouth. IES VE simulation assessed the impact of different retrofit packages in current and future (UKCP09) climate conditions, including heating system upgrades, passive heating and cooling strategies, and their combination. Results show that combining passive measures with electric heat pumps provides optimal outcomes, reducing energy consumption by 74.2% and 75.6% in the house and flat, respectively, while mitigating overheating. Additional measures are necessary to achieve net-zero and TM59 targets in the future, considering technical and financial feasibility.

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ORCID for Stephanie Gauthier: orcid.org/0000-0002-1720-1736

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