ERP has produced a report on the challenge of reducing GHG emissions caused by heating buildings. The report focuses on fabric energy efficiency for reducing heat demand, exploring why this opportunity is not being fully exploited. The report highlights the potential of leading practice in fabric energy efficiency for new-build and for retrofitting existing buildings, and explores why this leading practice is rarely attempted (the “uptake gap”). The report also highlights why heating performance in practice often differs from the expected levels: firstly due to unrealistic expectations (the “prediction gap”), and secondly due to incorrect implementation (the “performance gap”). The report recommends steps to provide ambition and certainty in regulations for the building industry, new approaches to increase the appeal of retrofit to leverage customer interest, research to improve understanding of heat use in buildings, and better quality control and enforcement to deliver high performance in practice.
ERP 6th Oct 2016 read more »